Kam Chancellor cannot win this one — so what’s the end game?
Kam Chancellor’s hold out is dumb.
Enough is enough. Amid all the walking on egg shells, quietly questioning his end game and trying to understand a player going after what he deserves — the reality is he simply cannot win.
He can’t.
And for that reason, continuing to hold out is dumb. A fantastic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
He already owes the Seahawks over a million dollars in fines. Every game he misses is going to cost him a quarter of a million bucks. If he waits until week 10 to return in order to accrue a season on his contract — he will lose money this year. And he’ll be no closer to a new deal. He’ll have two more years to go. He’ll be out of pocket and his reputation with the fans in Seattle — and possibly some of the players — will be forever tarnished.
Forget the ring of honor. Forget the glory. Forget seeing 12’s wearing #31.
Sadly for Chancellor his biggest mistake was to sign a contract that he clearly believes undervalues his contribution to the team. There’s not much he can do about it now. Nobody forced him to sign that contract. Nobody will force the Seahawks to rip it up.
To test the team, see if it works and then return would be understandable to an extent. To start missing games, lose game-cheques and let your teammates down is quite another thing. And where does he go from here?
If the Seahawks start 0-2 they aren’t going to cave. At that point does he come back into a locker room no richer and with possible resentment that he wasn’t out on the field trying to win two tough road games?
If they go 2-0 does he creep back into the VMAC with his tail between his legs?
What is the end game here? Where is he going?
Is he going to retire?
Pride is a good thing sometimes. It can make you feel responsible. It encourages leadership and support. It can drive you to succeed.
It also gets in the way when you’ve lost and need to concede. When you need to take a step back. When you need to admit you aren’t going to win and there’s nothing you can do about it.
We’d all love to go back in time and change the outcome of the last Super Bowl. It’s impossible. Chancellor equally can’t go back in time and un-sign that contract extension.
We’d all like to earn more money. Who wouldn’t? Not all of us play a punishing pro-sport. Not all of us put our bodies on the line. A lot of us do have families to support though — and the thought of not turning up to work to prove a point is simply out of the question. You’d be fired.
Kam Chancellor’s average salary is $7,000,502 per year. He’s among the highest paid safeties in the league. There are thousands of Seahawks fans who won’t make that amount of money in a lifetime, let alone one year.
Life is tough sometimes. Yet some people would argue Chancellor’s situation isn’t remotely ‘tough’ or ‘unfair’. He doesn’t get paid exactly what he wants. Welcome to the club. He earns enough money to not need to work ever again the moment he retires from his short career in football.
How many other people in the world are underpaid, can’t hold-out and need to work decades before they can even consider retiring? How many of those people will be at Century Link screaming for this team in week three against the Bears?
Right now the Seahawks need Kam Chancellor. The players need him on the field. The coaches need him in the locker room. The fans need #31 out there against the Rams and the Packers helping to launch another tilt at the Super Bowl.
He’s tried to make a point to get more money. And he’s failed. He failed.
Clearly that’s something Chancellor is struggling to deal with. He’s blocking fans on Twitter for no logical reason. It’s quite sad actually to see fans Tweet that they’ve been blocked by their favourite player. Does that not bother him at all?
Clearly his teammates are ready to move on. One player told ESPN’s Ed Werner: “We will win without him, and it will hit him.”
That player is right. They will win without him. Perhaps not both of the first two games but over the course of the season they will win. The Seahawks will not feel compelled to change their stance. Nothing is going to change their stance.
Come back. Get on the field. Do your job. Yes, that’s right. Your job. It’s what you’re paid to do. It’s what’s expected of you. You agreed this contract.
You either play for the Seahawks or nobody — at your expense. What are you gaining from sitting out any games during the regular season? The team is not going to budge.
Chancellor won’t be richer in the wallet and he’ll lose a lot of the good feeling he’s worked hard to develop since 2010.
It’s dumb. And it’s time this madness stopped right now.
***UPDATE***
Perhaps sensing he’s losing the battle for hearts and minds, Chancellor has talked to the NFL Network in the last few moments. He says he could be at practise tomorrow if the Seahawks meet him halfway.
.@DanHellie: "He told me he’s not asking for more money; wants money to be moved from 2017 to next season w/ no additional money this yr."
— NFL Media PR (@InsideNFLMedia) September 9, 2015
.@DanHellie: "He told me he’s not asking for more money; wants money to be moved from 2017 to next season w/ no additional money this yr."
— NFL Media PR (@InsideNFLMedia) September 9, 2015
If this is an attempt to portray the Seahawks as the issue, it won’t work. If, as Chancellor claims, this is all over 2017 money being pushed into 2016 for a grand total of an extra million bucks — why is he even holding out? Is all the drama, all the distraction really worth it for one seventh extra of his current annual salary?
The funny thing is — who’d bet against the Seahawks adjusting the contract of a loyal, dedicated player if he was — you know — leading the team out against St. Louis this weekend? They’re probably less inclined to give him a small raise after this hold-out.
Look at Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh. He got an extra $2m out of the Steelers this off-season. Chancellor must rue the day he went down this road instead of following Brown’s example.
It’s simply unrealistic to expect the Seahawks to push a heap of 2017 salary into 2016 meaning he’d earn around $9m next season. If that’s what he expects, it isn’t going to happen. Again — he signed this contract.
