“Business is business so you gotta pay me.” — Frank Clark
The offseason has begun for all but two teams, and football is now in business mode — as Richard Sherman and Frank Clark tweeted recently.
It has been assumed that the Seahawks will keep Clark, their only legit outside pass rusher, via a contract extension or the franchise tag. Pete Carroll confirmed that thought in December when he told 710 ESPN, “He ain’t going anywhere. We aren’t losing him.”
But Carroll also admitted, “We’ve got to figure (the contract) out somehow. It’s a big issue.”
What if the issue is too big? What if John Schneider decides that Clark, who garnered 14 sacks while playing through a bunch of injuries in 2018, is not worth a long-term investment at $17 million APY or more? What if Schneider thinks he can get an equitable pass rusher for closer to $10 million? Or two rushers for the price of Clark?
The 2018 season originally was supposed to be the last hurrah for the Legion of Boom era Seahawks. But injuries in 2017 ruined that, so Pete Carroll and John Schneider turned 2018 into a youth movement instead — an audition for the core of Carroll’s next potential Super Bowl team.
You can’t blame Sheldon Richardson and Tom Johnson for having axes to grind Monday night against the Seahawks — who, by the way, could have used either guy this season.
The running back drama is operatic this week.
When Earl Thomas gave his one-finger salute to John Schneider (who else would he be targeting?) as the safety was being carted off the field Sunday in Arizona, he was just pointing out the general manager’s latest error.
In Denver, John Schneider will be looking for a fun little trifecta, maybe even a superfecta.
Earl Thomas’ message has been sent and he is begrudgingly coming back for his final year in Seattle — unless a trade comes together at some point. And you can expect him to quietly play lights out.
John Schneider now knows what he needs to pay Russell Wilson — with Aaron Rodgers setting the bar at $33.5 million a year and $98 million fully guaranteed — and a deal for Seattle’s quarterback should be easy.
