Tag Archives: Doug Baldwin

Contracts take backseat to Super Bowl LI

June 16, 2016 cc 1 Comment

Kam and Bennett A year ago at this time, the Seahawks had all kinds of financial turmoil — and it ultimately played a role in ruining team chemistry and the season.

Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner needed extensions. Bruce Irvin was unhappy his option had not been picked up. Michael Bennett was dissatisfied with his brand-new deal. And, unbeknownst to everyone in June, Kam Chancellor was the most displeased of all.

As it turned out, Chancellor was the only player who caused a ruckus, holding out until the third week of the season, but it was a distraction that did indeed affect chemistry and performance. The Seahawks ultimately fell short of a third straight Super Bowl because of it.

This June, the Seahawks seemingly are one big, happy family again — of one mind as they prepare for a Super Bowl redux. Sure, Bennett and Chancellor still feel they are underpaid. And Doug Baldwin is waiting to get a new contract. But, out of their own mouths, none of those three are going to hold out and screw up team chemistry.

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CHAWK LINES

June 13, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Marshawn Lynch kept it real, as always, in a Sports Illustrated interview — saying, among other things, that he is definitely retired.

John Schneider had a long conversation with Peter Schrager, recapping major moments in his career. Before the Seahawks, his biggest moves were drafting Aaron Rodgers and trading Brett Favre (yeah, he negotiated the deal with the Jets).

The mandatory minicamp will be held Tuesday through Thursday.

The Seahawks worked out Nate Robinson on Monday but did not sign the 32-year-old former Husky and NBA player.

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Contracts

Baldwin’s market rate is confirmed at $10M-$11M

June 11, 2016 cc 5 Comments

Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin celebrate a 16-yard TD hookup vs. Carolina (Seahawks.com) It’s official: The going rate for second-tier No. 1 receivers is indeed upwards of $11 million a year.

Keenan Allen’s new deal with San Diego — $45 million over four years — backs up the four-year, $40 million deal Allen Hurns received from Jacksonville and sets Doug Baldwin’s market.

As we said the other day, John Schneider is going to have to decide whether to overpay yet another receiver — as he did Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin (after Tim Ruskell overpaid Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh). The difference, of course, is that Baldwin is a homegrown Seahawk who has a proven performance history for Seattle.

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CHAWK LINES

June 5, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Seahawks OTAs & minicamp

Doug Baldwin told 710 ESPN that he has not talked to the Seahawks about a new deal yet.

Tom Cable said it’s way too early to make any judgments on the offensive line.

Justin Britt said he is losing hair over all of the position switches but just wants to be “one of the five.”

Bob Condotta gave a rundown of all of the offensive linemen.

Cable said Pro Football Focus, which called Germain Ifedi the worst first-round pick in the 2016 draft, will “eat their words” after seeing him play.

Cable stated the obvious: The Hawks will be deep at running back.

Darrell Bevell talked about the team’s running backs and more with John Clayton.

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Contracts

Hawks have to decide whether to overpay Baldwin

June 3, 2016 cc 3 Comments

Gus Bradley’s Jacksonville Jaguars did the Seahawks no favors Thursday when they blew up the receiver market by lavishing a rich contract on Allen Hurns.

The four-year deal that reportedly could be worth $11 million a season figures to complicate contract talks between Seattle and Doug Baldwin.

It has always been expected that Baldwin would seek at least $10 million a year, based on his career-best 2015 season, which featured 78 catches, 1,069 yards and an NFL-best 14 touchdowns.

But, to Seattle, Baldwin really isn’t worth more than about $8 million a year. And now the Seahawks will have to decide whether to overpay Baldwin the way the Jags seemingly overpaid Hurns.

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CHAWK LINES

May 29, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Back from a couple of unplugged weeks in Europe, here’s the most recent on the Seahawks:

Bob Condotta ran down some personnel pairings from the OTAs.

Seahawks.com posited six takeaways, including a reminder not to forget about Tharold Simon (who has been easy to forget in his first three years).

Pete Carroll says he won’t rush Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls into training camp and is “kind of counting on” them to be ready for Week 1.

Doug Baldwin expects contract talks to start soon, but he is not worried about it.

While we were gone, Bennett told 710 ESPN he will not hold out for a new contract.

The Marshawn Lynch speculation won’t die, but Bennett and Doug Baldwin think he’s done.

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Contracts, Free agency, State of the team, The roster

Forget the Lynch drama; check out the cap space

May 4, 2016 cc Leave a comment

For some reason, there has been a lot of concern about Marshawn Lynch’s retirement status: Is he really retiring? Why hasn’t he submitted his papers? Is he trying to screw the Seahawks? Will they make him a June 1 cut?

So many conspiracy theories.

Some people have wondered whether the Seahawks would designate Lynch as a post-June 1 move, thereby allowing the team an extra $2.5 million in 2016 cap space (but removing $2.5 million from the 2017 cap).

But anyone who has followed John Schneider’s moves with the Hawks understands he likes to take his lumps now, not later. He confirmed that once again Tuesday in an interview with KJR 950, saying the team will place Lynch on the reserve-retired list by June 1 so all of his $5 million in dead money (the unamortized portion of his signing bonus) hits this year’s cap.

Schneider clearly just wants to wipe that slate clean for 2017 and feels no need for an extra $2.5 million this offseason.

“It’s basically like a credit card, like you want to pay off your credit card as you go,’’ Schneider said. “So, like with us, if we place him on reserve/retired (by June 1) then we accept that cap hit this year, and we would rather do that than do it after June 1.’’

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April 10, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Thomas Rawls said he’ll be ready for camp.

Doug Baldwin said he has not talked to the team about a new contract and he’s “not too concerned about it.”

John Schneider said Frank Clark’s “ceiling is off the charts.”

Russell Wilson, Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett continue to work out in Southern California.

The Seahawks are playing Dallas in Week 3 of the preseason — the big tuneup game.

Cliff Avril turned 30 and talked about losing Brandon Mebane and regaining Chris Clemons.

Clemons said Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman had been recruiting him to come back.

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Contracts, State of the team, The roster

Receiving unit looks so much better a year later

March 28, 2016 cc 3 Comments

P-Rich & Wilson workout — Paul Richardson catches a pass from Russell Wilson during a workout in California.

A year ago, the Seahawks were a mess at wide receiver. Paul Richardson was recovering from a torn ACL, Jermaine Kearse had played horribly in the two biggest games of the year, and Doug Baldwin had temporarily changed his name to Dookie.

The Seahawks knew they had to get better at receiver, so they made two blockbuster trades — acquiring Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett.

Those two were just what Russell Wilson needed. Even though the offense struggled early in the season behind a poor offensive line and coaches who did not know how to use Graham (send him vertical!), the unit eventually took off.

Yes, they lost Graham to a torn patellar tendon in Week 12, but the stellar Lockett helped Baldwin and Kearse put together their best seasons.

Graham will spend this offseason recuperating and thus miss out on further developing rapport with Wilson until possibly September, but Richardson is back — already full speed as he works out with Wilson, Lockett and others in California. Kearse is back, too, on a three-year deal. And Baldwin is back for the final year of his old contract, pending a major extension.

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