It just further emphasises what a thoroughly pointless episode this is. An exercise in time-wasting. A fruitless encounter. A wild goose chase.
Time to play football Kam.
I think it’s fairly ridiculous, considering he’s going to be losing A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
On any other team, Chancellor, a 5th round pick, would have been nothing but a backup. Think about the LOB…Sherman, a 5th rounder…Maxwell, a 6th rounder…Browner, undrafted…Lane, a 6th rounder…Thurmond, a 4th rounder. ET, the one DB that was a 1st round pick has become the best Safety in the NFL. These players have reached the pinnacle of success because they were coached up by Carroll and his defensive/DB coaches. No other team has done this! Realistically, Kam owes his success to the Seahawks. He appears to have no loyalty to the team that made him what he was at the end of last season. He has taken that success and spit in its face. He has decided that extortion was the best method to take care of himself, even if it means taking money away from fellow teammates.
Even us fans that are nowhere near being salary cap experts know that Kam’s contract was part of a plan to build a SB winning team, and to make the longevity of success for that team last as long as possible. Kam’s greed and selfishness is spoiling that plan for everyone else…his teammates, the FO, the fans, and most importantly, for himself. He just doesn’t get it. He isn’t helping himself here. Kam’s holdout was the “Impossible Dream” from its inception. Building a team in this fashion is not easy given the salary cap that GM’s must adhere to. And when the FO signed all the key players to new contracts/extensions, I believe every one of us considered them to be generous to the players. It takes insane amounts of planning to build a winning team…Kam is not stupid…he is fully aware of all of this, and yet he has chosen himself over the team.
There should be no talk of trades or appeasement (a trade would qualify as appeasement). If Kam comes back, he should be compelled to finish out his contract through 2017 for the salary he agreed to, and then be let go to Free Agency without any kind of offer for a new contract. If Kam’s gratitude for the opportunity to become a wealthy, wealthy man is a holdout, what’s to stop him from holding out again next year, even if they meet all of his demands? What guarantee do the Seahawks have that that would be the end of it? You see, not only does it set a bad precedent when dealing with Kam’s teammates, it sets a bad precedent for future dealings with Kam.
If Kam doesn’t come back, the FO should just let him sit at home for 3 seasons. This sort of behavior cannot be rewarded in any way. If it is rewarded, it will ultimately ruin everything this FO has built in the last 5 years. Why would anyone want one man, Kam Chancellor, to spoil the place where the Seahawks currently find themselves?
It’s too bad, the one blackmark on an otherwise fantastic offseason. The D will still be near the top as always but now we look at the defense not only without Maxwell but #31 too. Bobby Wagner foreshadowed it all when he said you can’t keep everybody- he knew. To lose a guy in the offseason to injury is one thing, but to lose a guy who wants to scrap a deal that he shook hands to is just disappointing. I hope he comes back ASAP, I think he’ll be accepted back by the locker room easier than most, just based on he’s still coaching the young DBs from a far, his influence has still been there.
Survive until he has to come back week 10 healthy. Let him get his feet wet before the playoffs. Unleash him in the playoffs. Win SB. Trade him for a late 1st early 2nd next year.
I don’t think it’s a case of ‘surviving’. The Seahawks can and will win without their starting strong safety. Maybe not in the first two weeks — but they’d be tough games with Kam. But they will win this season and life will go on.
Do they need him? Yes. Is he in danger of becoming another Wally Pipp? Yes. Is this team going to lie down and die because he’s not here? Absolutely not.
As Rob said, ‘life goes on.’ Keep it pushing and next man up.
I very much doubt Dion Bailey will be Lou Gehrig to Kam Chancellor’s Wally Pip. Bailey is not that good, and Chancellor is much better than Pip.
Not the point.
How do you know? Jam once sat behind an ancient milloy before he became kam. We all forget he wasn’t some all world safety in the fifth round. No one knows if bailey isn’t great when he plays with Sherman and Thomas until it happens.
I sincerely hope that if he stays out till Week# 10 they make him inactive the rest of the year. If he does that I would not want him lining up next to me if I was a Hawks player who had put it on the line the 9 weeks + pre season while he sat on his ass at home.
What would be gained by keeping him inactive? The Seahawks don’t have any good choices here, but I can’t see how intentionally foregoing his contributions, while paying Kam, helps the team.
The end of it all u got your money and your legacy, he’s losing both at the moment SAD
It is ridiculous. Flat-out weird.
The PC press conference recently was telling. Pete looked exhausted. Those 2 had/have a father-son like relationship, and to see and hear the dissappointment in Pete’s face was almost sad.
The people that are in Kam’s ear and those that should care for him the most are ruining his career. I know the responsibility lies squarely at Kam’s feet though.
Listening to Bennett talk this summer (past 3 weeks or so), it sounds as if he’s come to the realization that he’s truly blessed and in the best place for him. I wish Kam would come around to the same line of thinking.
It doesn’t sound like it’s people in his ear though. There are some rumors floating around that his agent wants him to report and Kam refused. It sounds like it’s all him.
At the end of the day, he is his own man. He has decided to go the path…… you have to respect that he made this decision. You may not agree or understand why he did it….. but he has decided to take the path less traveled.
My guess he’ll be back in a couple weeks or so, depending on how Dion Bailey plays, and the Seahawks will agree to reduce some of his fines if he comes back.
Danny and Dave were speculating that since he’s talking to a reporter, and they are only 900,000 apart, that he’ll be in not much longer.
