Two Seattle icons.
Thank you for everything, @KamChancellor and @DougBaldwinJr. 💙 pic.twitter.com/k27vjOMTjU
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 9, 2019
Today’s news is upsetting but not totally unexpected.
At the end of the regular season certain members of the media were dropping hints. There was a movement of sorts to let people know it’d be a great opportunity to show appreciation to Doug Baldwin in the final home game.
The writing was on the wall.
It’s been a difficult few years for Seahawks fans. Having embraced and enjoyed the development and growth of a Super Bowl winning team, it’s hard to watch so many of that group move on and retire.
Where does the time go?
It doesn’t feel that long ago that Baldwin was a young UDFA creating an impression back in 2011. I remember him smashing his teeth in trying to catch a touchdown against Arizona in Russell Wilson’s first start in 2012. It was satisfying watching him score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. It was also fun to see Doug grow from his odd and slightly embarrassing touchdown celebration against the Patriots the following year and develop into such a mature force for good both within the team and for much greater causes.
The big moment for me, however, was a third-down catch against the Packers in the NFC Championship game. It’s easy to forget because the subsequent play was the downfield shot to Jermaine Kearse to win the game. On the previous down Seattle faced punting the ball to Aaron Rodgers if they couldn’t execute. Baldwin’s release — so fluid and dynamic — set up a relatively straight-forward conversion for big yardage. That play encapsulated the savvy, the dynamism and the athleticism Baldwin possessed.
Make no mistake — he was a fantastic talent. Had he played eight seasons for the Patriots he likely would’ve stacked major yardage. He had 6563 yards for Seattle and 49 touchdowns in the regular season (second only to Steve Largent in franchise history). He also threw a touchdown pass to Russell Wilson in 2016 — a moment I was privileged to witness in person.
There are countless plays and big moments fans will reflect on. As I’m writing this piece I’m recalling his significant return against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game that helped snare back momentum after Colin Kaepernick had led a scoring drive to retake the lead. There was his insane catch against the Vikings in the playoffs. The scoring-streak he had during the 2015 season and his huge catch-and-run against the Steelers that year. What about the impossible play he and Wilson combined to create against the Cardinals in 2017? And of course his final touchdown reception — suitably brilliant — against the Chiefs.
There are so many more I could mention.
How many improbable catches did he make at the sideline? The ones on the road against Chicago (2012) and Houston (2013) stand out. So often he extended drives in a way that defied logic. He made it happen.
The #1 strength for a receiver is — and always will be — getting open. Baldwin was a master at getting open. He did everything else well too — had great hands, played with tenacity and a physicality somewhat similar to Steve Smith. He never publicly grumbled about his role or number of targets. But the greatest compliment you can give a receiver is to highlight how adept they were are getting open. Baldwin was truly one of the best. I’m not sure we’ll ever see a better release in Seattle.
It’ll be interesting to see how this changes Seattle. He’ll be a huge loss on key downs and in the red zone. It did also feel sometimes that he was one of Russell Wilson’s biggest critics. That’s not to say he wasn’t supportive or positive about Wilson. Doug still had his moments. I always cringed at this clip. It was difficult to work out the point where maintaining hight standards crossed into undermining.
Tyler Lockett’s excellent 2018 season will bring huge encouragement that he can pick up some of the slack. D.K. Metcalf is already creating an impression and Gary Jennings is an ideal fit for this offense. The Seahawks have depth and competition at receiver and could still add if they feel they need a bit more experience (Jermaine Kearse?). They’ll miss Baldwin but there’s at least some cause for optimism with this young, exciting group.
Next year is also shaping up to be a strong year for wide receivers in the draft. If they need to, they’ll have opportunities to make further additions in 2020.
The Kam Chancellor news isn’t a surprise and was expected considering he’d already retired. I wrote about that in more detail here. Two giants of Seattle sports depart.
Legends and icons.
Now it’s time for the new, younger core to try and make a name for themselves.
The Seahawks also have major cap room to spend now even after the addition of Ziggy Ansah and Jamar Taylor. And for that reason — it makes you wonder what other moves they have planned. Something big perhaps? We’ll find out soon.
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Damn. Hope they will remain as coaches/consultants. Legends. I usually don;t get emotional over sports, but this news jut made a grown man tear up. End of an era. Excited for the future and young talent, but these guys gave us some of the best Seahawks moments ever. Thanks for the memories!!! Go Hawks!!!
For my money ADB is second only to Steve Largent in the pantheon of Seahawks wide receivers.
Thanks for the memories Doug. I hope you remain an active voice in the public domain.
Same to Kam. One of the baddest MFers ever to roam the gridiron.
Farewell to two of the greatest Hawks of all time.
Love it!! Great players but their time is over. I was a bit worried the Doug might come back and we’d have to pay him almost twice the salary of Julian Edelman.
One more move, I’d like,,, It’s time to put Justin Britt on notice. He needs to have a great camp or he’ll be cut to save a dozen millions.
Why would you cut Britt? We have plenty of cap space and no proven commodity behind him. He’s an above average center and I think is fairly compensated.
Agreed. Britt isn’t the weak link on the OL
Please stop with the cut Britt talk. Please.
Agreed. Hunt is a good emergency back-up for a game or two, but you can’t just “cut” without a plan for replacement. And I haven’t heard of any such plan.
And as far as Kam and Doug being gone, I understand it, but I sure as hell don’t “love it.”
Uhhhhh why
Britt is a very solid center.
The criticism of Justin Britt is truly bizarre.
How many times did fans notice Britt last season? Exactly. Because he was doing his job.
He’s 27 years old for crying out loud. He’s been a solid center for years. You don’t get rid of that.
He’s under no threat at all in camp. It’s silly to suggest otherwise.
I guess just look up where he’s ranked in terms of Center salaries and where he’s ranked in terms of pro bowl/all pro centers.
I guess my eyes tell me that he missed too many blocks and how many times he allowed inside pressure to RW. If he’s making this kind of money, he should be better than that. I guess we just agree to disagree.
No we don’t just ‘agree to disagree’.
When someone’s talking a load of rubbish you don’t get just write that at the end and take the higher ground.
