For the #Seahawks and QB Russell Wilson, it’s a 4-year extension worth $140M, source said. He beats Aaron Rogers as the highest-paid player in the NFL.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 16, 2019
Deadlines spur action. Crisis — and a longwinded saga — averted.
According to Tom Pelissero the structure hasn’t changed, there’s no percentages tied to the deal.
Both sides had to compromise. The Seahawks had to be willing to make Wilson the highest paid player in the league. Wilson had to be prepared not to change the NFL’s pay structure forever.
In the end common sense prevailed and thankfully, finally, this is resolved.
So what now?
We can move on and end any thought of a quarterback being drafted early. That’s no longer necessary. There’ll be no Wilson-to-the-Giants talk in the media any more.
The Seahawks will have to prove the naysayers wrong that you can’t win a Super Bowl paying top dollar for a quarterback. It’s a lot easier to win with a fantastic quarterback than it is to build a super-team capable of making up for a substandard QB.
Drafting well is the key. The Saints have been highly competitive while paying Drew Brees due to the way they’ve drafted — finding solutions at receiver, running back, left tackle, cornerback and pass rush without needing to tap into the free agent market.
There’s also a bit more pressure on Wilson now. His contract will receive more attention than ever. The Seahawks will also be under further scrutiny to get the best out of their prize asset. If you thought there were too many people criticising Pete Carroll’s (Super Bowl winning) football identity last year — wait and see what’ll happen moving forward.
Every future signing will need to be calculated. They’ve got a big call to make on Frank Clark, Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed. Mike Garafolo says Wilson’s deal could lead to a Clark trade (which was on hold during negotiations with the quarterback). Replacing Clark as a pass rusher and one of the young leaders on the team won’t be easy. This is a great D-line class but the Seahawks, currently with only four draft picks, are not in position to target one of the best. And if they acquire a high pick for Clark — you could argue the merits of simply swapping him for a cheap, unproven rookie are questionable.
Still, many people will tell you that you can’t pay everyone. As positive as the Wilson news is — if they lose Frank Clark, a mediocre pass rush unit could be even worse.
The franchise tag will be available to the team in 2020 which is good news. This means they can realistically keep Wagner on the tag if they don’t want to agree terms on an $18m deal that usurps the mega-contract signed by C.J. Mosley. If they don’t trade Clark, back-to-back tags is a possible solution in the same way Dallas co-operated with Demarcus Lawrence.
As for the draft — that first pick is wide open. They will trade down from #21, inevitably. Then they have to weigh up the class. They’d need to replace Clark if he’s dealt and probably replace Dion Jordan and Shamar Stephen too. That wouldn’t be easy — but the D-line class is deep enough to offer some later round relief. With Wilson being paid big money they might feel obliged to further invest in the quarterback with another receiver. The nickel hybrid role also brings some value this year in a range where the Seahawks are likely picking.
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Glad it’s done! He’s proven to be worth it, game manager or not. Moving forward!
GO HAWKS!!!
It feels like sanity and logic prevailed. This was the deal we all knew should happen. I’m not sure why this whole thing had to feel like a root canal.
From the incredibly well informed Mike Sando:
“The @Vikings paid Cousins and re-signed all their guys. The @Packers paid Rodgers and were first in line to pay FA pass-rushers.
Finding cap room usually is not the problem. Finding really good players usually is the problem.
The cap is overrated.”
Bravo, Mike. So often the voice of reason.
+100000
Can’t believe some people think you have to go cheap at QB to be able to afford a superbowl roster.
I think people were overreacting, myself included.. the problem we had before was a lot of defensive players that needed to get payed and RW rookie deal ended.. We dont have all those defensive players to pay anymore and the cap will definitely increase in the next CBA
Great news! Looks like a good compromise all round if true.
Was never in doubt 🙂
Phew, yesterday was the first time I truly doubted whether Wilson would be in Seattle for the long haul. Much ado about nothing in the end, that’s not a slight on your coverage of this topic either rob, it was well reasoned and comprehensive throughout. But im very glad to be able to move on now.
I blame Rob. He just made way too damn much sense with that playing the franchise tag game. Considering Wilson is under contract for five seasons now at $31.4M APY, I feel like we got off lucky. I was even more worried when it seemed like Wilson wanted to get a jump on the new CBA. No way we could have endured three seasons playing by a different set of rules; that’s simply way too much of a tactical disadvantage.
Is it true there is a no trade clause? If so, then that suggests he never wanted to leave anyway doesn’t it?
More like part of these negotiations involved threats of being sent to Cincinnati or Miami. He can waive them I assume — this just ensures he doesn’t have to go anywhere he doesn’t want to go. I’m sure not having one made leveraging this negotiation harder.
It appears to be true but it doesn’t indicate anything regarding Wilson.
All this does is protect the player from being traded to a team/city he doesn’t want to join. Now that he has a contract until 2023, the Seahawks could (theoretically) trade him somewhere and he’d had no way of stopping it. Now he has the ultimate say on his future. A no-trade clause means he would be able to decide whether to waive it or not. So he’s in control of a move if it comes to that. It’s not an indication of his commitment to Seattle.
But the Seahawks aren’t trading him anyway. It’s just a bit of fluff on the contract, a minor protection.
Doesn’t it also allow him to control his next contract negotiations? I mean, if the alternative was, take this deal or we trade you. Then Seahawks can’t get anything for him in a trade if/when they draft his replacement. They’d essentially be forced to cut him or let him walk due to this clause in 2022 or 2023 following drafting the heir apparent.
It’s true, that’s tomorrow’s problem. I’m just saying that’s why I think it’s there.
Nice catch, but I think they could tag him when he’s contract is done and then trade him with the tag. It’s just harder to do the trade thing. But I think it’s OK. It sucks when you’re a player and you have very little to say about where you go if your team wants to trade you
Only until the point where he’s tagged (if it gets that far).