I have not wanted them to trade him, but at this point I collect the fines due, and trade him to the Jaguars, Raiders or some other bottom feeder in the AFC. We will have to face him 1 time maximum before he turns 30 and has his new contract with who knows who. But ultimately if we are going to win without him, we might as well do it with an extra draft pick or two in our pocket.
If he gets traded, he wins, and Seattle loses (as far as their team approach and cap management).
I would be shocked to see him traded, and disappointed with PC/JS.
He ain’t going nowhere. I too would be extremely shocked.
The team picking him up has to immediately start negotations with him to get Earl money. At his age…injury history, I think the market will be limited.
I keep reading that if he gets traded, “he wins”. I don’t see it that way. Right now, the Seahawks have an “asset” (Kam) under contract that has a certain value, either on the playing field or as trade bait. To simply let that asset sit idle doesn’t make sense to me.
Maybe you are arguing that if the Seahawks trade Kam, they are opening the gates to other disgruntled players who may want out via a trade. If that is your argument, then I say fine. I don’t want a team with players who aren’t 100% committed to playing under the terms of their contracts.
None of us really knows what is going on here, but absent any other information, if we can get a future #1 pick for him as has been reported in the media, I say trade him. I recognize that there may be cap ramifications if we trade him, but that is part of making a trade — you give up something in return for getting something.
I tend to agree. The comparison that keeps coming to my mind is Richard Seymour getting traded from thre Pats to the Raiders during the offseason of a contract year. Seymour had already held out once earlier in his career and was probably threatening to do it again if he didn’t receive a second extension. The Pats just up and traded him to a bottom feeder out of the blue when he was still a very good player. The Pats got a first round pick and Seymour played four years in Oakland for big money. As long as the team wins in their trade return for him, it doesn’t really matter if the player wins as well. Trading Seymour never hurt the Pats. That said, I don’t want to see Kam traded, even for an RG3 type of return.
Trading a player from a cellar dweller to a contender is rewarding him for his hold-out. Trading him from a contender to a cellar dweller is not.
I said on this blog last week that Paul Allen should just take JS off the hot seat and declare that the Hawks will not negotiate with any player who holds out. Most people thought I was way off base. But I guess he did just that today according to Ed Werder. The owner said enough is enough and that they will not negotiate with him.
There is no winner in this situation and the biggest losers are Kam and us the fans who thought he was a Hawks legend. We pay a good deal of our disposable income to go to games and buy gear etc. only to see a player sit out because he is only making $7 million a season. Quite sad really.
Where was that Trevor? Link?
It was on ESPN Insiders this afternoon at 2:30 EST. The was a panel with the host, Ed Werder, Mark Dominik and that idiot Jossina who thinks she has all the scoops on Kam. You might be able to find the podcast. If I can find the link I will post it.
Werder said point blank that he was told Paul Allen came out today and said no more negotiating with Kam while he holds out.
I think that is why Petes tone was so matter of fact today.
Found the radio link
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=13617403
About 7 minutes in they start talking and Werder reports about Allen about 11 minutes in.
Thanks for finding it. If that is true then Kam has one and only one choice. Come back and bite the bullet or sit out 10 weeks or the year.
If Allen really did that I am glad.
After reading every article on Kam’s hold-out, I don’t recall encountering many fans supportive, even early on. Perhaps a few, but by and large, the theme has been consistent, and tracks with Rob’s article.
Does that mean anything to a player? Aside from the logic of the situation (it was always unlikely he would get what he wanted), is there a moral point to all this?
I think it has to mean something to him or he wouldn’t be blocking people on twitter and trying to appeal his case to the public. It’s a desperation measure of last resort.
Sadly Rob one of your best write ups. You hit the point dead on. Thanks for the great work!
Fans supporting Kam about this is nearly impossible because what he is doing is without precedent, and none of the NFL’s 32 teams would give in to his demands after one year of his four year contract. Carson Palmer had a holdout with 3 years left on his deal in 2011, but it was an extension he signed in 2005. 6 years of salary cap rises had occurred, he was playing for arguably the cheapest NFL owner. I could see Kam thinking a full year holdout would precipitate a off season trade and a new contract, but it would cost him more in lost income and would ruin potential future income potential after his NFL career in this area.
Something no one has really talked about but it looks like Kam could sit out till week 10. He is surely not stupid enough to sit out after that and loose the contract year.
If he stay out till week #10 some fans will welcome him back.
No matter what our record is, if he sits out till week #10 then the Hawks have to leave him inactive the rest of the year. It is not fair to the rest of the guys who have busted their asses the previous 9 weeks and pre-season.
Does anyone else feel this way or am I crazy.
If he sits 10 weeks and Dion Bailey plays lights out — it’s the bench for Kam. He’s made his bed.
Whatever damage is done to his reputation with the fans in Seattle, it’ll hit him even more than all the fines he’s currently accumulating. He had/has a chance to be a legend in the PNW. And he’s throwing it down the toilet because $7m a year ‘isn’t enough’.
Totally agree. If Kam really wants to do this to the point that he misses a good portion of the season, let him sit the entire season. His actions are already damaging
I haven’t read all the posts that follow, so I may be stealing someone else’s thunder — I apologize in advance if that is the case.
