Former Panthers’ TE Greg Olsen is signing a one-year, $7 million deal that includes $5.5M gtd with the Seahawks, per source. Olsen visited and negotiated with Buffalo, Seattle and Washington but felt most comfortable with the Seahawks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2020
An off-season is like a puzzle. You need to piece everything together — it’s just a case of working out how you’re going to do it.
Every team has needs. They also have a set amount of cap space, some draft picks and an existing roster. The teams who succeed generally identify the best ways to find impact and fill as many holes as possible using all the resources at their disposal.
The Seahawks have a lot to do this off-season. Gratefully they also have the means to get a lot done. There’s $50m in cap space (and realistic ways to create more). They have three picks in the first two rounds of the draft and plenty more to follow.
Signing Greg Olsen is the first move of a vital few weeks ahead. There’s equally a lot of logic to the signing and one significant question mark.
Why the move makes sense
The 2020 draft is not a good class for tight ends. It’s possible we won’t see any taken in the top-50. There are some intriguing players, such as Hunter Bryant and Cole Kmet. This isn’t like last year though where the depth is quite thick throughout and you can find highly athletic TE’s on each of the three days.
For that reason, the Seahawks — who needed to add a tight end — were almost always going to turn to the veteran market. Reportedly they looked at potential trades before the 2019 deadline once Will Dissly had been lost for the season. Nothing materialised. The Bengals seemingly weren’t even willing to deal often-injured pending free agent Tyler Eifert during a lost season.
Has anything changed? Presumably they’ve asked. Teams are already talking, as we learnt from yesterday’s report regarding Darius Slay and possible trade activity. We’ll have to wait and see what happens but it’s possible the likes of O.J. Howard and David Njoku simply aren’t available — at least for a realistic price.
Free agency was going to provide some options. Hunter Henry has suffered injuries but is talented. Austin Hooper is set to leave the Falcons due to their tight cap situation. Eric Ebron is also reaching the market as is Eifert.
You’d think the Chargers would use the franchise or transition tag on Henry but we’ll see. Ebron, aside from one good season with Andrew Luck, has had a disappointing career. Eifert just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Hooper seemed like the best option because of his consistency, blocking, short shuttle (valued by Seattle), availability and age (26).
The problem is he was going to be expensive. He could end up being the highest paid tight end in the league next month, with a salary topping $10m a year. If George Kittle signs an extension before free agency, the price could sky-rocket. It would also be a long term commitment, stretching four or five years.
The Seahawks need a tight end but it’s not their greatest issue. That rests with the defensive line. Any potential saving is encouraging, especially if you can find a short term solution.
For example, let’s say they agree a new deal with Jadeveon Clowney worth anywhere between $20-24m a year. In order to get as much done as possible in 2020, they’ll probably look to limit his year-one cap hit. Kansas City did the same with Frank Clark. His cap hit in 2019 was $6.5m. Khalil Mack in Chicago had a cap hit of $13.8M and $11.9M in his first two years with the Bears.
This becomes more of a problem if you’re structuring deals like this with multiple players. Signing Clowney and Hooper to long term big contracts would potentially put them in cap trouble 2-3 years down the line — as we’re seeing with Minnesota, Atlanta and Chicago currently.
A one-year deal for a veteran is ideal. There’s no commitment beyond 2020.
Greg Olsen fits perfectly for this off-season scenario.
Now they can sign Clowney and structure his deal however they want. They can be creative with other additions. Yes — a $7m salary isn’t cheap for a 34-year-old with a recent history of injuries. But it provides them with a proven target this year and allows them to let Dissly recover and then prove he is the future for Seattle at tight end. Signing Austin Hooper would make him the future and leave Dissly on the periphery.
Olsen had 597 yards in 14 games in 2019. It’s unrealistic to expect fantastic, mega production from him at this stage in his career. All they’ve done, really, is upgrade Olsen for Ed Dickson at a cost of about $4m (they’ll save $3m when they cut Dickson). When you put it like that — and with the opportunity it provides Dissly to stake a claim in 2020 — there’s real logic behind this addition.