Britt isn’t going anywhere.
Rob, all hail Doug Baldwin. He called it like he saw it. He played like every game was his last. He told us what he thought. His heart was sincere and he lived and died for the team. I will forever miss him. He joins countless others who have given me special moments in Seahawks history.
Rob, as your reply to YanKinTa shows me: you remind me of Doug. You call it like you see it. You give 100%. You always speak informed and prepared to defend your position. You may have been wrong (who isn’t) but you’ve never been insincere or artificial. Rob, like Doug, you’ve given me so many special moments in Seahawks history. Just sayin’…
Thanks Roger, appreciate it.
“No we don’t just ‘agree to disagree’.
When someone’s talking a load of rubbish you don’t get just write that at the end and take the higher ground.”
+1 for one of the many reasons I love SDB and Rob 😊
ARS – Angry Rob Staton! lol
You’re suggesting we cut him because he wasn’t all pro last year?
He’s a solid young player on a team with plenty of cap space.
Makes absolutely zero sense to get rid of him. You really want to be stuck with Hunt and Pocic at center? For what? A marginal increase in cap when we already have plenty?
No offense to either player but…
Hahahahahahahahahahshahshshahahahahahahahshahah
Britt was like fifth in pressures allowed at the position
Agree to ignore facts
Might wanna head on down to “Lenscrafter’s” and yourself a nice pair of quality glasses then friend.
Kind of sounds like something King Rajesh would plays. Alt account? Anyway, now is not the time to be disrespectful to the players. Let’s celebrate what a truly great Seahawk Doug was, and what a great human he still is.
Doug has been, by far, my favorite player of the PCJS era. And that’s saying something with the players we’ve cheered for the last several years. Great player, great teammate, and an incredibly thoughtful presence off the field. As a grown man I tend to root less and less for individual players, and more for the team as a whole. But Doug was different. Such a joy to watch. Makes me feel like a kid again when I wear my #89 jersey around the house.
Doug better be raising the 12 flag in our first home game of 2019.
Exactly right?
Here we are celebrating Doug Baldwin’s Seahawks career and the dude’s trying to hammer Justin Britt.
Bloody hell.
Some people aren’t happy without creating a sh*t storm. 🙁
lol, I would only point out that a year ago I said the same thing about Doug Baldwin and people got upset. And here we’re today I think people aren’t that upset anymore because most realize DB’s Salary could be better spent else where.
I guess we’ll see about Justin Britt in the next several months. I for one do not want to pay average player above average salary. I think Bill Belichick would agree. 🙂
Doug Baldwin is retiring. They aren’t ‘using his salary’ and moving on.
Just stop dude. Stop.
I think Bill Belichek would agree is my new favorite non-point.
Right after “I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out”
“Bloody Hell” or more accurately, “Bloody Elle”, that was a common saying for my college soccer coach. He was from Manchester, and bless his temper and everything else.
I agree to agree that Rob handled that perfectly.
Thank you Doug. That was special.
This place is special and sometimes the English Terrier needs to shake the Rat.
Not me, I like Britt.
Question for Yankin. By some slim chance you are not from Yankton S D.? Are you?
Man….I thought we wouldn’t know about Doug until closer to camp. Loved watching that man play, he was the Allen Iverson of WRs, breaking DBs ankles with all those jukes off the line
Uggh I talked myself into thinking the Doug decision was further away. He will be sorely missed. Now we see they weren’t hedging thier bet in the draft. I assume this means he is retiring? Hate to see him in another uni
He failed his team physical so I don’t know if he’d pass a different one. I hope he retires a Seahawk
We also signed fullback Nick Bellore and guard Marcus Martin,
Both started their careers with the 49ers.
That really hurts. Would have hoped he could make it through another season to get these young guys a year of experience. Chancellor opens up about $2.3 million of cap space and Baldwin should open up about $5.6 -$5.7 million after his $1.2 million injury settlement goes on there. Together it opens up about $8 million which could help go to the defensive line.
A legendary enforcer, and some of the sweetest releases off the line for a slot receiver I ever saw.
One of the best compliments I think you can make about an athlete is that he or she played their game the way it was meant to be played. And these two dudes deserve every bit of that.
To add on the the “played the game the way it was meant to be played” bit;
Kam was such a dominant hitter – truly the personification of Pete’s philosophy to, “outhit your opponent on every play.” – but one thing I don’t think he ever got enough credit for was how clean those hits were. Playing in the most difficult era for defensive backs ever, Kam managed to be the most feared enforcer in the game without ever being so much as mentioned as a ‘dirty’ player. Nearly every big hit he ever delivered was ideal teaching tape (even if the officials threw a flag anyway just to cover the league’s ass). His ability/willingness to play within the rules (whatever you may think about them), without losing that edge, is a great credit to Kam and the Seattle coaching staff.
Yup. That hit on Vernon Davis near the sideline was a textbook example of a perfect, devastating tackle–and the ref threw the flag simply because it looked *so* violent it could not possibly have been legal. But it was. I could watch that hit on a loop for a long time. And have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78qF72JwJwA
Boom!
Thanks for posting that. I love Kam and wish him well.
I love that hit. From UDFA to one of the best receivers in football. I thought Baldwin and Tate could have been one of the best tandems in football. Seemed like they were taking turns for most yardage in a season. I’ll miss him, Wilson will miss his favorite target. But happy he retires in relatively good health. Good luck Doug.
Amen to that. Kam was a pickpocket hitter–he could clean you out without ever setting off the alarm. I hope they turn around and hire him as Special Assistant to the Defensive Coordinator for Marquise Blair. I’d love to see Kam live in Blair’s back pocket until the dude’s crazy turns to smart.
Agreed. Not sure why there’s all this Britt hate. Guy has been solid and we’ve all been down the road of having a line with no chemistry. Why would we disrupt that by taking away our center?
So where are we at cap wise?
We won’t know specifically for a while I imagine. They’ve signed a few players and Ansah is to come. But by moving on from Chancellor, Baldwin and Clark it’s pretty clear they have an extremely healthy cap situation.
Looking at overthecap, were at 25 million, add 13 for Ansah (if he hits all bonuses) and take off 8 for Doug and Kam, we should be at about 20 mil to spend. Math could be wrong though.