But even then — it’s more about him controlling which team he’d get moved to. Which hopefully is a moot point anyway.
Agreed
Big W for the front office, if I’m understanding correctly.
So maybe the no-trade clause was a way of guaranteeing he will be on the roster, but without compromising their precedent on guarantees?
Honestly, John Schneider deserves some plaudits for staying calm and standing his ground in such a grueling slobberknocker of a negotiation. I think we sometimes take for granted and forget how good the man is at his job. He deserves a nice long nap after this.
Scheider doesn’t sleep…………..he rests with his eyes open.
You wonder about these QB and the guarantees. These QB deals are basically 100% guaranteed anyways. They never leave and really dont get hurt.
QBs don’t get hurt? Tell that to RG3, and Teddy Bridgewater, and Sammy Sleeves, and etc etc.
The position doesn’t have the same injury rate as running back or something, but career ending injuries are very possible.
While he and his wife deal with the myriad of challenges of raising a child with autism.
Emotions aside, I think our draft would have been a little bit more fun had they not compromised and JS could have netted multiple 1st round picks. Oh well, this result is a good alternative.
I’m a way bigger fan of the Seahawks than I am of interesting drafts. This result is part one of my ideal scenario
So, this 65mil signing bonus…does that count for 2019 SC or it starts form 2020?
Did you have to use form 2020 for your taxes, millhouse-serbia? I have that question too – if its going to impact the 2019 cap or not until next year.
I don’t think Clark gets traded.
watch the Colts @ 26…
Nope
Pete tied his future to Russ 4 years ago with the first mega deal they gave Russ this deal all but ensures that that balance of his career as a HC will be resting on the arm of Wilson.
One thing for sure if we want to see another SB in Seattle over the next 5 years PC/JS are going to have draft and manage the roster a whole lot better than they have the last 5 years.
Rob once again I think you nailed one key point going forward. Don’t Pete and the Hawks need to change thier philosophy a bit going forward? Do they really want to be a power run focused team when they have the highest paid QB in NFL history? Does not seem like the best use of resources if not.
Given this deal you have to think WR, Pass catching TE and OL depth rise up the draft board.
Wilson isn’t a gunslinger, and the number of dollars earned doesn’t need to equate into passing attempts and yards, but wins. Wilson is one of the best and can pull games our of the bag with his skill set and improvisation. That’s what he is being paid to do.
Not to speak for Rob, but I don’t think he’s ever made the point that the Hawks have to change their philosophy to feature more pass attempts now that Wilson is getting paid. In fact, of all the bloggers and writers that cover the Seahawks, he seems to be the most supportive of their offensive philosophy.
And rightly so, Brandon laid it out wonderfully in the article yesterday exactly why that line of thinking is so wrong.
I hope they change 2 things:
1, Better short passing game (screens, quick short passes). Not saying do much more, but do a bit more and execute better
2, Don’t make stupid mistakes, like piruette into a sack or making really stupid INTs.
Wilson doesn’t make bad-throw-INTs, he make really stupid ones, like not even a WR in that area kind a couple of times (1-2-3x) every year. I want those to be non-existent. I don’t mind INTs, those are part of the game, but do not make really awful, bad ones. And run or throw the ball away or just escape horizontally and not backwards.
If the second is cleaned up a bit by Russ, and Schotty and Pete can relief the run by some short passing game then I’m happy with this contract totally
Those changes depend on finding WR resources. IMO this draft should focus on DL (pass rush) and WR.
I am pretty hopeful that a second year of cooperation between RW and BS leads to an evolution and more complex and varied offensive play-calling.
And even if a guy like Paris Campbell doesn’t seem to fit right now, maybe a revised game plan would make hime the perfect addition to our WR corps … or JC Prosise stays healthy?
No I don’t think the Seahawks need to change anything. I want Pete Carroll to stick to his vision. Not because it’s my preferred way of operating. I don’t have a preference. I just want a coach with clarity on what he wants to achieve. Pass more, run. I’m not bothered. I just have an issue with all these people who think they know better than Pete.
They’re paying Wilson because he’s clutch and is perfect for their system. He makes the most of the throws he makes, is an incredible downfield passer and he just had statistically the best year of his career. Nothing needs to change.
I envision an evolution, not a “change”. And if there is no evolution, not revolution, in playcalling, I guess then all Seahawks Twitter that thinks bad of BS is right at the end.
I expect BS to add something this year! And that does not mean going away from PC’s way of doing IMO.
I think there will be some evolution. Not massive though.
I agree Rob I have always loved that about Pete there has always been a clarity to his Vision and plan. I just think that if you allocate that much cash to your QB there is going to be a ton of pressure on him to have a system that features to QB.
Pressure from who? Seahawks twitter!?
Pete is going to do what he wants.
BS made a statement a while back that they will use a bit more plat-action this year.IMO
After following PC’s career at USC — as a UCLA grad, I hated him then — and now with the Seahawks, I really don’t think PC has a single offensive scheme or system. More than any other head coach, I believe he is a master at changing his offenses to match the skills of his QB and other players. RW’s skill set has evolved from a read -option running QB, to a scrambling QB, to more of a pocket passer, but I don’t see PC dictating RW’s playing style to fit a particular scheme. I expect RW to naturally evolve into an even better pocket passer.
“Russell Wilson is making more money now, change everything!”
This is the kind of talk we can expect to hear from the national media all season long, and it’s as ridiculous as it is banal. Did Pete Carroll’s philosophy, which he’s spent decades honing suddenly change? Did Russell’s skill set somehow warp into something completely different when he signed his name?
No, Don’t change a damn thing.