Why the move carries a question mark
Injuries. Olsen has missed 18 games in the last three seasons. Dissly, sadly, is in a position now where he has to prove he can stay healthy. Now they’ve acquired a player, at some cost, who also has a recent history of missing games.
A number of teams need tight end help and they’re all staring at a thin draft class at the position. Yet only three teams officially visited with Olsen. The Redskins — coached by Ron Rivera who is tight with Olsen through Carolina. The Bills — coached by Sean McDermott who is tight with Olsen through Carolina. And the Seahawks.
Seattle was the only team with no previous connection to Olsen to show interest. The Patriots? Nowhere to be found. Ditto several others who really needed a TE.
That doesn’t mean he didn’t hold talks or even receive offers. The small market (and one defined by previous relationships) isn’t encouraging though to any outside observer.
The success or failure of this addition however will purely be down to availability. If he stays healthy, he will contribute. He’s a quality player. If he misses serious game time — the Seahawks will be open to criticism.
Ultimately though, as noted above, they had to make a call. It’s encouraging that they actually fought off competition from Rivera in particular — who Olsen has tremendous respect for. That shows he wants to contend and that the Seahawks were appealing (which isn’t a surprise given the teams’ unique culture and the quarterback throwing the football). That’s a good sign heading into a month where they’re going to need to convince several other players to join the movement.
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Wow, that’s a disappointingly high contract for a guy that frankly seems washed up. This feels like the tight end version of Luke Joeckel. Hopefully they saw something.
Disagree. 52-597-2 in 14 games with Kyle Allen throwing him the ball. He was the #11 TE in receptions and yards and his 2 games missed were due concussion protocol at the end of the season, not due to his foot issue.
The only people better than that last year on the Seahawks are named Lockett and Metcalf. He should come in and immediately be the 3rd best receiving option, Dissly’s health pending.
Great player, hope he can be great next year too. Surprised at the cost. Not surprised the seahawks went after him. Hope him and dissly can be healthy all year. Bye bye dickson.
Lets go!! Expensive but much cheaper than Hooper or Henry. On that note- Hooper & Henry had big risks to them. PFF stats had a lot stats showing that Hooper was poor on 1 on 1 coverage (most yards based on zone openings).
Hopefully Greg can show Hollister and Dissly the ropes now. If Dissly can be healthy next year and perform like he was before he got hurt then he can be hawks future TE.
I always use the example of Frank Gore turning an injury plagued youth into a career as one of the most durable players in the league. Can anyone else think of another example or two? I really need a little extra hope to get me through this latest Dissly injury.
I think just Dissly himself. Already overcame one serious injury and came back stronger, so he can do it again.
I like the move. I think Olsen-Dissly as 1A/1B is perfectly fine. Hollister as your 3rd option is really quite good. Not sure what the Cap Hit will be, but Olsen is a total pro and we are not hoping for him to be anything other than what he has been. He is coming from a run-first team and is as reliable as it gets.
Not a sexy move, but a winning one, IMO.
I think it is a good signing I take 2 million off the top because that’s how much they will save by cutting Dickson. I always thought that Greg Olsen played really good games against Seattle . Third down catches for First down it seemed that way.i like it.
I see this as a good circumstantial fit.
1-they can nail down a need before the trade/FA market goes bananas
2-Olsen at the very least can be a safety valve and a body to block in the run game. With Lockett, DK, Dissly, there’s already too many guys to cover.
3-He can handle any fastball RW throws at him
4-If you want to call a Dickson cut a corresponding move, it doesn’t cost as much as it appears
5-A nod towards RW’s ask for more weapons
Agreed Cha, this was my reaction as well. Nice to check TE off the list. I’m going to assume they original round tender Hollister too.
Question mark for me though still on whether they draft a TE still. Reliability of Dissly and Olsen seem suspect and perhaps require the team to carry 4 TEs. Could sign Willson again or draft one. Likely the former.
Regarding the draft, I think we can safely scratch the first 4 rounds off the board for TE.