In Kam’s situation, suppose he decides to “come back”. In that case, wouldn’t the Seahawks have a nagging doubt that maybe his commitment to the team isn’t what it used to be? Wouldn’t there be a little doubt that in a close game, he might decide not to play in the second half unless he gets a “new” contract? Sound far-fetched? Wasn’t it reported that Harvin refused to take the field shortly before he was given the boot?
Exactly. Even if he comes back now it’s hard to believe he’ll be the same player. He’s obviously resentful and bitter and WHY WOULD HE NOT make “business decisions” to not play as hard when he’s on the field to preserve himself?
Totally agree with you Rob that this is a no win situation for Kam. The Hawks can’t and won’t cave, not if they want to continue with their long-term strategy to be competitive and contenders every year. With Kam, our D is probably the best one in the league but even without him, barring significant injuries, we’ll still be in the Top 5. Unfortunately for Kam, while he is a very valuable piece, he definitely is not an indispensable part of the D so he has zero leverage in this stare down. I’m still hoping that after seeing the $250K game check go down the drain that he finally comes to his senses/swallows his pride and report but in the meanwhile, Go Dion & Go Hawks!!
Every fan this weekend will think about how long it’d take them to earn $250k.
Then they’ll think ‘Kam Chancellor threw that away in one weekend because he wants even more money’.
Astonishing.
That is an amazing point and one that makes me want to throw up almost.
Sounds like he doesn’t care about his legacy with the fans if he keeps blocking them all on twitter. Salk was saying this morning that he saw his name on the “block” list even though he’s never tweeted. He and Dave went on and were making remarks that Kam is acting like a child at this point.
You’re right, he isn’t indispensable; but if the team caves with him, they have to do this all over again with Bennett, who’d be a lot harder to replace. (Frank Clark looks like he might be a player who could do it, but I don’t trust him for that yet.) Then pretty soon they have to do it all over again with ET, Sherman, and Wagner, and at that point the whole house of cards starts to fall.
The way I see it is (A.) Cam (just jesting) Kam has become over taken by money and power which is sad and he needs more Rolls Royce cars and $100 bottles of crystal champange. Or (B.) He is actually not healthy as of yet and does not want the team and check writer Paul Allen to know. I just want him back. Sad Face
I think there’s every chance he believes he has two years left and that’s it. He wants as much as he can get. Which is fine. But he’d have more of a case negotiating while continuing to perform and lead this team.
It’s starting to look that way – as if he doesn’t think he can make it through (or even to) the final year of his contract so he better get the full value of the contract now.
Exactly CHawk talker!
If that’s the case maybe we (Seahawks) should get full value for him in a trade while he’s the best Strong Safety in the league. I know he wins in the short term but we (Seahawks) win in the long term.
If he truly only thinks he has two years then PC and JS must know that as well. If that really is the case, trade him and the drama and let’s develop Bailey.
Kam just told NFLTotalAccess that he thinks SEA should meet him halfway, wherever that is, and if they did, he would be at practice tomorrow.
He said he’s not asking for “more money” but rather for some of his 2017 salary now instead of next season.
Sounds pretty lame to me.
And then he’d hand back that huge fat signing bonus he got upfront two years ago, right? You know, the one he banked after a pretty average season? The one where the Hawks put their faith in him and rewarded him anyway? Come on Kam…pull your head out
Damn, if that is the case I believe it’s because he knows his body can only handle one more year in the league. Makes sense to me anyhow. Crappy !!!
heard on 950 this evening that the hawks are/were? negotiating with him and that they were only 900k away from making kam happy. he wanted 4mill taken off 2017 and added to 2016. which means head only make 2mill in 2017. hed play for 2 mill sure?! sounds like hes done after next year. personally, I hope he doesn’t come back. I am just so disappointed.
Kam sounds like many of my former clients with his talk about the Hawks being “petty” and only needing to “meet him halfway” to get a deal done. Don’t know how many times I represented clients through an arbitration that didn’t result in settlement, and their complaint to third parties (which I sometimes overheard) was that we would have settled, but “they” (the other party) just wouldn’t agree. In other words, it was always the other person’s fault we didn’t settle. It seemingly never occurred to them that BOTH sides didn’t agree.
Agree with Rob; this *can’t* be the best way to have gone about this.
I’m amused by the “meet me halfway” mark. If I’m demanding a raise to 13 mill a year, meet me halfway and put me $1 more than Earl. I love the “meet me halfway” remark.
I like asking to be met halfway in a negotiation that doesn’t exist and the terms he created.
The pettiness goes both ways. If the team is being petty about not budging over 900k, then he is also being petty for not budging on his end.
Maybe he really messed his mcl up bad playing in the super bowl he’s not going to come to the coach Carroll and be liKe hey it’s probably best if you cut me or void my contract and give me a one year veteran minimum deal. So he wants some more guaranteed money because he knows his playing days are numbered? Or he has become a greedy man. Shit sucks either way.
Except he was perfectly fine for OTA’s and said he’s felt better this offseason than he’s ever felt. I’m not buying the injury angle or that he takes more of a beating than other NFL players. I bet Lynch takes at least twice the hits Kam does in every game. Bennett always talks about how playing in the trenches is the toughest, they get smacked hard by 300lb lineman on every play. Kam’s just fine. It’s about the money.
Oh yeah you are right on that point. I forgot because of this whole damn thing. Excellent point GeoffU!