I slagged Wilson off a bit yesterday but so glad he’s signed up, would be hard to imagine the Seahawks without him. Hope they can sort Clark out now too. Great going into draft knowing we don’t have to spend a pick on a qb.
The best, most reasoned, discussion of the whole saga predictably took place on this site.
Don’t understand something.. Do they tear up the last year of his current contract, or does this new deal begin in 2020?
Sounds like it starts in 2020 as he’s signed through 2023
It’s 4 new years. In a sense it ‘begins’ in 2020. To put it another way his new deal ends after the 2023 season in 2024.
Thanks for the clarification!
I’m so happy that this is over. I’m over it. Unfortunately I have a feeling that the hawks will trade Frank Clark to a top 10 team in this draft to get a rashan Gary or someone like that.
If they trade Clark it almost certainly will not be for a top-10 pick.
But why trade him then? You won’t get a similar talent after #10 or #15.
Trade talent loss for CAP relief?
I would give up Clark and a 4th round pick for the #6 for example, but anything more is a lose in our side in my opinion.
Sign Clark, sign Bobby and tag Reed if he has a superb season.
I think that’s 20m APY 4 years, 50m GTD and 17m APY 4 years, 34m GTD
I feel Bobby is the centerpiece of this defense. Amazing player, key contributor and the voice of the defense.
A must have. He doesn’t have HUGE injury flags and still plays at a really high level. He’ll have 4 more years in him. Clark is the new seed in this defense. A top10-15 DE for sure and might be a top3-5 even. It’s not that huge of a contract, especially if other DEs will sign soon a new contract. We have CAP space for next year and forward, so pull the trigger. These guys performed well for at least a couple of years.
It’s not like we have 3-4-5 really talented DEs. It’s not like we have a MIKE even close to Bobby.
Several month ago I wrote here that the whole RW conundrum is not really an Issue. I stated that the Seahawks practically have a QB under club control for the next 3 years and will not be pressured into anything crazy.
I also said that unlike Cousins, RW will not be happy to go down the TAG trail since it means losing this wonderful signing bonus (65M) in his bank account right now just to hope for a big FA deal 3 years from now.
I even ventured to say that this is all a game over nothing since the range of deal is similar to the TAG cost and limited to a 32-35M APY range.
I was actually hoping that a deal will not be reached before the “deadline” just to prove that RW does not hold all or even most of the cards now. I was afraid that reaching a deal under this dead line could indicate that JS caved in to the pressure by Rodgers and went out beyond the reasonable scope.
Now, it is all over exactly where it should have been and all is well in the NW kingdom.
Can we finally talk DRAFT?
Kudos to your predictive abilities, but I’ll respectfully disagree this was a “non-issue”. It easily could have gotten ugly. In the end, it came down to where Wilson wanted to play, and despite many hints floated to the media these past months, thankfully that ended up being Seattle.
Rob was just as right as you in repeating endless times that it would take a compromise on both sides to get something done. In the end, that is exactly what happened.
RW’s agent gave up on the ground-breaking contract structure and stuck to the Seahawks normal one, and the Seahawks pushed up more money up front into the signing bonus and added a no-trade clause to virtually guarantee him he would be on the roster.
But yeah, now we can celebrate and talk draft!
Eran — with respect — you can’t say this was all a storm in a teacup, that it wasn’t a worthwhile topic of discussion or that you knew all along Wilson wouldn’t go down the Cousins route.
He was very prepared to do that. 100% prepared. The Seahawks and Wilson needed to find a compromise and thankfully they’ve achieved that. We all could’ve done without the ugly ‘negotiations through the media’ but this was a serious dilemma for team and player. That it’s now resolved is a cause for relief — not a cause for saying it was never serious and was always going to get done.
Every time your franchise QB is involved in contract consideration it’s a worthwhile topic of discussion.
As for the rest, I said it than and I say it now, RW is the exact example of the TAG mechanism. He is right where his “reasonable” salary and his TAG price match. Neither side holds better cards to force straying beyond that narrow range. RW has as much to lose from not getting this deal signed as the Seahawks.
It wasn’t a storm in a teacup but it was not particularly ugly either. It was both sides doing the song and dance trying to get the best of each other knowing full well that neither side can force the issue and both sides have a lot to lose from trying too hard to force their hand.
We will probably never know what either side had on the table to start the talks and how willing they were to go the other way. Still, having this contract signed right at the range that all the non emotional voices predicted is the proof that is was not an existential conundrum.
Still, it could have gone ugly and I’m happy it didn’t. It’s a reasonable and fare conclusion that should make us all happy and shift our attention to the matters at hand.
p.s. – since the prorated signing bonus will eat most of our current free cap, they may need to be more creative with other possible extensions even after clearing all possible cap (Kam, Mingo etc.)
It was ugly Eran. Both parties were using the media, aggressively, to say things like ‘the Seahawks don’t think he wants to be in Seattle’ or ‘there will be no talks, ever, after this deadline’.
This idea that we’ve all been caught up some mild hype simply isn’t true.
This was a very serious situation and thankfully common sense has prevailed. Both parties have compromised to find a deal.
We should be relieved and happy — not trying to argue you knew all along this would be fine and dandy.
When you Google “hindsight bias”, this is the first result:
The hindsight bias is often referred to as the “I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.” It involves the tendency people have to assume that they knew the outcome of an event after the outcome has already been determined.
Just saying…
Believe what you want about RW’s image and posturing in this negotiation, this is a good look for him:
If it were 100% up to his agent, he likely would not have backed off the opportunity to push for a ground-breaking contract tied to cap %.
Yup. There you go.
My response to Mark Rodgers would be to get stuffed.
There was no need for all this drama. He can take 100% responsibility for that.
+1
Rob — I could not have said it any better….Mark Rogers deserves “get stuffed”!
With all due respect, had they not created a barrier by setting the deadline, we would still have the most important contract in limbo.