Indeed. Even if reliability isn’t an issue with Olsen, “longevity” here IS an issue. He’s here for one year and possibly 1-2 more. Drafting a TE would be prudent in our situation. But obviously not if it’s a lousy year for TEs. Our host thinks it’s a weak crop, and I’ll take his word for it.
Let’s put it this way —- if Dissly goes a third year without staying healthy, look at the FA options in 12 months.
We definitely needed a TE and I thought Olsen could potentially be a good addition but not for 7 mil. That said, maybe there’s potential. A healthy Greg Olsen and Will Dissley sounds like a decent tight end duo.
Its 5.5 guaranteed, which is a little more reasonable.
Just depends if he can stay on the field. TEs have historically been able to be effective late in their careers.
And don’t forget they save 3 by cutting Dickson.
Exactly Lewis. That savings factored in make this a solid signing and good start to FA
Thing is, if we ‘only’ have to pay him 5.5….it means he was basically worthless for us. I hope he’s getting the full 7 or it will be a bad signing.
I like the move. If Dissly and Olsen can stay healthy (big question) they would be an awesome 1-2 punch. Then draft a rookie to develop and probably keep some insurance like Hollister o Willson.
I think this move was definitely instigated by Russ.
That price is reasonable to me, assuming Hooper/Henry get ~$12m. Perfect move IMO.
What is Olsen’s injury status at this point? Is he 100%, 80%, 60%? What should we expect from him?
He played 14 games last year. He missed about half the season both years prior to that. He is not a Pro-Bowler anymore but he has good hands and knows how to get open. He will be more of a first down threat than a chunk play threat. But a reliable third-down option is a good thing for Russ.
From the film I’ve seen, he’s not a big after the catch guy. Dissly is already better in that area, when he’s not hurt. But Olsen finds the gaps, has good hands, is clutch and is a decent blocker from what I’ve read. So, especially if we cut Dickson, the net result is pretty good, all in all.
Not sure he can make it through the season healthy. If he can, it’s probably a good signing. Recent history is working against him, however.
Classic Seahawks move to address a need before the draft.
As a player, Olsen is still a capable receiver and will help get first downs. He is not a strong blocker. But he is a legit starter if Dissly isn’t ready to go. He’ll replace Willson on the roster and move ahead of Hollister on the depth chart. Heck, they might even move on from Hollister now or at least not feel the need to offer a high dollar RFA tender.
I was thinking that too. Hollister isn’t going to get much of a tender.
A potentially good get! It all depends on availability. But assuming he plays most games, he should be a valuable weapon. Especially since the TE draft class is not very good, we likely had to address TE in free agency. Now we have a solid addition and some extra money to spend on defense. Will be interested to see who they target as Wilson’s third wr.
It begins. TE: Check. Blocks, produces, buddy with Russ. Works well in power formation. Looking forward to seeing him and Dissley on the field at the same time. Run/pass pressure on the defense.
Great red zone option.
Sign or trade for some defensive linemen and pick a winner wideout in the draft.
They needed a TE2 with the lack of depth and injury history. Dissly and Olsen should be good in Base sets. Improved hedge on Dissly getting injured.
WR3 can now be selected in Round 1 or 2.
They still need a RT. A player like Ifedi may be around 14M. The positional value of a RT is high. There are not going to be 32 starting caliber RTs. Almost no teams like their RT. But would be difficult to win without one.
What I like about this signing is it does upgrade there TE situation over last year and given the strength of the draft, WR should also improve. Still money to sign a RT without overspending on an already very strong offence.
If Clowney is resigned, still need at least two additional impact players on the DL. Doesn’t sound like this will be from a player drafted this year (although trade of a draft pick an option).
I like how we’ve gone from Seahawks fans endlessly complaining about Ifedi to now needing a player of his ilk otherwise ‘it’ll be hard to win’.
They will get it sorted at right tackle. Either they retain a guy, they sign a guy or the draft provides a lot of options. I’m not worried there. I highly doubt that’s were the big resource is going though. They know the defense held them back in 2019 and that’s where the money will go.