Except what if the whole “I’m so healthy”was a ploy to make himself seem extra bad ass when he was hurt right? I have no knowledge if they get physicals at voluntary workouts? This sounds like a case for Sherlock Holmes! Hey Rob does he still live in London?
from Dan Hellie, NFL Networks:
“(Kam) told me he feels like this whole think could be over by now. Kam says he has been willing to meet the Seahawks half way. He says the two sides are less than a million dollars apart at this point. He actually used the term ‘petty.’ So, in a nutshell, he told me that he’s not asking for more money. He wants the money to be moved from the 2017 season to next season with no additional money this season. I said, ‘Hey Kam, what about redoing a contract that still has 3 years left?’ He told me he doesn’t want to wait until he’s almost 30.”
I wish I was almost 30!
Wouldn’t shock me at all if Seattle waves the fines or does something. I’m thinking Kam is getting ‘itchy.’ As pointless and stupid as his holdout is, at the very least it’s nice to know they aren’t far apart. If there’s any comfort/solace in that.
The idea that he is hiding an injury etc only grows in my mind after this press release.
My brother’s comment before the KC game:
“I was going to wear my Kam Chancellor jersey today, but when I put it on I got this overwhelming urge to stay home from work and demand a raise.”
I think the only winner on this one might end up being Michael Bennett. I suspect there’s a chance that the ‘Hawks adjust his contract a bit to show him their gratitude for *not* holding out.
Hey Rob. Sorry to change the subject, but since we’ve all been talking RBs lately, I was wondering if you got a chance to check out Tennessee HB Alvin Kamara? 15 carries, 144 yds., 2 TDs. I know he’s just a R-SO, but a very exciting back.
I have not. I will keep an eye out for him.
Was wondering where Kamara was playing. Think he started out at Bama. Looked real athletic coming into college!
Your right. He started out at Bama, got into trouble off the field, went to Hutchinon CC, and is now with the Vols. Still looks highly athletic and has added weight. He’s now 215-217 lbs., at 5’9-5’10. He’s exciting. Looks like a natural playmaker with explosion, speed, and toughness for days.
He’s rumored to have one of the best work ethics on the team, and says he takes pride in pass blocking, which shows on tape.
Vollume12 is all knowing when it comes to College Football that’s for sure! Smiley Face
Great article and I agree this is a dumb move. But I have one theory. Kam is thoughtful, smart and gives back to the community which is counter to wanting more cars and bling. I think he’s seen several of his fellow NFLers retire due to concussion concerns. My guess is he’s trying to get as much as he can soon because he may want to retire early as well. He plays the game violently. Maybe he’s had issues under the radar we’re not aware of. I think he and his agent miscalculated their leverage. My guess is he misses a few games and to save face Seattle waves fines. Maybe they do move some money from 2017 or another creative solution to help him save face.
Hawkaholic! Best damn name on this blog as of yet! I know he gives back all do to some extent, Dude does own a quarter million Rolls Royce however. I may be mistaken.
Excellent point.
Kam has always been one of my favorites, but this texting with the NFL Network is an attempt to make him seem reasonable – and I’m not buying it. He isn’t being reasonable, and the tide is turning on him quickly. First you had your agent leak that you were told that the deal would be redone if you played well – no one believed that one. Highly doubtful anyone under JS would say that – and if you did believe that, your lawyer/agent should have told you that it means nothing if it isn’t in writing.
So now you try and blame the Seahawks and say that they are being petty – and it is only are $1m apart – I get it, you need to spin this to make you look better. It isn’t working – you can’t have anyone be bigger than the team.
We have been Hasselback fans, Red Bryant fans, Golden Tate fans, and wholeheartedly Kam fans – but more than any of those individuals, we are Seahawks fans – first and last! Show up or not, the sun will rise, games will be played and the games will go on with our without you.
Go Hawks!
CC I fully agree. This whole text ploy is a way to soften the landing. Kam is seeing he severely misjudged and is hanging by one of the only threads he knows he has left.
At least it’s a thread he is hanging onto and not deflated balls. I just had to say it guys.
IF and when he comes back I hope its at the realization that he was in the wrong or rather didn’t have a leg to stand on. We need him back but only with a refreshed attitude and maybe a sense of guilt that he let his teammates down. If he comes back bitter still feeling like he got a raw deal he could taint the chemistry and brotherhood of the locker room. As has been mentioned before the defense sees Kam as a lion in the dog pen and him being moody and pissy about the way his holdout ended could have an adverse ripple affect.
I wonder if too much damage has now been done, between Kam and the Seahawks. It’s gotten ’emotional’ (not a surprise). Even if Kam comes back now, what will his attitude be? He won’t be happy. He will be humiliated. How can he be trusted to perform?
If they move, say, 4.5 mill from 2017 into 2016, and let’s say he plays two more years. Going into 2017, is he going to want to play for 3 mill for that year? No way. He’s lost all the trust that his reputation developed.
Excellent point. Every year is he going to do this? Or does he get his 900k and retire?
I can’t see the Hawks agreeing to move $4.5 mil from 2017 to 2016. Not sure how they can do that without increasing their salary caps numbers for 2016 and since these numbers would be unplanned, how does that affect their 3 – 5 year plan of staggering contract extensions or signing free agents to fill anticipated holes in the roster? Why would they change their long-term plans for a guy who’s only played 1 year of a 4 year contract? Not only that, once it gets out that the Hawks agreed to this, why wouldn’t every other player who had what he felt like a career year go to the FO wanting the same? The Hawks will then have to say Yes to some and No to many others…good luck with team chemistry and brotherhood then. Kam really has only two options now. Report and hope the Hawks reduce some of the fines he’s accumulated or continue sitting out and keep losing money.