I think, RW learned his part from two contract nightmares within a year.
So set a deadline then. There was no need for all the other nonsense. Just like there wasn’t any need for the nonsense before a deal was signed in 2015.
That’s right, but this is how the game is played, and – TBH – neither RW nor his agent invented it.
I didn’t see Aaron Rodgers needing to go on Jimmy Fallon and hint about possibly wanting to play in a bigger market.
This was not how a normal negotiation with a respectable agent is supposed to go down.
Good to see him rebuilding bridges, so to speak:
I have been really impressed with how Earl has handled things since singing with Baltimore. No hard feeling and ripping his old team like Sherm for example. Good for him as he is a true Hawks legend and along with Kam and Kenny Easly (3) great HOF safety’s.
He was such a joy to watch play and I am not sure we will ever see another single high safety like him again.
To be fair there’s a difference between being cut after your first major injury and leaving in free agency by signing a mega deal…
Well, apparently Wilson did feel a little urgency to get a deal done earlier rather than later.
And that just makes good sense of course. It’s hard to argue that waiting until after the draft gives Seattle more leverage while also arguing that Wilson wouldn’t want to get a deal done sooner. If he would be losing leverage, of course he would want to get a deal done sooner.
Getting the exact same extension done this year instead of next saves the team $2 million per year in cap space and 12-15 months of media distraction and fan hand wringing regarding Wilson being tagged.
I have repeatedly contended that getting this deal done earlier rather than later was in both sides’ interest, but for some reason it took Wilson giving the team an early deadline to make the FO feel some urgency.
Glad it’s done and we can get back to debating the merits of a run as primary strategy.
A no trade clause makes me nervous…
It shouldn’t.
We have RW under club control for the next 7 seasons (5 year contract + 2 TAG years at reasonable cost). It is as good as it gets for a 30 year old franchise QB entering his prime years.
Why?
All this does is prevent the Seahawks trading Wilson (which they won’t do anyway) without his clearance.
They can’t trade him to, for example, the Bengals and force him to play for them until 2023.
It’s a minor thing, something the team can easily add to the contract if asked for.
I’m nervous mostly because of the cap implications and inability to get out of this contract. It will remain to be seen if the Hawks can compete for a championship with so much tied into their QB. History has shown in the salary cap era that the teams that win championships have either a young cheap QB, a great defensive unit, or a veteran at a point where they’re taking pay cuts to help the team bring in talent. We are none of those right now.
Exactly. Welcome to the procession of 10-6, 9-7 records…. Or worse if Russ gets injured. At least we got a great player, even if the cost was so high. Could be worse, plenty of teams give too much money to bad players.
If RW gets hurt, Seahawks will take a dive into the early end of each round of the draft. Once RW recovers from injury, you have him and higher end talent.
Worrying is overrated.
And this ‘history’ is based on such a small sample size as to be essentially meaningless.
Salary Cap Era started in 1994, so 25 years now. I’d say it’s a good sample size.
Rob has covered this extensively. I have no idea why this narrative continues to get pushed. The sample size is small, and half of it is skewed by one team / one QB – the Patriots and Tom Brady. The era of mega contracts is still relatively young, and going forward every successful team is going to have a franchise QB on a rookie deal or a franchise QB making top dollar. Given what it takes to get a competent QB on a rookie deal (1. likely sitting through a last place season to get a pick high enough to secure that player, 2. actually being able to secure said player and not one of the many MANY QBs who end up as busts) I will take my chances with paying a guy who we already know is a top 5 QB in the league.
On top of that, in either scenario you have to draft well or you aren’t going to be successful. I would rather have the pressure to draft well with a top 5 QB on my roster than have the pressure of drafting well without one.
This entire notion that the only way to win a SB is to have a cheap QB or have your franchise QB take a below market deal is 100% contrived.
they would never trade him anyhow…it’s a moot point. they would have to eat all of his guaranteed money still. that part doesn’t trade. so they’d still be on the hook for a big bill if they traded him. So it’ll never happen
Imagine thinking this way
Well. . . Russ isn’t going anywhere. He’s not done building his legacy in the PNW. He will retire a Hawk in another 10yrs from now, if football last that long.
Now that it’s all said and done I’m glad Russell set the deadline in April. Can you imagine if this was going down right before training camp? I have no idea whether they feel they can pay the 3 left of the big 4. I have my suspicions that Clark won’t be the odd man out pass rush is just to valuable. They might look to draft Reed’s replacement this year if they decide to let him go. Jeffrey Simmons could be the target. I can’t wait till next years 11 picks.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. And I couldn’t be happier that I was. The key was RW wanting to stay in Seattle. Congrats all around.
Back on April 2, 2019, I laid out a contract that I thought made sense for both sides:
“4 years, 142.4 million, 35.6 APY, 60m signing bonus, 105m total guaranteed would be where I think the two sides could meet to suit all parties.
For Wilson, this deal would make him the highest paid QB in all established metrics:
Total money? Exceeds Andrew Luck’s 6yr/139m contract.
APY? Exceeds Aaron Rodgers.
Percentage of the Cap? Exceeds Aaron Rodgers by .01%.
Signing Bonus? Exceeds Aaron Rodgers’ 57.5m.
Fully Guaranteed Money? Exceeds Matt Ryan’s 100m.”
It seems like the Seahawks signed him to pretty much that deal.
Russell signed: 4 years, 140m, 35m APY, 65m signing bonus, 107m total guaranteed.
The only thing that Russell didn’t beat Rodgers (or any other QB) on was percentage of the cap: Rodgers got 18.9%, Wilson got 18.5%.
Glad this deal got done.
Well done.
In the end, it basically adds up to about what he would have made over the next 4 years on the tags, even a little cheaper, and then just apply the usual Seattle contract structure.