I don’t necessarily mean that they need to resign Ifedi, but whatever they do will be unlikely to be cheap. Would they start a R3+ Rookie or get a FA for under 10 that they think can start? I do think that it is a reasonable consideration.
What I really wanted to highlight is Olsen seems to allow there options to be more open than if they would have signed someone like Hooper and likely a better use of resources, wherever they choose to spend that.
Maybe because all Seahawk fans aren’t one person. Most seem to not like him as a player, others see him as an average RT.
Fant looked decent when he played, didn’t he? Especially for someone without much play recently. I’d like to give him a shot to play more. Certainly hope they keep him one way or the other.
The two positives about Ifedi were that he didn’t miss games, and he wa relatively cheap. He’s probably got zero chance of being cheap anymore. For that reason, it’s time to move on. If Fant comes at half the price or maybe less, you retain him. Fant, I felt, was excellent in pass protection late in the season. Run blocking is still a question mark, but he’s athletic and can be a solid starter. They can draft a kid early and have them compete. If the rookie doesn’t start right away, he can be the heir apparent. The bottom line is Ifedi doesn’t hold the same value at north of 12 million per year.
In regards to Olsen, I LOVE the player if he’s healthy. He’s so damn good at finding the hole in the zone and his hands are really good. He’s a solid blocker as well. This move doesn’t prohibit making bigger moves when you release Ed Dickson. The contract is guaranteed for 5.5, the the rest is most likely incentives-based. If he reaches those, we are going to be very happy. Good get. Let’s keep it rolling!
I would be very happy to see Fant back.
Hard to project his contract and if there’s a team that view him as their starting LT.
This is a good signing, reasonable cost and he’s had plenty of time to recover from the last season. Solid receiving option, as others have mentioned he’ll be a great check down option for Russ! He’s friends with Wilson so that helps and will be a good teammate for Dissly & Hollister. Also, because Carolina released him he won’t count against our comp picks!
Thought 5.25 would do. But, 5.5 guaranteed is great, due to the leverage Olsen had with the other clubs. If he reaches 7, that would mean his incentives are met and that only bodes well for the offense. Now they just need a big blocking TE to fill Fant’s role.
Not sure Fant is leaving just yet. I also believe that Joey played that role a few times last year.
I hope he does stay. It doesn’t look good after Humphrey’s new deal. They have to make a decision on Joey as well. Pocic is under contract and Britt is a big question mark? We’ll see what transpires in the coming weeks.
I think he is assuming ifedi will leave in FA and we sign Fant back as RT.
Really solid move. Maybe satisfies Russ to a degree. 1 year vet who can still play and will be a leader in the locker room.
Great start already.
Not a very good TE class in the draft and I really wasn’t too hyped about signing Hooper for 12+ per.
I like it. Good production last year despite factors many have discussed. 7 mil is deceiving if you cut Dickson which is likely. I also have a feeling that Russ was involved in this decision so not bad for everyone involved. Maybe he will pay is back for all those back breaking seam routes he caught against us!
I’ll call it a win if he plays 12+ games. Unfortunately, I’m nowhere confident he’ll hit that. I understand the reasoning behind the move, but $7 million is a significant chunk to someone with a moderate to high probability of missing significant games, with increasing age only worsening that already proven injury risk.
All things considered, there was probably no perfect move. Meh.
On a positive note, he did play 14 games last year. The two he missed were due to concussion at the end of the season, not a pre-existing injury. Also managed a 52-597-2 stat line with Kyle Allen at QB. IMO this is more of a prove-it signing for Dissly rather than a prove-it for Olsen. This is just an quality backup if Dissly fails to prove he can stay healthy, with limited reps when in 2-TE sets. He does have years of TE1 experience. If Dissly can stay healthy, I don’t think the hawks are asking a whole lot from Olsen.