I think they are going to use a large chunk of that new cap space in a front-loaded extension for Jarran Reed, though. I’m guessing we are going to be bargain shopping with no new big free agent signings.
We do still need a run stopping DT, I would not be surprised if we got another EDGE and probably some help at receiver.
yes, the fact that they released Doug and Kam before June 1st is going to give us less cap this year, so we no longer have the cap space to be super flashy. But If necessary post June 1st they could release Mingo (4m), Jaron (3m) and Dickson (3.5M)
Realistically, Mingo is the only one I can see being cut. We’re too thin/inexperienced at the other positions.
Question: Was this a move that was mutually worked out between PC/JS and Baldwin? Baldwin’s not going to play football again, is he? Just wondering…
I can’t fathom the Seahawks cutting him without having many discussions with DB and having him looked over by the team doctors. He wouldn’t get cut if he was going to try to play this year or next.
My thinking was that this was a Kam-like-thing, that DB wasn’t going to play again, and there was a more or less mutual parting of the ways that kind of split the financials somewhere near the middle where discretion was involved. I’m certainly not an expert when it comes to these injury settlements. I just wanted to know if there was potentially any animosity involved between DB and the team. That’s all.
Yes without a doubt.
They practically admitted he was retiring after the draft.
And now it’s official.
One of my favourites, everything about this man (and Kam as well for that matter) embodied everything that was great about this era.
One thing about Doug Baldwin that I remember is the guy did not drop balls. He was the very embodiment of clutch and reassuring after watching guys like Koren Robinson , Darrell Jackson and Jermaine Kearse at times routinely dropping balls.
I will miss seeing that scrappy, hardworking UDFA that raised the bar and set a standard of excellence for Seahawks.
Well said. And ‘clutch’ really is the perfect word for Baldwin.
Baldwin was also a better-than-average interview. Most of the time player interviews are pretty predictable and ho-hum. Occasionally you get a player who’s uniquely entertaining and/or thoughtful/interesting to listen to in some such way. Baldwin was in that category.
Agreed!!! there was no one I enjoyed listening to more then doug. just so thoughtful and sincere with his answers. a true legend of a player and human. I will sincerely miss that guy. like others have said I hope he comes back and coaches for us. good luck ADB, seahawk football wont be the same without you. go hawks!!!!
A leader on and off the field…simply put. I’m eager/excited to see his career off the field. I believe he is interested in opening up/creating positive dialogue between the police and low income community members. Sad for a fan, but exciting for citizen.
Thx DBJ
How about the grab in sub zero temperatures on 3rd down in the playoffs against Minnesota?
The 3rd & 10 grab against Pittsburgh at home in 2015 that saved Seattle’s season?
So many memories.
One of, if not the most underrated receivers of his era. Probably the best pure route runner.
Guys like him don’t grow on trees. One of my all-time favorite Hawks. Selfishly I hope it’s not the end for him. Either way I respect and cherish everything he brought to my fandom. Not gonna be the same w/o him. 😥
I saw this and it sums Douggie up better than anything.
From undrafted to uncoverable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIrtlP6iu3E
One of my favorites! I didn’t think he had a shot of catching that ball
I’m a sucker for under dogs, and in the current era Doug was that man. We older fans had the good fortune to have Steve Largent as the early under dog receiver on a team that, in the beginning, was made up of nearly all cast offs. The similarities between Steve and Doug are many, and though it might be slightly different in tone and objective, it wouldn’t surprise if Doug also would spend some time even more active in politics in his future. Go forth and do well brother Baldwin. God bless the pedestrians.
Likewise Kam came into the league a mid round pick, not much expected. But man, what a stud. The embodiment of leadership on a sports team. That term is often tossed about too easily in sports, but it fits “The Enforcer” to a tee. We salute your triumph sir.
Well said Uncle Bob
I’d be all for a Doug Baldwin for Washington senator campaign some day in the future if he continues to live here. I’m getting a bit tired of our boring almost-always-behind-the-scenes senators that we have now. I almost never see Murray or Cantwell out front leading the charge on some important issue. We deserve a higher profile, more outspoken senator. It seems like Baldwin would make a decent politician for this state. He’s certainly got the name recognition, the intelligence, the self conviction. Yeah, senator Baldwin. That’s the ticket.
How about president Doug.
Depends on his economic policies. I would vote for a ham sandwich if it had the right economic priorities. Policy over personality always.
You don’t win a senate seat in WA unless your left of center in economic policy.
Maybe. But not policy over character.
It would be fun in a lot of ways. The only thing is, this isn’t the Scoop Jackson era where it was considered normal to disagree with someone’s policies but like and respect them personally, and I’d really hate to see a big chunk of the state flip ADB from beloved icon to hated enemy just because he has the wrong letter in parentheses after his name. It’s a pity, because I’d bet he’d be an effective senator.
And on a side note, I second hawkdog: not policy over character. Never.
Yeah, Ancient Mariner, I think Largent was somewhat a victim of that. In a bicameral system you have to pick a side even if that side only represents 51% of your core philosophy. I try to separate person from policy, but it’s become more difficult in the polarized world we inhabit.
As far as character over policy, if Candidate A is 100% honest and moral but believes the wrong things he/she will consistently vote for policies that are ultimately injurious to the citizenry. Candidate B may be an amoral opportunist but if he/she has the right economic policies even if the Candidate is personally repellent the people ultimately benefit. The key is to have an engaged electorate that demands transparency from immoral politicians. Most democracies do not have an engaged electorate and are therefore constantly swindled.
🙌 DBJ & BamBam – 2 greats, Thanks for the memories. Awesome people too. That kind of leadership will be missed b
PCJS continue to do amazing work wrt another full rebuild, stages of 2010
I think they look at possibly Gerald McCoy or even a surprise trade for someone who needs a second chance like Salomon Thomas, Darron Lee.
Thanks for removing
Thomas would be fun. 🙂
* the 3rd & 5 catch in the first qtr of SB48 – he’s so open RW can lollipop it to him
* the ‘behind the back pin it to my butt’ catch against the Texans
* there was a simple play where he got bumped and nearly lost his footing vs Arizona. Regained it and caught a TD pass. Thing is – RW threw the ball when DB was stumbling and bumbling. Trusted he’d regain his footing and he did.