2019- $25.28
2020- $30.3
2021- $36.36
2022- $52.43
4yrs/$144.37m = $36.09 apy
The deal is 4 more years so we have him from 2020 to 2023 as he already is under contract for 2019. This certainly reduces the average as you cannot include 2019 in your calculations as he is under contract and the salary for 2023 would be way higher than 25.28 as you have assumed only 3 years of tags.
In any event it is a lot money but in a couple years given the rising cap will be considered a bargain. Having Russell under contract also effectively gives club control via the franchise tag (assuming it is still there under a new collective agreement) for 2 or 3 years after 2023. I am sure glad this is done and we can move on to draft and look forward to contracts with Wagner, Clark, and Reed. I think this Seahawk management team will sign all of these core players long term.
As a side benefit to the contract does anyone think that tying up Wilson will entice Pete Carroll to stay in coaching longer. I believe that the coach and quaterback are the most important components of a SB team ala the Patriots and that the Seahawks will always be a contender as long as Wilson is healthy and Carroll the coach
The would not approve a % of the cap anyway. Moot conversation.
The awesome part of this deal 5 more years of Wilson’s amazing play on the field.
The worrisome part of this deal is how do you build a SB roster around him now.
The dreadful part of this deal is 5 more years of creepy / corny Russel Wilson + Ciera social media. Just have to turn block that part out I guess.
Has there ever been a more weird or creepy contract announcement from a player than lying in bed with his wife? Really
Right? Just a bit awkward.
All the world’s a stage…
Russ is the king of being awkward on social media.
Delivered in Russ’s new patois, no less…
Whatever, I want him on my team at the right price, and this was fine, all things considered.
You BUILD AROUND WITH CHEAP DRAFT TALENT!!!
Really hope they can get a Clark deal done now. If they can lock up him and Wags this off season then at least they have a foundation going forward to try and draft / build around for the next 5 years.
I think Clark gets traded and Wagner reaches free agency. Out of respect, I don’t think JS/PC will franchise Wagner, but allow him to shop his services (a lá Wright, Thomas, etc.), then decide to match or not. He’s earned it.
I get the impression they want to lock up Wagz before the season, based on Pete’s comments about keeping KJ.
Interested to know what Wagner would want. I understand Mosley got $17 but hes also 26. Wagner will be 30 the start of the 2020 season and Im pretty sure the Seahawks wont go near that high.
BW could want very close to that – he’s been 1st team all pro for years and has only missed 1 or 2 tackles the last couple seasons. Mosley may be younger, but he’s a step down as far as talent. BW has almost 1000 tackles in 7 seasons and has seemed to be playing his best the last 2-3 years, all 1st team all-pro, 4 of the last 5. Mosley has just under 600 tackles in his 5 years, and is only 2 years younger than BW. Hopefully Wagner will compromise and not need to be the highest paid at his position like ET and other players have wanted, possibly giving a hometown discount since they re-signed KJ.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WagnBo00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MoslC.00.htm
Glad to be wrong. I didn’t think JS/PC would be able to work with Mark Rogers.
Also glad to be wrong. I really did not think a compromise was going to happen here–serves me right for getting sucked into the posturing around the negotiations!
Now it is up to JS/PC to build the team up around Russ to give it the best chance to win. A happy Russ is a good start.
Anyone seen anything with regards to the cap hit each year for the new deal?
I have not but can take a guess. I think i heard is base salary this year is $5 million. If we split his $65 million signing bonus by five you get $13 million. Then add his previous signing bonus from the last contract and you get something like this for 2019.
New signing bonus pro…$13million
Old signing bonus pro…$6.2 million
restructure…$2.086 million
base salary…$5 million
Total…$26.286
Old Total…$25.286
Something like that for 2019.
Looks like his base salary is $18 million in 2020 and $19 million in 2021
Potential cap hits beyind 2019
2020…$31 million
2021…$32 million
Well let’s hope we can get to the big dance again with paying this much for one player. There really is nothing in the NFL like watching Russ at QB. Nobody deserves more except Brady.
I’m just glad Rob can get back to writing articles about the draft.
Go Hawks
You would love to really know what both sides wanted? Seems like we all knew what the final numbers would be so why not just go there from the beginning? I understand it is a negotiation and that is unrealistic but this happens all the time. We want this, they want that, lets just meet in the middle…done.
Two words: Mark Rodgers.
Ot any agent for that matter.
I went to bed last night thinking IF something happened overnight there might be a few comments in the morning. Haha. Gotta love all you Seahawks crazy fans like me.
Wonderful news. I really thought a lot about Russ’ character a lot through this saga. Does he want to go? Will he let his agent go for blood and put a wedge between him and the team? What is with all the media games? I’m glad to see that he is the same guy he has always been. Genuine, dependable, and a little dull… doesn’t he know we love drama on this team. Nice win for management too as the didn’t break their contract structure as well. Huge tool for them in future negotiations. Kudos to both sides on a sensible and fair deal for all. Breathe easy now and focus on the draft!!
What wonderful news to wake up to! And now we get to focus on the draft again. Glorious.
Why couldn’t you before?
booo…
My exact sentiments had Seattle drafted a QB from this class and placed their best on him being the guy for the foreseeable future.
* bets
Not their fault if RW had forced them into that situation.
Glad it’s all over.
Not glad about Clark.
Lets Get her Done!!! Good news for fans, Wilson is staying.
I never really though that Wilson would want to play on a franchise tag. He would have made less money the first two tags, and wouldn’t have an injury guarantee past that year.
This contract makes much more sense for Wilson and it provides continuity for the team.
Wilson was very prepared to play on the tag.
We can all be happy both sides found common ground.
I’m happy it’s over and we can get back to focusing on the draft.