I was just using it as an example. The point being, if he isn’t going to play for 7 mill this year, no way he plays for 3-4 mill in 2017. He’s not fooling anyone.
That’s what I was thinking as well. IF we move big bucks from 2017 into 2016, come the end of 2016 he is going to want a wholelot more money the NEXT year. So he’ll just holdout again.
No thanks.
Sadly, I’m going to feel a whole lot different about Kam the next time, if there is a next time, he talks about “loving his brothers” on the team. This is the exact opposite of “team first” stuff.
I was reading an article I think on fieldgulls, one of the links that showed a lot of money was pushed up front to year one of the original deal…and Kam is unwilling to play for “only” 4.5 million this year – and this is the original deal, where seattle already fronted him money last year. So he’s already shown he’s unwilling to play for less money.
The disease of me…
His relationship with the Seahawks is changed, probably forever. Carroll’s body language says it all. He can come back. He can be Kam. But the days of Kam being the heart and soul are gone.
Agree. He broke to of the rules :don’t complain or no whining. And even bigger “protect the team.”. Starting bailey and frankly pulling this bleep after the draft so Seattle would be at a greater disadvantage roster wise is not protecting the team.
Not to mention the 5th rounder they just gave up for another safety in the trade with KC… The Hawks didn’t have to offer squat and they’re willing to move $3.1 million from 17 to 16 and that’s not enough? I probably won’t make than in my whole career! If he doesn’t get in soon I don’t know if I will wear his jersey anymore…
“protect the team”
The golden rule for ‘Win Forever’. Broken in emphatic fashion by Kam Chancellor.
Ive been hearing about Pat Rileys ‘The Disease of Me’ when talking about the Hawks personnel recently. The summation being:
Inexperience in dealing with sudden success
Chronic feelings of underappreciation
Paranoia over being cheated out of one’s rightful share
Resentment against the competence of partners
Personal effort mustered solely to outshine a teammate
A leadership vacuum resulting from the formation of cliques and rivalries
Feelings of frustration even when the team performs successfully
Does Carroll have experience with this before? Can he find a way for the team to pull together and overcome this? Are they incentivized to make an example of Kam to stem the rot?
If this indeed applies to the Hawks, how they answer these questions could determine for how long the Hawks and keep their championship window open.
Harvin him to the highest bidder.
And don’t forget: Be Early!
I wonder about his pride and wanting to get paid like a super star player. He had already signed his contract when the Seahawks paid Earl 10 million a year. Then they bring in an outsider like Percy Harvin and pay him 10 million a year and that is bound to cause resentment in the locker room. Percy hardly plays for the Seahawks but he is so exciting to watch, but really he didn’t even play a full season with us while collecting 20 million +. Now we get the next outsider Graham for 10 million and we need him. But then there is that pride of being the best strong safety. He breaks up passes, makes tackles, busts ribs. He is hall of fame worthy. And kj Wright and Wagner signed for more money then him. And he has his pride….
Pride comes before a fall.
But all that has to be taken within context of his position. He is currently being paid as a super star at his position.
Very well put Rob! Kam needs to go to work! How many of us would have a job to come back to, if we decided not to show up for 5+ weeks?
None of us…
I will never fault an NFL player for doing whatever he has to to get every last dime that he can. Kam is currently losing reps, fans, and money (so bizarre) in an attempt to get money that he simply doesn’t have the leverage to procure. Dumb.
I totally agree with this. If you have leverage or you can sit through franchise tags go for it. But asking for more money from the back end of a contract from a team that has shown if you are good that last year is meaningless anyways is absurd.
It’s time for him to come in and be a part of a this years team. The defense is posed to be considered one of the best defenses ever. I mean look we got pass rush this year. Avirl, Bennett, Marsh,and Clark. The LB corps is All Pro solid and the leader of that secondary needs to come back. The offense is actually looking scary. They got the Percy they was looking for in Tyler Lockett without the attitude. This guy just what they needed the playmaker. Jimmy Graham the big target guy and Fred Jackson taking over the 3rd down reps. I’m even going to predict that Garry Gillian will cement his spot on this line going forward at RT. Kam has to be a part of this.
If our OL gels and is competent then I agree with you that our offense can be scary this year but at this point, I’m a little scared:) about how our offense will perform. But yeah, there’s so much talent on this team overall that we can still be a great team/contender for the SB without Kam and if Kam came back and a few breaks fall our way, we could have a truly dominant team!
I agree with you that it is the offense that is unknown. The offensive line needs to gel, hopefully they will stay healthy. Got two new receivers (Graham and Lockette), and a new running back to try out. And what a great challenge in the first two games! A split would feel like a win.
The OL will gel because who wouldn’t want to block for the beast mode and his pal Fred Jackson.
You know what would be hilarious? The ‘Hawks move a million bucks from next year up to this year, Kam walks into the facility happy that he finally won, then sits down and writes a check for a million bucks worth of fines… Get the media to spin it the right way and this is about the only win-win scenario still available. Ha! Problem solved!!