* the acrobatic ‘off my chest’ catch vs the Harbaugh Niners
Baldwin was always the guy who could break the Hawks out of a funk when they were doing their run run pass punt stuff. A lot of times it just took RW to find him once or twice and that would get the whole offense in rhythm.
We all knew this was coming, but it doesn’t really make it suck any less. They were two of my favorite Hawks ever, not just because of the way they played, but the way they acted and carried themselves as people. Good luck to both of them, and I hope they are part of the Seahawks in some manner in the future. Now get them in the Ring of Honor tomorrow.
I’ve already said my goodbye’s to Kam. Held out hope that it would be next year for Doug, so that he could mentor our young guys.
Truly a remarkable story and Seahawk. Had one offer to play ball out of high school. Undrafted. Now one of the best to ever lace them up for us.
Particularly when it came to off-the-field stuff, Doug was always my favorite. You knew Marshawn was going to be a funny interview. You knew Russ would be a cliche interview. You knew Sherm was going to come off as half-cocked. Doug… you knew you were going to get some articulate, thought-provoking comments. Particularly at the end of his run, he was a great statesman for the game and our franchise.
One of my favorite interviews, was just a few months ago, after the Dallas loss. He had a lot of thoughtful answers, but one that stood out to me was in relation to a question about lack of targets for the WR group throughout the year. He said “It’s not about how many targets you get, or how many receptions you get, it’s about: Do you make that play when it’s needed.”
Asked about the future of the Hawks… “Look out.”
Interview is here, if you want to watch. The first part is at about 5:22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj1zyXD7AUA
The NFL lost two great ones today.
Fittingly, in that, his last post-game press conference, his parting words were:
“Cherish these moments. Learn from them. Don’t let this loss be in vain. If you do the honest look in the mirror and you ask yourself the tough questions, and you seek the right answers, no loss is ever really a loss. You still win if you learn. You may not be victorious, but you still win. That message was not just for football, it’s for human beings. For the life that they lead off the field. We’re called to be great football players, but more importantly, I think we’re called to be better men. That was the sentiment of the message. Thanks guys.”
Thank you Doug.
Thanks for sharing… brilliant young man that I hope sticks with the organization and continues to impact these young men.
Not the drama that I expected for today, so sad to see Doug go.
I was hoping they would sign Adam Humphries as DBJ replacement in future, but just shacking that it happen so quickly.
My favorite memory is the return he had against the Niners in the NFC championship game
It provided a big, much needed, momentum shift.
They could have some serious cap space next year. Both Baldwin and Chancellor off the books and only Reed really for extension, maybe Ifedi. Not really sure who I would want to go after since I believe in the draft first theory.
The main extensions to consider in 2019 are…
Wagner
Reed
Ifedi (If he continues to improve)
Iupati (If he stays healthy and plays well)
Ansah (If he’s healthy and plays well)
Kendricks (If he’s healthy and plays well)
Fant (As a backup at LT and RT, he’s pretty valuable)
We’ll have a good amount of cap space provided we don’t do a bigger signing before camp. Going to be hard to replace Baldwin. I sure hope Russ is spending extra time with his WRs before Training Camp.
Doug Baldwin provided us so many moments that took our breath away – the one handed catches (Against Minnesota and SF), the sideline grabs (one against Dallas in this years playoffs comes to mind), the what-the-hell-did-I-just-see catches like the one against Arizona, too many more to list… One of the most interesting players to hear talk at press conferences as well. After the Chief’s game last year a reporter asked Doug if Richard Sherman was right in criticizing the Seahawks for ‘losing their way’ and he thought for a moment and said ‘No! – he was right – we did lose our way for a bit. But we got back to the right way’. Not just a classy response, but a truly honest, from-the-heart but well thought out one. Love Doug Baldwin. Sad to see him go!
Those two are simply irreplaceable…
I wish them happiness in their life after football. Ring of Honor for the both of them!
Maybe John Schneider could ADB as an assistant receivers coach.
I’m thinking Baldwin has better things to do than immediately be a position coach. It seems fans have such a tough time when these guys retire, they want them all to stand on the sidelines coaching. 4-800,000 bucks to work 60 hours a week. Sure, maybe in 5 years.
As a fan this news hurt in my heart. I knew in my head Doug was probably done but what a joy it was to watch him work. He spit fire and brought down miracles from the sky. Danny Kelly wrote an article in Field Gulls about his release from the line of scrimmage and at the training camps I was fortunate enough to attend I would watch mesmerized. In a simple, elegant jittery drive he would vanish and disconnect from defensive back after defensive back.
I loved watching Baldwin. I loved rooting for Baldwin. He gave me faith that third downs were opportunities for magic tricks. I loved that he stood for much more than football.
I met his mom, grandma, and younger brother before a game when they were looking for a place to sit at Touchdown City and asked if they could share our table. They all wore his jersey, of course, and we surmised the connection pretty quick. They were out from Florida and eventually I had to ask his mom if she knew his nickname here was ADB- Angry Doug Baldwin and his mom put on this knowing, twinkly smile and said, “Yes, I’ve heard that. I understand, I’ve seen that too. But he’s a good boy .”
How fortunate we have been to watch him work.
Nice tribute I enjoyed reading it.
This is a sad day for me. Two of my favorite Seahawks are no longer active players on the team.
Kam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UevvfswzGk
Doug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMLNYKuBPMM
Long live Kam and Doug! Go Seahawks!!!
My favorite Kam plays are 1. Vernon Davis hit. 2. Demaryius Thomas hit in the Super Bowl. 3. Stripping Adrian Peterson.
My favorite Dougie Fresh plays: 1. Steelers game winner 2015. 2. The 1 hander in the Minnesota winter chill wild card 2015. 3. The 50 ish yard TD vs Vikings week 13 2015. Russ and Doug were ON FIRE that year.
That catch in Minnesota is one of the most under appreciated plays in the last 5 years.
That play was the changer
That catch should have found its way onto as many highlight reels as OBJ’s one-handed catch, if not more.