This draft is so open ended for the Hawks. Rob, if the Hawks take a Defensive lineman/edge rusher with their second pick (whatever compensation they get from trading down), who do you think it will be? Who are the Hawks showing interest in?
I think there are multiple options — and I will focus on those now with the Wilson situation resolved.
It’s a bit bitter sweet as far a victory’s go. He’s a great fit for the team on the field, and the contract doesn’t seem ridiculous in any way considering what the free market has deemed the value of a franchise QB is, really happy they managed to tie up 5 years instead of three giving the potential of this contract being a deal after the new CBA. It’s going to be Damb tough to build a Super Bowl rooster around this contract for the next couple years, and really hope we manage to somehow keep Clark, Wagner, and Reed still. I’ll always love the fact that the salary cap adds parity to the league but watching your home grown talent leave year after year because you are willing to invest in coaching and training them so they can get paid elsewhere isn’t awesome for us fans. First and foremost I’d like to kick Wilson agent in the junk hahahaha, anyone else could have gotten him the same deal without creating such drama, and secondly thank goodness this is over and we finally get to address the draft with some ideas of what team needs are. If we only get to keep 2 out of the three Clark, Reed, and Wagner I’d say Clark would be my odd man out meaning our first draft pick almost certainly has to be an edge rusher now. Age would make you question whether it’s possibly a Wagner replacement that we should be looking for, but Reed is in my eyes the one guy you can’t let leave.
It’s not bitter sweet. It is as sweet as sweet can get. We just extended a top 5 QB through 2023. It is damn tough to field a super bowl roster in any situation. Gets a whole lot tougher if you have a mediocre (or worse) quarterback. Great teams are built through the draft – extending Russ doesn’t change that, it just makes it easier.
Mike Salk/Jake Heap were talking about Bobby Wagner this morning. Heap mentioned 18mil per season. Let me be the first to that I love Bobby Wagner. Bobby Wagner is a totally Class Act. But I just don’t see John Schneider and Pete Carroll giving Bobby Wagner an 18 mil per season deal. Just because the Jets were desparate to give Moseley 17.5 mil per season that doesn’t mean that John Schneider is going to break the bank for Bobby Wagner. Bobby Wagner is the QB of the defense. I don’t see the Seahawks paying Wagner 18mil per.
John Schneider knows the market value of these players better than anymore. In my opinion if you are ever going to sit down at the poker table and John Schneider joins the game. You better walk away. No one plays poker better than John Schneider. John Schneider will clean your clock.
They can franchise Bobby now in 2020 at a cheaper cost.
Just heard on John Clayton. He said that Bobby Wagner salary should be in the 14-15mil range.
They will likely let Wagner test FA just like KJ. As a vet, I don’t think they will tag him. He will most likely sign after checking what his market will be.
That could be a dangerous game to play with Wagner. Not sure that is one I would want to play.
I wouldn’t want to give more than 3/36M or 2/25M. I think he would want more. He will be 30 in the first year of his contract, so it makes no sense to give him 15-17M.
The tag for LB this year is 15M, next year will be even more. That’s too much for 30 yr old LB.
I know Wagner is a key leader on this D but IIRC, Kendricks can play inside or outside backer. Could be a bit of leverage…?
I hope it ultimately works out at a reasonable $$ for the face of the D but if you’re talking about who you’d be willing to give up between Wagner, Reed, and Clark I’d say pass rushers are tougher to find and in particularly short supply right now in Seattle
They will be able to afford to keep all three if they so desire…
This isn’t New York. That’s what I was told by Colin Cowherd. I also thought Seattle thought RW didn’t wanna play here? Huh. So your telling me that most of the ‘rumors’ this time of year are all BS? Who would’ve thunk?
Never thought I’d see the day that this would not only work for ‘dirt sheets’ in wrestling, but also apply to NFL media and their ‘sources.’
https://mobile.twitter.com/JackCrosby1423/status/1117134394060414976
Sun Tzu: All warfare is based on deception
Maybe there was no trade market for Wilson.
I don’t think we can conclude anything regarding the validity of the rumors based on Wilson signing an extension.
Who’s to say any of the rumors were true or not? Just because he signed and he and his agent say they wanted to stay? That has no more value than the rumors. I think what happened proves it wasn’t BS. He set a deadline, and a deal got done on that deadline.
As what Rob was saying, both Russ and the Seahawks used the media to leverage negotiations. That’s just how it works.
Teams have go to reporters to spread their agenda and players also have go to reporters. It’s the nature of the beast.
I don’t recall Aaron Rodgers needing to go to the media last time he wanted the NFL’s highest contract.
Nobody has to go to reporters. Look at how the Seahawks get deals done with other agents. IMO Mark Rodgers is the only one who feels he needs to go to the media to make a name for himself.
On to Frank Clark. The Seahawks, more specifically Pete Carrol, have been pretty vocal about the people they intend to keep. Pete has commented on Bennet, Kam and now Russ being hawks for a long time. He named dropped Bobby and Frank too. Notable names he did not name long term in the past were Earl and Sherm. I don’t think the trade Frank. He has got too much talent and I think another level in him too. I think something gets done by his deadline as well. Same with Bobby. The odd man out, if any, is Reed. I think his performance this year will be big for both sides. If he drops to 4 sacks and less disruption maybe that increases the likely hood of a discount. But if he hits 8-10 sacks again he is gone to the highest bidder. They will hedge him with someone like Trystan Hill and give Poona snaps to develop.
I remember Pete absolutely talking about how Earl Thomas was going to be a Hawk for a long-time. Then they made him the highest paid safety in the NFL when he got his extension.
Not the second time around. He got the “we will see” treatment.
You’re right. But he never specified that – he just mentioned ET “never” got that treatment (and he did).