I have a question if his 3-4m from 2017 is shifted to 2016 does his dead money still stay at 2mil for 2016 and 1mil for 2017. If so we can shift his money to 2016 have him play this year for current rate and flip for a 1st or second rounder next year while freeing up the cap by 3 or 4 mil helping us resign Okung or Irvin.
This is what confuses me. If he doesn’t want additional money this year, but rather for next year, why hold out now instead of 2016?
The only logical answer is that he is only planning on playing two more years. Or it is guaranteed money he is asking for.
The reports say it is not guaranteed, except for injury. This makes it even more curious.
This is why I’m suspicious. Athletes know when their bodies are approaching the end.
Because he may be worried about being injured this year making a 2016 holdout even more ridiculous than a 2015 holdout.
When did the Seahawks sign CB Brandon Dixon? Was a guy I liked out of NW Misouri St. Self pofessed former gang member leading into the 2014 draft. PC loves him some thugs man. LOL.
I know what I will be doing Sunday. Wearing by #31 jersey proudly while watching the game. He may not be on the field, but he will be with the team in spirit, if not in person. He helped usher in a new era for of success for the Seahawks football squad… we must not forget that. Only Bam Bam knows how this will end now, hopefully sooner than later.
My favorite Kam play, when he hit WR D. Thomas in the SB XLVIII on the opening Broncos drive. I’ll always love him for that and the countless other memories, even if it ends up being entirely too short.
Vernon’s ears are still ringing…
Click to see video
LMAO. He forever changed Vernon Davis. That play, and the not 1, but 2 times he jumped over one of Carolina’s O-lineman in last year’s play-offs would have to be mine. So many to choose from.
I like the one where he buckled Eric Winston’s knees. Just stoned him, then made the tackle on the RB. You just don’t see safeties doing that to OL…
How about the play on Welker in 48? Kam was defending a Seam route. When Manning threw to Welker, Kam abandoned the Seam route and came roaring up from behind on Welker, leaping high over Welker to knock the ball away and crush him on the follow through!
I have a different reading on this than some. I think that Kam originally asked for more money overall (read somewhere he wanted to be boosted to $10m per year to match ET) but has now switched tactics when the Seahawks said “no”. Now I think they are trying to move money up so that the last year essentially becomes useless worthless, so a new holdout then would not have any sting. He could also negotiate an extension and add dollars back into that last year, effectively raising his salary over the original four year period.
This seems to me to be a Plan B approach that would set the stage for future holdouts or a renogiation at the end of his contract to achieve his original aim.
I do think that the team has to make an example out of Kam. They can’t waive all of the fines or your will have other guys holding out trying the same thing. His decision to continue to hold out has to have some bite. A fair chunk of the fines should be waived so you don’t have a permanently disgruntled player, but not all, especially if he shows up too late in the weak to play in the game.
Based on what we learned yesterday, there is almost no question Kam asked for more money. Apparently he wants 3.9 of his 6.1 million dollar 2017 salary moved to 2016, with “not all of that guaranteed.” He also says he has met the Seahawks half way. I don’t think it is plausible that Kam asked for even MORE of 2017 salary moved considering it would only be 2.2 million at that point. The only conclusion I can reach is that Kam was asking for more money and has negotiated from there.
As long as we are stretching theories, how about this one: Kam is trying to break the system by making the team alter contracts early, for his own benefit, of course, but also to allow his friends like Bennett, Sherman, et al. to benefit in the future.
It has been said repeatedly, that he can’t do it because it would set a precedent, but maybe that’s the whole idea?
Even I don’t believe it. Smiley face.
It’s a thought I’ve considered a lot over the last few weeks. Could be something in this.
It’s a possible theory, but the problem is, Kam isn’t a big enough fish to rock the boat. (funny imagery)
If the players got together and said, “we need someone to break the system and hold out” Kam was the wrong choice. You want a player to set a precedent? it needed to be someone like Earl or Sherm or maybe Bennett. The team is probably not happy about playing games without Kam, but to them, it’s not the end of the world.
I don’t think it matters the size of the fish. With 3 years left, you could never have stability. With 1 maybe 2 years left, you could do something. I think they would take this stance with Wilson or JJ Watt if was a Hawk. You don’t negotiate with terrorists (bad analogy, but it applies).
Except that we know the “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” line Reagan made famous is absolute fiction seeing how he negotiated and traded arms with Iran. There are always back channel negotiations going on.
Similarly what’s become apparent over the last few days is that the Hawks have been negotiating with Kam up until they shut it down because what he’s asking for is unreasonable.
The conspiracy angle in this one is DOA. Rock the boat to what end? To wreck the careful cap management of a championship caliber team so a few superstars can make even more money? Every dollar they get just takes away from what they can pay someone else. So it’d be a trade of *possibly* stuffing their wallets with some more dough at the expense of having the surrounding pieces to propel their game. Doesn’t sound like “getting the back” of their teammates at all, especially the less fortunate ones. And there are no guarantees that what might work for Kam would work for anyone else.
“We’d all love to go back in time and change the outcome of the last Super Bowl. It’s impossible. ”
This line hits hard Rob. Gotta say it. I’ve been saving up since the Super Bowl to buy a DeLorean (my neighbor has one strangely enough) We can still fix this. Don’t shatter my dreams.
If you get the DeLorean can you also go back and recommend Joel Bitonio?