I loved the strip of Detroit’s Calvin Johnson right before he crossed the end line. Amazing play.
Ooooh.. yeah that’s definitely #3 for me actually.
Jumping the line not once, but twice against the Panthers is pretty damn high on my list.
Also the pick 6 where he gets the head chug going at the end.
And more recently the game ending tangled up tango with Gronk.
I think Kam may be my favourite Seahawk of all time.
Anyone think the Seahawks will look at Muhammad Wilkerson? He is a pretty dominant player when he is motivated. Not sure if he is a scheme fit though..
He is a scheme fit just not sure how much he wants to be the same dominant player he was with the Jets. Kinda a sour place for former Jets DT who are supposed to be good players
ADB was a BMF! Gonna miss watching him play with the grit and intensity that defined this wonderful era of Seahawks football. Rob, thank you pointing out all the great memories he provided us. Hopefully he stays connected, in some capacity, to the franchise.
Ring of Honor vote from me for him and Kam!
overthecap has updated to include cutting Baldwin and Kam.
Shows $33m cap room before Ansah, so figure he hits all incentives so $20m.
The Seahawks releasing Kam and Baldwin before June 1st has HUGE implications for this year. We are giving up 8M in cap this year to free a chunk of cash next year.
Most teams would not do this.
So the FO screwed up and doesn’t know what they’re doing?
Basically Yes.
Or you could also read it as the FO is doing right by two seahawks legends. They are basically “paying the man” like most fans usually scream.
One, I’m quite sure they’ve handled matters this way to do right by Kam and ADB.
Two, they’re also doing right by the salary cap. Take the cap hit now when you have space and leave it clean next year for possible extensions (Wagner, Reed, etc.) or FA signings.
Screwed up? No, this is one area where “most teams wouldn’t do this” because most teams aren’t as smart as our FO.
They are definitely doing this to do right by Kam and ADB, they have given them every possible break and paid everything up front. This is something that I certainly think will help with perception, especially after the unfortunate Earl Thomas situation. Add on the fact that the pair would be potentially disgrunted and disruptive until their future was confirmed and this is probably the best course of action here.
It is true that PC has job security that few coaches in the NFL enjoy and he can look at long term in terms of cap, but I do not believe that this is doing right by the salary cap. Money next year does not exist and caps grow. Wagner will probably take some of this years cap, but most of it could have been postponed. Reeds contract would have easily been structured to cost nothing this year.
The fact that they are probably going to “take the hit now” as you mentioned just tells me that they don’t see anything better to do with that money.
They know exactly what they are doing.
What it tells you is that the team has no intentions of spending more then 10-15M more this year on FAs and extensions. They are happy with the 20M they have in cap space after Ansah’s cost is added.
Therefor they prefer to pay the dead money now and leave a modest sum of over 80M in cap space for next year.
Not too bad for the team with the most expensive player in football.
I don’t think it implies that.
I think they’ve made these moves now to 1. Benefit the players and 2. take the hit now vs pushing it into next year.
But they still have well over $25m in cap space this year. If they want to spend 10-15m this year they can easily do it.
Rob,
For a while I felt that something about me or the way I put my thoughts in English must rub you ion the wrong way.
I wrote above that it implies that the Seahawks do not need more then 10-15M for their additional spending this year and preferred to push the rest of the cap space into next year. You answer that
i doesn’t…and then state pretty much the same…
I think it’s time I return to just reading and enjoying your great work here.
Not at all, continue writing.
Your comment implied, whether intended or not, that they had moved the hit to this year over bringing others in at a cost. And I disagreed with that.
I don’t think Baldwin is retiring. His hernia surgery recovery may take time–like Lynch’s did. And Doug may not want to rush back this year, especially now Seattle has cut him. To me, this looks like Seattle was simply unwilling to pay Baldwin his salary if he wasn’t ready to rock Game One. And Doug wasn’t about to retire before being cut and therefore owe 2.8 million in bonus money.
Now, Baldwin may retire. But it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him play for another team this year or next.
I’m crushed they cut him. I don’t agree with cutting him while he’s hurt, especially not when they are guarantying Ansah, who has done nothing for Seattle, 5.5 million while he is still injured.
Maybe Doug’s cumulative injuries have indeed made him lose a step–or perhaps his latest surgery has rendered him less able to perform. We don’t know yet. But as it stands, I think this stinks.
We’ll see what shakes out.
Brilliant piece though, Rob. I’m gonna miss Baldwin more than Bobby Engram and maybe as much as when Largent hung it up.
I think you are missing the point, Doug had played his last down. Hawks is doing him a favor by releasing him so he can keep his signing bonus plus insurance (everybody know that just can say it publicly). I really wish he can play again even as player for another team, but the truth is he is retiring and that is why everybody is so sad about release today.
Given he’s extremely likely to retire, this was the best move. It secures Baldwin the most money (a sign of respect from the team).
That is a reasonable take, Rob. I’m not sure whether to hope you’re correct, or that Baldwin comes back to play for another team. He was still playing at a high level at the end of last season. But I sincerely wish Doug the best going forward, and pray Seattle handled this behind the scenes as you believe they did.
Seattle has a decidedly mixed bag of how they have treated stars and regular players with football-related injuries (especially cumulative ones) throughout their different ownerships. From Sherman Smith and the Kenny Easley saga, to Jerry Wunsch and others, to rushing Darrell Jackson back from his first knee injury, to the kid OL with heart condition the paid for a year anyway, to Sherman, Chancellor, and rushing KJ back, they have alternated questionable practices with instances of class and generosity.
Forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical, I hope you are right with all my heart.
I agree, Rob. The release of Chancelor and Baldwin isn’t as hardhearted as it may seem. If both of them “retired” they would be liable to pay back a portion of their signing bonuses. By being released, they are relieved of that liability.
ADB, my favorite player on the team, bar none. He and Earl and Sherm and Kam were the fire and intensity core through the good years, where will it come from now I wonder. Wags alone?
At first I felt bad about Douglas but it is best for him. 3 operations in the off season at 30 is too much. He doesn’t hurt his body more and the Seahawks save enough dough to take a chance on Ansah.