Nice. We get Simmons in Jeremiah’s new mock. (of course, in the real world, we will trade down first, but still)
I also liked the idea of Chris Lindstrom to the Raiders at 27. Mayock BC connection and all as well as team need makes sense.
The Clemson guys fall a bit far, as usual though.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001026563/article/daniel-jeremiah-2019-nfl-mock-draft-30-drew-lock-to-packers
As much as I rate Simmons as a player, I just can’t imagine the Seahawks drafting a player who won’t play in 2019.
I understand the Seahawks’ precedent and accept that it gives legitimate cause for doubt, but I’m also not sure that any of the medical redshirt guys that created that precedent were top-10 talents at a position of need.
That said, he very well could play in 2019 IMO.
ACL full recovery is right around 9 months. Players are usually cleared to resume running and cutting at 6 months.
His injury was February 12th. That means that, barring unforeseen setbacks, he should be back practicing in full at the very latest by mid November (and getting back into shape well before then). He could realistically play December and playoff football for us this year, and we get by with Poona and Meder or whoever until then.
Not saying it’s likely or even probable that they target him, and certainly there could be more info on the extent of the injury than we know, but I certainly don’t want to rule it out.
(Also, in case anyone missed it: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1115592323067412481)
I really like Simmons and appreciate people’s excitement about a player being available that otherwise wouldn’t be.
But the Seahawks just paid their QB major money and they have to box clever in the draft. Wasting a year of good, cheap club control isn’t wise.
With the assumed draft capital next year (11 picks?!), is there any thoughts to the idea that they may use some of those picks to move around this year? I know they will trade down from 21, but using maybe a 3rd from next year as capital to get two picks in round 2 in some way would make a Simmons pick more palatable for me.
It has been discussed ad nauseam here. You lose a round of value to make the trade, so it would cost a second next year to get a third this year.
The only way I could see them sacrificing next years mother load is if they cant find any trade down options this year, which seems unlikely to me.
JS was on the radio loving his 11 picks next year.
I was thinking of something more complex than strictly 1st next for a 2nd this year… Maybe trade down from 21 to 30 gaining a 4th in the process. Then taking the 30 and a 3rd from next year to package for 2 seconds this year… something of that nature. It would turn our 21 and a 3rd next year, into 2 seconds and a 4th this year
Yeah, it is something I considered, especially since they always feel they can trade down to recover picks, but I just think JS wants next years haul
I just get the feeling that Tysten Hill DT UCF with that incredible combine is a serious contender for a draft and get guy. Everyone will say they reach to get such a troubled player. I think he would be a steal here.
Im of the Firm belief that we can snag 1 Edge 2 DT 1 WR.
Dream list is
Simmons
Hill
Mclaurin
John Chominsky/nelson
If they could somehow get those 4 I would do backflips.
Drafting the positions is not he issue. Getting players of value and available when we pick is.
Thank God in more ways than one. This contract signing was a win for everybody and I mean everyone. Its a win for JS/PC program who drafted him. Its a win for the fans to know that by the time he’s done here he will be the greatest Seahawk QB in history. Russel will also benefit staying on a winning team. Seattle will continue to be talked about in the media markets. I can’t find anything wrong with this signing. Who are the 4 most important people on the Seahawks? Well I’d say John, Pete, Russel, and Bobby. They brought back K.J. Wright and I think that helps us to get Bobby Done going forward. Then we will just have to see to Clark and Reed if its possible.
I truly believe that Russel Wilson and Bobby Wagner are the 2 guys that bought into Pete’s program from the very beginning and they still believe its works. Its raining here but Sunny in Seattle today.
Mad: Agreed. Russell Wilson/Bobby Wagner bought into Pete’s program. They are both TOTAL CLASS ACTS.
That was fun.
😂
Where’s that one MEME when we needed it?
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/401/347/312.jpg
“Is it time for Seattle to move on from Frank Clark?”
Nice.
Wow. That’s such great foresight from PCJS.
FWIW I had some interaction with Joel Corry on twitter about some Seahawks cap stuff and he laid into me pretty good about Spotrac. Be careful with that site because there info can be suspect Im told…lol
OTC is the superior site. I think Spotrac sometimes just copies and pastes stuff from them, lol
That was you? Lol.
Dang, hate to hear it, because I think Spotrac has much prettier formats, which matters when all you are looking at on the site are tables.
APY of $31.5 over the next five years is way cheaper than I expected Russ to settle for. Kudos to Schneider and Russ. I take back my A-Rod comparison/insult. MaHomes will get more and in three years this will seem like a bargain. It’ll be interesting to see what LA does with Goff.
After Amazon pays for streaming rights and legalized gambling is embraced by the league this will be dirt cheap. Dudes will be getting $50mil/year soon.
I haven’t seen anything that indicated the NFL was thinking of “embracing” legalized gambling. There has been speculation that if legalized sports gambling spread to all of the states..that might increase viewership and that might increase broadcast rights fees…that’s a lot of “if’s” and “mights”. I personally think it would turn a lot of casual fans off..
1. Lol, no. Illegal gambling is a $150,000,000,000 a year industry. Making it legal and easy is only going to increase that number.
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackjones/2019/01/04/nfl-inks-first-casino-sponsorship-with-caesers-hinting-to-shifting-stance-on-sports-betting/#2352c3343918
3. https://www.thelines.com/gambling-partnerships-stadium-experience/
4. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/nevada-plans-offer-mobile-betting-raiders-stadium/story?id=47558196
And so on and so on. Heck, listen to the Around the NFL podcast where the hosts confidently predict that the NFL will go hard for gambling.
I would like to point out another Seahawk “gain” from the RW deal.
The Seahawks with their 4 picks in the draft don’t NEED to spend a day-1 draft pick on a QB like Grier now. That day-1 pick can now be used on a position of real need and that is a BIG +. In the event that Grier falls in the draft to say round 3 or 4, then he could be a viable B/U QB pick – as an option to consider, if they like him.