Doesn’t fit into the compensation formula (which may or may not matter). Eliminates the need to draft a TE high (TE’s usually take time to develop anyway). No need to trade draft pick for TE. Eliminates need to sign F.A. If they considered tendering Hollister at round 2 level, that’s gone. They can sign Hollister for near minimum or let him go. They can draft a developmental TE as No 3 unless they catch a break on someone like Hunter Bryant falling. All around great signing. Gives Russell that third down machine he lacked last season.
Rob do you think there’s still a chance where they could draft a TE?
I think it’s unlikely. Not a good TE draft and lot’s of other areas to address.
I am pumped that Greg Olsen is signing with the Seahawks. No doubt Russell Wilson IS STILL giving EVERYONE high fives.
Just got done listening to Eugene Robinson. Robinson had nothing but GOOD things to say about Greg Olson.
Another great thing about a 1yr deal for Olsen is that next years TE class looks loaded. Ideally Dissly comes back and shows he can stay healthy becoming TE1,’Olson makes it through this year healthy and we draft his replacement next year. Thrown in a late round developmental TE in this draft and the Jawks should be in good shape at TE.
And having 2 legit TEs, if and when Dissly is 100%, gives a run heavy team a ton of flexibility and will allow them to do some cool sh**.
I like this signing. There’s no long-term risk and he’s still a solid player. I also like it because I love Dissly. This is perfect Dissly insurance. If Dissly can stay healthy, something he hasn’t proven through two years, he is the long-term TE for this team. If they had signed Hooper, as Rob noted above, they would have almost been forced to let Dissly walk in two years even if he had two injury-free seasons in a row. I can see Dissly being a top-5 TE if he can stay healthy. That’s the big IF. And this Olsen signing is the perfect insurance plan. And if both happen to be healthy at the same time throughout the year, then it’s icing on the cake.
In regards to lack of interest from other teams, it’s probably situational. If you’re the Patriots, you’re not going to make Olsen your TE1 due to his age and recent injuries. If he goes down, they’re right back to where they were last season…lacking a reliable TE weapon
Hawks are a bit unique in that Dissly and Olsen hedge each other a bit…as you outlined. Would have been nice to see a bit lower contract, but it’s not enough that it’s gonna get in the way of any other move
I completely agree. That’s a really good point. Also, although I think Brady will be a patriot, there’s no guarantee at this point, so that might have been somewhat of a factor as well.
“But it provides them with a proven target this year and allows them to let Dissly recover and then prove he is the future for Seattle at tight end. Signing Austin Hooper would make him the future and leave Dissly on the periphery.”
This is a huge point by Rob. They still hope/believe that Dissly can be the future and I love that he will have an opportunity to prove himself healthy.
I have to admit, trading for Slay would be quite interesting. He could follow the best receiver in nickle situations and Flowers and Griffen could play their zones, with Diggs @ single high.
With Dugger and Blair/MacD on both sides of BWag in the middle, it would greatly help whatever DL they assemble. That would mean KJ would be released, or his contract is drastically restructured, however.
Welcome Greg! Super excited by this signing. Gives Russ his 3rd option and allows Dis all the time he needs to recover. Really 5.5 mil unless he kills it and then, great, glad to pay you. Also, Greg had options in the booth. He wouldn’t have come back unless he believed there was a realistic chance to win a ring.
Now let’s get us some pass rush!
I think there’s a bit of a theme emerging here too.
Hawks have been cleaning house in the locker room and making sure they have “good dudes” who are all about “ball”. Olsen is a good dude. Clowney is a good dude. They seem to raising the character bar for the locker room and establishing a culture of competitive athletes who are also good people.
They seem to willing to pay for the good dude players who are locker room leaders. Olsen contract may seem a tick rich, but the Hawks probably place a value on the intangible locker room culture influence.
I’m really hoping to resign Clowney and add 2 of Fowler, Griffen, Beasley, Armstead, Campbell, Ngakoue, Jones. Just invest heavily in DL, we know its a proven winning method. Add OL, WR, RB etc in the draft.
I always hear how bad Beasley is, at least statistically. What do you see in him?
I think he has extreme potential. He had 15.5 sacks a few years ago, so we know he can be elite. Whatever happened, idk, hopefully he can be fixed.