The two best receivers that I recall are Largent and Douglas. Great inspiration for underdogs.
Chanceller as the Chairman of the Legion of Boom has a place in football folklore. I grew up with the Fearsome Foursome. Deacon, Grier, Olsen and Lundy. Units like that are never forgotten.
For a player so integral to the Hawks success for so long, this seems a crass way to end his tenure. Why not let him retire or decide things on his own terms in a month or two? Is there a reason why this was done today?
My best case scenario is the team is gearing up for a big trade and needed cap space.
Just like Lynch & Kam, team can go after your signing bonus if you retire voluntarily. Remember Lynch retired and Paul gave him that 5 millions prorated bonus? It is just a good will from the team because those prorated bonus counts against your cap.
This wasn’t crass at all. It was doing a lot of favors for Doug actually. As posted on Fieldgulls:
“[Due to be released after May 1st] Baldwin will receive NFL active player insurance until September 2020, and then transition into the five-year post-play program.
So he’s essentially covered by the team and league for the next 6.5 years.
Insurance is the same as Kam’s (coverage as an active player through Week 1 of next season (2020, not 2019) and then five years of insurance after that).
Because of the injury designation Baldwin will be eligible for $1.2M in Article 45 Injury Protection (just like Cliff Avril last offseason) in 2019 and $575k in 2020. Both of those would count against the cap. If he is able to pass a physical, then he would not be eligible.”
Moreover, if Doug retires now, he doesn’t get the injury protection money.
Dang, when I found this out I cried like a baby. Dougy was one of my all time favorite Seahawks. He will certainly be missed. His ability to get separation at the right moments and his incredible catches are legendary.
Times like these are the times to take stock of one’s gratitudes. Inarguably two of my favorite Hawk ballers of all time, and that serves to make me mindful indeed of how blessed I’ve been to have lived through this amazing era in the teams history, and to have a place like SDB to share the experience with like-minded others, and someone like Rob to keep us honest on the path!
No disrespect to Wagner, Largent or Walter Jones but those two have been my favorite Seahawks of all time. Truly gentlemen/ warriors that embody everything that make professional sports relevant in modern culture. Both Clutch as all hell on the field, thinking about Cam forcing the fumble on the goal line as Calvin Johnson was diving to win the game still gives me goosebumps. Personally I’m excited too see what Baldwin does with himself after today, I’m sure some type of philanthropy. He isn’t afraid of hot button issues, but takes everything on with the same class and determination that he showed on the field. The best thing I can truly say about either of these two, is that if my son grows up and act like them, I’ll have done my job in life.:)
Man… I think the craziest thing about our superbowl was how young our team was. I mean we were a historic unit with a bunch of guys on their rookie deals. That’s insane.
We had 6 players who were 30 or older. 1 was a punter, 1 was backup qb. 1 was a FB. A 30 year old McQuistan and 32 yr old Clemons and Farwell. Everyone else was in their 20s…. NUTS. That will never happen again.
Clemons wasnt even starting at this time IIRC so every starter would have been under 30. (If you dont count punter or FB as a starter).
There’s only 4 guys left over from our last SB.
Shows how quickly things change in such a violent,venom filled sport.
Only 3 ?
The only player who’s jersey I’ve ever bought for myself was Kam. He had it all: great leadership, great intellect, and he was the hardest hitter in the league. I knew this was coming and it still sucks. This is my favorite compilation of his hits. https://vimeo.com/123822864
Doug, I really thought we’d have more time. He was the league’s most underrated receiver for years. Some of his crazy one hand catches were better than anything OBJ ever did, and I’ve never seen a better route runner. Just putting guys on roller skates and breaking ankles every game.
My only concern is not about getting open with the rest of the guys, but missing the “backyard football genes”. Doug was awesome at improvising, and giving Russ an A+ target when he scrambled. Lockett is solid at this too, but not Doug level. And I’m not sure with any of the other guys
My favorite Doug plays were the crazy one handed grab and I don’t know when the other happened…I think it was against the Cardinals. He made an ankle- breaker move which put the CB on his ass 😀 if someone knows the year + game it would be awesome to see again. Searched for it on YouTube but couldn’t find it 😞
https://mobile.twitter.com/dhodgs/status/797632847242612736
And I miss him even more… Hope fully the rookies get a little time with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVDpLb5ZrGA
Who else wants Kyle Rudolph? I’d give up to a 4th for him. Or…
Rudolph for Vannett?
Not sure why Min would do that.
I’m not against acquiring Rudolph but I’m just not sure what the compensation should be for a guy the Vikings have sought to replace, he has a decent salary, he’s had some injuries. He’s a good player though.
I got a notification on my phone today saying that the contract talks have been cut off and that a trade might be likely.
My reasoning would be vikings get Vannett on a cheaper deal, they just drafted a TE, so they dont need Rudolph anymore, he may be a cap casualty for them now. Basically they save money.
We get Rudolph for a year or we can extend him. Dickson and Rudolph would actually be a pretty nice receiving duo, and blocking duo.
I just can’t see it. Not for Vannett.
That was kinda just for fun, a feeler lol. Would you give up a 3rd? Say the comp pick so late 3rd?
I wouldn’t want to give up much more than a late rounder. Feels like a ‘we’ll cut him without a viable trade’ situation.
Rob,
Is there any benefit to the Vikings for cutting him, rather than trading him for anything?
I’d think that even something as low as a conditional 7th rounder (or similarly low trade value deal) would be preferential to cutting him and letting him walk, unless there’s something about the salary cap I’m missing or other esoteric NFL roster rule?
Maybe another angle is cutting him rather than trading him allows him to go to a place he wants to be, and so by letting him free it makes the vikings look good to other potential free agent targets?
(Thanks again by the way, you are singlehandedly getting me through the offseason with your content)
Someone has to be willing to pay a pick. And given everyone knows the Vikings have to cut him if nobody makes an offer, they can wait and try and get him for less than $7.5m.
The only way they get a deal is if multiple teams want him badly enough to prevent him reaching the market. Which is viable if an unattractive team/destination wants him.