IMO-They will likely wait and sign an obscure developmental QB as an UDFA due to the lack of draft capital this year. Next year could be a better time to consider actually drafting a QB (unless they really love Grier, who would have to fall into late day-2 or early day-3 to make him a real option).
I have probably followed the Seahawks the least this off-season than I can remember and part of it had to do with how sickening all this talk was… so thankful it’s over and we can move on to the draft.
I’ll drink to that
At least I can ignore it (or try to) while you’ve got a successful blog to run. Kudos to you for keeping sane during all of the “he’s a selfish jerk” or “he’s arrogant and I don’t like him anymore” vs. “keep him no matter what” or “pay the man!” talk.
Can’t wait for the draft… I’m thinking their priority going into the draft is…
1. DT
2. WR
3. EDGE
Right now – the “depth” is brutal at DT after Reed and Ford. Reed played in about 78% of the snaps last year and that means there are important snaps to be had from a back-up there and Ford won’t play that many so there is plenty of room for a good DT to be added and potentially even play more snaps than Ford in whatever rotation they use (based on the skill set of this rookie, too).
I haven’t paid any attention to DTs who may be June 1 or later additions (who could become available after the draft – depending on how teams draft) but our Tony McDaniel/Kevin Williams veteran DT could still be out there somewhere. And who won’t count against all the picks they have coming to them next year. I have a hard time seeing them going into 2019 with Ford penciled in as a starter and no depth. It’s not going to happen, as we know. Just curious to see what they’re going to do.
+1000….let’s get Clark done next …by deadline 🤞🤞🤞.
Just a thought experiment: I wonder if Jarran Reed’s 2020 FA market will be diminished by the incredibly robust 2019 DL draft class. If there is something like 8-10 DT’s and another 8-10 DE/EDGE type guys selected in the first couple rounds, and they show promise, would that limit the number of teams with DL needs and thus limit his market. Aided by a number of the Ansah’s and Suh’s who might be forced to take 1 year deals this year and re-enter the 2020 market.
That’s assuming he doesn’t have a spectacular 2019. I would think a fantastic year would propel him to a place where he is market-proof.
I would prioritize Clark before Reed because a great Edge is harder to find.
Sign Clark, extend Bobby, replace Reed with one of Clemson’s DT, and just maybe we can get a early 3rd for Reed since his salary is still fairly cheap.
However, if Reed is will to accept a reasonable extension say 10 mils per, then I still think our first pick is going to be Paris Campbell.
I think every team is looking for a DT than can also rush the QB. If Reed puts up similar numbers next year he will be making some serious money.
Rob, thank you for all you do. I think we need a podcast or a Google hang out or something. I think it will be cathartic for everybody…
I’d love to do a podcast right now. Pumped to do one. So much to discuss.
I read a post here stating ” Given the increased salary cap every year, by 2023 Wilsons salary will be a bargain” Not so sure I agree. This is predicated upon fan base and revenues continuing grow at a good pace, not so sure that is going to happen.
Even if there is a decline, the NFL is still by far the most profitable thing doing in television and sports in America.
Besides, I think the predictions of revenue increase are based on streaming rights selling and legalized gambling.
I know the Hawks have never taken a guy they would have to red shirt because of injury but Jeffery Simmons is really impressive and a top 5 talent. They have to at least be mildly interested to bring him in for a visit. Probably just background work for down the road but I really would be pumped about the pick if they went against their norms.
Wouldn’t he be the ultimate hedge if you can’t resign Jarren Reed?
But in a loaded class for DL you can find a hedge who can actually be part of the 2019 rotation.
With Dissly and Fant on the roster as amazing blocking TE I would love to the Hawks add a vertical threat at TE like Noah Fant or Knox from Miss.
Dissly will miss at least the start of next year and Fant isn’t a TE, just a 6th OL, regardless of what they call him. Not a threat to catch a pass and do anything with it. Our TE depth is deceptively thin.
I beg to differ.
Fant is very large and threatening and additionally, he did catch a pass!! 😉
updated mock draft, Rob? …feed us!!
Tomorrow
Here is my take on Frank Clark. If we sign him. Great
If we trade Frank Clark. Great
What I don’t want to do is: Have him play under the franchise tag. Then become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. And then Seattle settles for a 3rd round comp pic in 2021.
Either of the first two options is great. Either sign Clark to a long-term deal. Or trade him. I just am tired of the Seahawks losing their good players and get very little in return.
Everyone is tired of that.
But you can’t magic up a great trade offer. So if the trade offers aren’t there and they don’t feel comfortable paying him a huge new extension, they have to play out 2019.
Playing on the tag worked out pretty well for the Cowboys and Demarcus Lawrence. Plenty of time to sign a new contract, it’s not “Sign him right now or let him walk” by any means.
If Ansah or Suh sign after May 7th, I don’t believe they’ll count against the comp pick formula….
Suh — couldn’t even be bothered during the last regular season
Ansah — there’s a reason he’s still unsigned
This is a new, young, hungry team being built through the draft.
“Why hasn’t pass-rusher Ziggy Ansah signed yet? His agent said teams wanted more info about his surgically repaired shoulder. The plan is to wait until his 4-month appointment in mid-April to help determine his readiness. After the initial FA push, there’s no rush to sign now,” Rapoport tweeted.
If teams like the Colts are building through the draft and signing vets like Justin Houston, why can’t the Seahawks sign Ansah if his shoulder checks out after May 7th? Especially if they trade Clark.
They can sign him.
But people get excited about Ansah because he’s a ‘name’. And it’s important to know why he’s still out there. Injuries and major question marks about how much he actually wants to carry on playing football at a top level.
The Seahawks don’t need someone either injured or not pulling their weight. Same with Suh.