We need someone to line up wide at DE. Beasley is great at getting around OTs from this alignment. His short area burst is elite.
2017 and 2018 he also didnt get as much playing time, which could be contributed to his down years. He had 8 sacks last year after seeing a bump in playing time. Dante Fowler had 8 sacks through week 15 IIRC, then got 3.5 in the last 2 or 3 games. So really they aren’t far apart in my eyes, production wise at least. I think he would be a very nice option for a speedy DE who would be relatively cheap option. Better than draft picks, cheaper than most free agents.
I think this is a very generous review of Beasley. He’s just completely gone into his shell after a good start to his career. I fear now he’s more Barkevious Mingo than effective player.
Which is something the falcons team as a whole has done (not necessarily individual players tho) could the fall of the falcons be related to less productive Beasley, or could the inverse be a possibility too. I’m very excited for the prospect of getting Beasley, simply for the fact he is athletic and fast. He could bust and be Mingo, or he could blossom in a new environment. Similar in my eyes to OJ Howard. Obviously he will not be the answer and we need to sign others, but I would be excited grabbing him.
He’s just looked ineffective. I think it’d be wishful thinking to blame his fall from grace on Atlanta. I wouldn’t give him anything but a severely limited one-year prove-it deal.
I agree that throwing the blame on Atlanta doesn’t make a lot of sense. I am for signing Beasley however, but I think he needs to be on a stacked line as a rotational piece. If we trade for Campbell, keep Reed, and draft Davis or Okwara, I could see Beasley adding some dangerous speed.
He did have a solid year statistically last year. 8 sacks, 2 FF, 12 QB hits, 8 TFL, 42 tackle, 2 PDef, played all games. Not necessarily elite, but a pretty solid player. If you could get him for 8 mil and Fowler for 19 mil I’d 10000% take Beasley. I don’t think Fowler is twice or more good.
If I could choose 2 for reasonably 18-20 mil APY I’d take Campbell (trade this year’s 2nd and maybe next year’s third? And extend him +3 year while reduce first year CAP hit to 13m) and Beasley (3 years, 10m APY, 6m fully GTD, 10m (3 GTD), 14m (3 GTD heavily incentised)).
As Seahawk65 said, this signing not having an effect on the comp formula is huge.
They’ll avoid surrendering comp picks if they can help it.
Seattle will be perched over the ‘cut’ list like a hungry bird of prey.
Although I think they get bold and say forget the comp picks this offseason, if there’s a way to upgrade the roster and still earn those picks, JS will find it!
Yes, this is the year we should don’t care about comp formula. Good news is it’s reset every year, so may be we can sign what we need without worrying too much about comp formula.
So does this mean he has a 5.5m cap hit?
I think it means that the minimum cap hit would be $5.5 million (ie if he was released). The actual cap hit would depend on how the contract was structured and the incentives pushing the contract to 7.0 million were to be earned. For example if they were making the game day roster bonuses they would look at the expectation of earning those bonuses and that would be added to the cap hit – if he made game day 53 man roster 12 out of 16 games in previous year then 3/4 of that incentive would be added to the $5.5 million in determining the current year cap cost …if he subsequently played more or less game the cap hit would be added/reduced. Easy to calculate as it is a single year contract.
Given the money we have why not swing for the fences with Hooper?! He is a Kittke/Kelce type and we saw KC win based on Offensive skills not defensive. Hooper is 26, let him be the future and at $12mln per so what, clowney wants 24 per! It would be a lot leas costly mistake and much less limely to fail given our QB situation. RW can beat anyone with the tools yet we keep going conservative around him instead of loading him up with weapons. Its an offensive league and we see what stud TEs do (lets not forget NEs precipitous drop post Gronk)!
I get the move and Im not complaining, its classic conservative PC/JS. I’d just prefer them to be less conservative here. In our O the te is of major relevance. Trusting it to a geezer and an achilles in a key superbowl window is iffy imho.
KC did not win because of their offense. They won because they had the best scoring defense over the second half of the season.