Ive had the Rudolph thought since I seen he was shopped during the draft. At 7.5M for his final year he is not overly expensive. But just not sure A) what are his extension demands and B) Is he an upgrade on Ed Dickson. I don’t know the cap number on hands, but he would be more expensive than Dickson (assuming Dickson is released), So what is the extra bucks plus draft pick cost buying the Hawks?
I feel like if a trade were to materialize, the draft cost would show their level of long term expectation for him. A 4th or higher and I feel like I would expect an extension coming. A conditional 6th that could escalate to a 4th, and I would expect it is more of a 1 year rental.
But his addition would make Russ much more dangerous in the red zone. The one year he had a viable (although different type) of redzone TE, Jimmy put up double digit TDs
I didnt know he was shopped during the draft. Just more reason to think his value wont be too high. The team trading for him has to pay him.
I agree with everything you said, although I dont think you have to look at it as Rudolph replacing Dickson. (Which by the way, he is an upgrade over Dickson). You could have Rudolph and Dickson on the field together. It would be smart to run 2 TE sets a lot being a running team. Dickson and Rudolph can both block. Dickson is a tall field stretcher with a long frame. Rudolph is a trusty do it all guy who will be a major factor in the red zone for Russell.
I think TE is a spot that we could target soon. If that’s via trade or next years FA or draft is yet to be seen. I just think one of the only things we’re missing on offense is a weapon at TE.
I’m in the minority that still thinks Vannett could break out this year.
I’d rather have the homegrown player so to speak than the expensive vet, Rudolph.
Nate Orchard already cut to make room for Ansah.
This is why I think they still need another EDGE.
But Nate Orchard is another edge…
They need a better one
Looks like we’re 3 deep there with with guys that can threaten the edge from out wide.
Ansah
Martin
Marsh
Shaquem and Mingo can rush the passer from out wide on obvious passing situations also.
Lots of guys that can play base end (5T) and slide inside in passing situations.
Green
Collier
Q. Jefferson
N. Jones
B. Jackson
Ansah too
They probably keep 10 DL total and you know Reed and Poona are locks along with at least one other run stuffing DT.
You can expect some injuries in camp, but I’m just not seeing any free agents that are immediate upgrades at edge for the 90 man roster besides maybe nick perry. They have to be at least as good as marsh. I suppose a trade is always possible.
One more EDGE still required IMO.
Rob, thoughts on McCoy? Would like to see your thoughts on best iDL fits…
…haha, I sound like a needy child.
People keep talking about McCoy but there’s no way the Seahawks are trading for his contract. If he’s cut, maybe. But he’s not what they need anyway. They need a good two-down run stuffer to add to the rotation with classic size.
Who do you like as a two-down run stuffer Rob?
I’m not sure to be honest. Al Woods has been linked and has a connection to the staff.
Deftly done, he’s just been signed.
Is Dominique Easley finished?
What about a trade for any of: Tim Jernigan, Henry Anderson or Margus Hunt?
Can’t see the Colts moving either. Jernigan was cut and re-signed already.
PHI didn’t seem too concerned about losing Jernigan when they let him test FA. He resigned for 1 year at less than $2M. Similar situations with Hunt/IND and Anderson/NYJ. SEA has some OL trade bait 🤷🏻♂️
What about Easley? Is he done?
You don’t have the option to sign a player for $2m though, pass, then trade for him a few weeks later. There was no market for Jernigan.
Easley has had too many injuries.
Hadn’t thought of that. Makes more sense just to sign him as a FA instead of trading for him a couple weeks later.
Still like Anderson. One of the better run stopping 5Ts around. Great length and strength.
Don’t see any reason at all to think he’s available.
As for Hunt he only signed a new deal in March!
Anderson just signed a 3 year $25M contract with NYJ so he’s definitely not available. I was just wishing out loud. Also not very enamored of Liuget or Perry. Sux Suh lost the fire
Rob,
Would be great to see a list of EDGE/iDL guys that you think would be a good fit (even if some might be a reach).
A “phase three” list, or “post-Ziggy signing” list. Just a thought as it seems to still be the major hole on our roster.
I’d only provide the names everyone is already talking about to be honest. I think we know what they need it’s just a case of seeing who they go with. Not many thought of the name Tony McDaniel back in the day. We’ll see who they roll with.
Initially, Shelton would appear to be the natural choice for a run stopping DT to fill the obvious need. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s also a home town talent as well. But, size of is not the only prerequisite. Length and strength are also important factors to consider. The Big Amigo (TMac) had all of those attributes.
Al Woods may fit better in their scheme than Danny Shelton. He’s not 6-7, but does have 36inch arms, 6-4 and stout against double teams. Rotating his length with Ford may work best. The one drawback with Danny is his length, 32in arms. Poona also has a larger wingspan, and quickness, that enables him to stay off blocks. IDK about duplicating a larger, but slower version of Ford would fit best. They need more length up the middle.
Muhammad Wilkerson is the acquisition I hope they go after to play all over the line, except Leo. They need inside push of the pocket besides Reed, or Collier/Green. Wilkerson could provide it. He could also play 5T on run downs, with Collier/Green at RDE.
Went to London for my birthday with my dad, who doesn’t really watch NFL but wanted a weekend with his kid, and got to see Seattle win over Oakland. My first NFL game. Stood in line for what felt like hours in the british rain, so I could finally get my hands on a Seattle jersey. When deciding which player, there was not thought of anyone else but big ol DB89. My favorite player when I began following Seattle and he has remained so still. Will miss him dearly, but his jersey will live on with me for a very long time.
a fine choice my man
I was there with you dude. That line and the rain was crazy. Had to buy the whole shop 😀😀 I bought a Wilson jersey, a hat and the crazy Seahawks headpiece 😀 awful weather but great game
Kyler Murray wanted and got a 35.1 fully guaranteed contract for 4 years. I wonder why he wanted that extra point 1 on the end?
I recall reading about some culture that adds a one to all money related stuff for good luck. Like if you are loaning someone 50 bucks you loan them 51. If you buy something for a dollar you pay a dollar and one cent. That kind of thing. It is supposed to bring you good luck. I can’t recall which country this was though.
Russ 35 mil…..Murray 35.1 mil. I know it’s not per year for Murray but it smells a little fowl.