Amongst a few other wiffs. I would also get out of the stock market 3 months ago. Ha ha
Haha Seconded. But onion on this line, and NOBODY IS talking about OLine being an issue with at least 3 solid starters
I hate autocorrect… Bitonio not onion…
Simply one of the most bone-headed holdouts in NFL history.
There’s no reason for the Seahawks to budge on this and let’s be clear he’s asking the Seahawks to break precedent on several major fronts:
1) reworking a deal with 3 years left
2) demanding he be paid outside of his position (safety versus strong safety)
3) knowing there are league wide implications if his deal his significantly reworked
4) the team would be setting a precedent where all of its star players would be lining up and holding out for similar paydays
5) a reworked deal would leave salary cap planning in shambles
6) philosophically, this would literally put a player ahead of the team (which runs completely against the Seahawks core tenets)
In the face of all this, Kam decides to hold out with negative leverage (as time passes he loses money). Does this make sense to anyone but Kam?
Now, the story changes and Kam “just” wants 2017 money pushed into 2016….so he can hold out again next year b/c then he would really be underpaid in 2017?
It’s tough to imagine a scenario where this ends well for Kam but the fact that he broke silence and the story seems to have changed may signal a shift.
If not, then there’s likely a point in time and a certain price point where the Seahawks will trade him.
As Pete Carroll intimated, there’s business to be taken care of.
Well said. The whole thing!
Maybe Kam is taking advice from Chris Simms, who “loves” what Kam is doing and thinks Kam is in the right because (1) Kam is “vital” to SEA’s D, and (2) NFL owners are billionaires.
Wow, what “logic”
Phil Simms? Btw – man he was bad announcing the hawks pre-season game this year. The stupid that just kept stumbling out of his mouth.
Chris Simms I’m assuming is Phil Simms failed QB son.
Given the instant feedback you get in the age of the interwebs, I am interested to see how that factor plays into the resolution of this disputes. Cam is just getting destroy on social media.
Stephen A Smith revealed a ludicrous rumor on First Take this morning that Marshawn Lynch took up for Kam a few weeks ago against management saying he returned because of this team’s chances to win a SB again and his belief they’d put the best team on the field, and they’re not doing that with Kam not there. Smith claimed that Marshawn was threatening to not play against St Louis.
He needs a fact checker.
Rob, couple questions for ya.
– what do you make of Eric Dickerson’s cousin (nephew?) Texas A&M WR Ricky Seals-Jones?
– have you checked out Indiana OT Jason Spriggs? 6’6, 305 lbs., ran a 4.82-4.85 40, 37 1/2′ vert, and benched 225 33 times this spring. Of course those numbers could change at the combine.
I was recently checking out some C prospects for the 2016 draft, and this dude jumped off the screen at me.
Michigan DL Chris Wormley-6’4, 300 lbs. In very limited action last year (Michigan likes a rotation of their D-line) he had 7.5 TFLs and 3 sacks. Kid is a beast. Keep an eye on #43 in this video.
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/sioasi-aiono/
What a kamikaze holdout.
He could probably get what he wanted first place if he negotiated in good faith through the middle to the end of the season.
Pretty much destroy his chemistry. If I’m PC, I’d probably try out Bailey and even KPL at SS in Kam’s absence. Seattle could profit a lot from this hold out if it’s proven we can sustain elite defensive production even in his absence.
I see the appeal in KPL playing SS, but you have to think if they saw him playing that role, they’d have experimented with him there this off-season.
We all like to ‘pigeon-hole’ players due to size or look, but I think KPL is our future SAM if Bruce isn’t re-signed. Has the athleticism, playmaking ability, and pass rush/blitzing skill set for it. Or maybe they mix and match him and KJ depending on the opponet.
If one player can destroy team chemistry this team isn’t as good as we think.
It’s been tried. *cough*Percy Harvin*cough* and how did that work out?
You can’t really compare it to Harvin though. He never really ingratiated himself with the team. Kam’s been a leader in the locker room and the heart of the defense for the last 5 years. I’m sure the guys will rally around each other and other leaders will emerge in the locker room. The part I have a problem with is the distraction this thing poses so long as he holds out.
Instead of preparing for a possible epic season with the best defense they’ve ever fielded, it’s all Kam all the time. It sucks.
Browns just cut Terrell Pryor and signed our former running back Turbin. Damn player poachers!!!
here is the link: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13625716/cleveland-browns-cut-terrelle-pryor-claim-robert-turbin-waivers
Maybe they think he can get back sooner and/or there was competition for him. How odd to hang with Pryor all through his hamstring issues then cut him for a guy who probably won’t play for another 3 weeks.
Draft tidbit: might help ya decide which few games to watch this weekend
Seattle scouts will be in attendance of the BYU vs Boise St game.
Boise St OL Rees Odhiambo-6’4-6’5, 305 lbs.
Boise St S Darian Thompson-6’2, 205 lbs.
Boise St LEO/SAM Kamalei Correa-6’3, 245 lbs.
BYU DL Bronson Kaufusi-6’7-6’8, 280 lbs.
BYU HB Jamaal Williams-5’10-5’11, 215 lbs.
Watching Brady dink and dunk to Edelman tonight. I guess I have to admire how a smurf can be such a great asset in the right offense……
Gronkoski is having a great night. 3 touchdowns so far.
I think you’re undercutting how good Edelman’s become, in spite of his size. His quickness is off the charts, better than Welker in his prime.