Their defense held SF in check while the offense was figuring themselves out against the Niner D.
It doesn’t matter how good our offense is if we can’t stop anyone on defense. As rob has been saying, would you rather spend money to go from the number 5 offense to number 3, or number 20 defense to a top 10.
Good point, Chase. I would add that if we improve our defense to a top ten defense, the offense will get better without changing a thing based on the fact that our opponents will have more 3 and outs and be punting more frequently. More possessions means greater offensive output. This stuff is all interlinked. Make one aspect of your team better and it has a rippling effect throughout the team, even on the other side of the ball.
There’s a lot of offseason left. We’re not even close to being done. This is just one move.
And ‘classic conservative’ ? Huh?
-waiver claimed Josh Gordon
-traded up in the draft for DK
-traded up in the draft for Lockett
-traded for Jimmy Graham
-drafted Christine Michael at the height of Beast Mode Mania
-traded for Percy Harvin
They’re not afraid to make bold choices.
I agreed with some but disagree with most of the things.
I think they undervalue TE. I think it should be the most important skill position between RB, WR and TE. An A+ TE helps the running game, the longer passing game, YAC, the short passing game, combatting the blitzes with pickups and being a security blanket. Yeah, we have Dissly, so what? This team could handle even 2-3 good TEs utilizing 2TE sets a lot and 3TEs also to some extent. I hope they’d move more resources to TE.
But
Hooper is nowhere near the Kittle-Kelce-Gronk level. They are tier1, Hooper is near the top of tier2. I’d be fine with 9-10 mil for him, but 12 or over is just too much. He’s an asset, but he has limitations.
I don’t agree that PCJS is conservative regarding the roster…but I think they make some head-scratching moves sometimes and I feel 7m for Olson is an overpay. For 4-5m I’d be OK…if he doesn’t want that then let him go to other team and draft 1-2 TEs
It’s 5.5 guaranteed which is basically in the range you are ok with. We don’t know what the incentives are yet. They may be pretty tough to obtain. To me I’m fine with him getting the full 7 if he plays all 16 games
You’re assuming a lot of things here. For one, Hooper may be getting more than just $12m given the way contracts seem to be inflating this offseason and the way teams are hungry for TEs. He also may not fit into the offensive plan enough to justify the cost. You would also have to give him a likely multi-year deal and likely relegate Dissly to a second string for the length of his rookie deal. There are a lot of factors that go into this that doesn’t make this as easy as “why didn’t they just pay more for the guy I like?”
Oops. This was meant as a response to Matt’s comment above.
I like Hooper a lot, but he’s a notch below Kittle and Kelce. He’s a higher end guy for sure, but still. If he ends up resetting the TE market, that’s a bad signing for a team that needs a defensive overhaul. I started watching more film today, and I know what the tendencies are, but how can you pass on a kid like Trevon Diggs if he’s there? Tall, long, fast, and a ball hawk. He doesn’t shy away from contact either. He’s got a chance to be a very good pro. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to turn 5th round picks into Richard Sherman? He may go earlier and I would not blame anyone for taking him.
Spotrac pits Hoopers market value at 10m, Hunter Henry at 9m and Eric Ebron at 7.4m. This is the info being closest to a fact, and educated guess, but certainly no wild speculation.
Will some franchise overpay on him? Possibly, but I fail to see a team, TBH. 25 teams are more or less in the “strengthening the trenches” game, and a minimum of 5 have a QB situation completely in limbo.
Dissly had two disastrous injuries in two seasons. We can rejoice, if he ever comes back healthy.
The same goes for Chris Carson, which is why I am grateful Rob is high on CEH. I think, most RBs will fall back, because there is no market. I cannot even see one going R1. A player like AJ Dillon could be available for 7th round chicken or as an UDFA. No need to overthink.
But as noted in the piece, if George Kittle re-sets the market in the next four weeks (which is at least possible) the TE market will explode.
Exactly, Rob. You will have to pay a premium for a very good player, not a great player.
Good move!
Might show that they are as aggressive as we all hope this offseason.