Not to be flip, but maybe literally just because it’s better to have 100,000 dollars than not to?
My guess would be that the 35.1 is a compromise number between two numbers they each proposed, actually.
Why do I feel like Pete is trying to get Clowney still? Why do I feel like the Texans are asking too much?
You never know but I’d bet JS & PC have a bad taste in their mouths from the last time they dealt with Houston & the Jeremy Lane debacle.
Hope so – theyll have the cap going fwd. Maybe signing RW long-term will be a big draw for players? Some of the top tier QBs will be retiring soon whereas if players like Clowney want to win, RW may be a surer bet for post season success…
DT-Al Woods signed to a 1-year contract, 2+ million.
Greater fit! Wilkerson would fill out their DT rotation. Reed, Ford, Woods and Wilkerson, all stout against the run and good length, but also the needed push up the middle.
Will be interested to hear folks take and input on this….
Not as big of a name as Liuget or Wilkerson, but they see something they like. It’s certainly a cheap contract. Saw a PFF grade of 97 out 117 qualifiers at DT, for what that’s worth. Although he had above average grades for run defense
Al Woods may fit better in their scheme than Danny Shelton. He’s not 6-7, but does have 36 inch arms, 6-4 and stout against double teams. Rotating his length with Ford may work best.
Woods looks good based on his tape from 17 with hankins. big and pretty quick
I watched that video too and came out with three words: A gap discipline.
This signing explains why Naz Jones was not able to get into rotation and Treston Hill was never high on their draft board.
So line up:
Martin, Collier, Woods, Reed & Ansah (Pete did say he has a plan for Martin)
Wide 9, 3T, NG, NT, DE to stop the runs and force passes? 5-1-5
I think Pete is crazy because 5 men front only work in high school.
None of us know how high Trysten Hill was on their board, or anyone else they didn’t draft.
And THERE is the vet run stuffer.
Just as we predicted.
I hope they reach out for Wilkerson. A rotation of Reed, Ford, Woods and Wilkerson would put constant pressure up the middle and not diminish stopping the run.
Ansah, Marsh and Martin could fill the Leo position, with the caveat that Ansah would be ready to go week 2.
Inside push is a great emphasis in moving the QB off his spot. They need more than Reed. Jefferson isn’t a true 3T, that can hold up against the run.
Id prefer McCoy. Hes been more productive in the last few years, is not coming off a major injury and probably offers a bit more rush without losing out on the run defense. Be amazing to grab a fit, recent pro bowler at the 3T. Problem is he is less likely to be released with the recent injury to JPP and will be more in demand. than Wilkerson…
McCoy is not a URFA either. It would cost some $$ as well, not to mention draft considerations. Wilkerson is also versatile enough to play 5t, 3T and 1T if needed. Muhammad is a better fit, and would cost much less.
I love that there is going to be so much competition all over the roster this year. The most depth we have had in years. I think there is zero chance this team goes 0-4 in preseason again where roster depth usually is most obvious.
How is next years draft class looking for edge rush depth? That seems like the one true area this team needs to address longer term along with perhaps a pass catching TE and WR depending on how Metcalf and Jennings develop.
Too early to say.
Rob, can you please see when was the last time (by washington time zone) when @sea mode was active here on the blog?
It is really strange to me he isnt here any more, and now I google and found out something terrible…I really hope it’s not him…i dont want to post it here because I am not sure it is him…
He last posted on 25th April.
Email me what you’ve discovered.
Just curious how anything on Google can lead you to a guy here lol
Some dark web stuff.
Damn. Well hopefully if anything it’s just the law and not something crazy.
Hahaha. I have no idea if milhouse is into that or if he even knows how to get into it. Was just trying to get some friendly banter going between you and me.
With that being said, the dark web and deep web is some crazy sh**. Drug trafficking (Silk Road), hit men for hire, can dox people, hackers hang there, red rooms, it’s bizarre to say the least.
Yeah man that shit is nuts lol. But if I need money, i got some organs could sell haha
I’m good on organs. Hopefully for a lifetime. Fingers crossed. 🙏
I’m not asking for details but could you let us know if he’s ok and if he needs anything?
I dont know is he ok. Hope so. It looks like I was on a bad trail, thanks God.
I hope he will be back here soon. Then he will need to explain us where the hell he was for so long.
Any interest in another Google Hangout this week?
Will also post thoughts on the remaining rookies.
Holy cow YES.
Honestly, There are no better Seahawk podcasts than the ones you do alone or that you host.
When it comes the wondering whether we are interested in another hangout from you, please accept a blanket yes response for every time you ask the question!!
Looking forward to it!!
Ditto!
I’ll always tune in!
Definitely
I’m in for sure.
Would you be in doing a hangout with seahawks maven? That would be really good
No it’d be a solo hangout
Definitely! Love them.
You don’t need to ask SDB community, we always love to hear from you.
I see Kyle Rudolph TE will be great addition to Seahawks.
Since we were not able to draft TE this addition will be good depth.
Yes please
Rob, what do you think about trying to get Vernon Butler? If I remember, you were pretty high on him when he came into the league. He’s had a pretty bad time in Carolina – his 5th year wasn’t picked up and he was a healthy scratch twice at the end of the year. Do you think he’d be worth a low round draft pick?
Just not sure that’s the type of player they need at the moment.
Anyone know anything about the UDFA DL they signed from Eastern WA? Have not read or heard anything about him since he signed. Remember seeing he was the Player of The Year in his conference. EWU somehow manages to recruit decent talent for their division.
He was at minicamp but it’s hard for Dline to stand out in non contact drills
Practice squad candidate
I’ve been wondering…..IF, at pick #64 Metcalf had not fallen and wasn’t available to the Seahawks, who would they have picked in his place? Most likely an EDGE, DT, or another WR I’d guess, but we’ll never know who they would have picked. But, I’m still a little curious.
It’s an interesting thought. Considering they seemed keen to add a pass catcher and were intent on adding character + passion for football — they could’ve moved up for Terry McLaurin or Josh Oliver. They also met with Jace Sternberger. They could’ve also stayed put and taken Chase Winovich or Justin Layne.