Also shows that we offer something to free agents (looking at you Clowney) that makes us interesting.
Let’s hope he can stay healthy or at least isn’t injured if Dissly goes down.
Im not too concerned about the high salary since I believe we won’t go to our limits this offseason anyways.
What do you guys think of getting Jason Pierre-Paul?
He is 31 but certainly looks like he has a few good years left. Also he just looks like a Seahawk.
Personally i would love to see JPP in blue and green.
His 8.5 sacks in 8 starts last year are enticing and he was locker room BAMF in TB.
However, there is that neck fracture from the care accident in May that needs to be evaluated with regards to his full season availability.
I like him and with the Hawks pass rush needs, any port in the storm.
But I feel like with his injury history and possible contract demands, he’d be more of a “let the market see what his value is, and after you’ve added your main pieces, if he’s available at a good price, sign him” guy than a “he’ll be a cornerstone piece of our defense and a priority free agency acquisition” guy.
If that makes sense.
If we can get full 16 games out of Dissly and Olsen collectively this offense will be scary good. We played scrap heap TEs most of the year.
I think Greg will be a great addition to that locker room. He’s a class act, and another strong veteran voice.
About 2M too rich or my liking but a great move otherwise.
RW gets a savvy reliable target, the young TE room gets a value veteran leader and if he and Dissly can stay healthy together It would open the book to a lot of exciting options in base and 3rd and short 2 TE sets plus RZ plays.
Facing the Seahawks with a run heavy 7 men front will force defenses to go heavy up front and thin over the top. When it morphs into 4 targets – Olsen, Dissly, Lockett & DK – watch out.
I think the extra 2 million is because two other teams were interested, plus he has that locker room leadership that I think we need more of. I have a feeling he will bring much more than just a 34 year old player being added to the team.
Olsen is a quality guy, make no mistake. True beast and sportsman. If he lasts that season, we will have pure joy.
But… weren’t we talking about how the Seahawks FO wait out and make optimum deals with almost everyone?
Fast forward mid Feb, and they are by all means resetting the TE market for a 35 year old with a tiny market. And still, we are not able to scratch TE from the list for the 2020 draft.
If they hand out 7m to an old pal, why don’t they make the ultimate step, add 3m and add Hooper, with cap being deferred into the later seasons?
B- sign, IMO.
1. They didn’t ‘reset the market’ for older TE’s. Look at Vernon Davis’ last contract.
2. How is he an old pal if there’s no prior relationship?
3. If you push money down the line on Hooper you can’t do it for someone else.
I get the feeling that JS has a financial plan.
Dis is the future. This is just a stopgap. this is not a good TE draft.
Ive said it before, it just isnt the Seahawks MO to go for expensive “outside ” free agents. Yes they did it early with Miller and Rice but its a different time now. That was why I didnt see Hooper in the cards and I still dont see Fowler or Ngakoue in the fold either. If they sign Clowney to a large deal he would be an “inside ” free agent. I still look more for Griffen, Irvin, Quinn, Miller, Campbell type guys or a Beasley, Lawson type prove it deal.
To be entirely clear, I like the signing. I just hope this will turn out well
Vernon Davis is 17m over 4 seasons, with 4.5m of that being a signing bonus. His contract was structured to eat 40% of his cap in the first year. Apy, that’s not even half the 7m Olsen got.
The closest thing you will find is Jason Witten in 2017. The Cowbpys were quick to realize the overpay and cut him. His second stint was 4.5m.
The last argument fits for almost any signing they do.
His 2019 cap hit was $6.1m. Marginally smaller than Olsen’s. It’s not correct to say Olsen has “re-set the market”.
Good Deal. Good player. Good GM.
The 64k question now is … will they retain Dickson or simply let him walk.
I could see a Dissly, Dickson and Olsen TE trio as exceptional. I also wonder if they might have Olsen fill a more traditional FB/TE hybrid role on the offense. Then they will retain 4 TEs on the roster when it goes to 53… including Hollister as a more traditional move (3rd) TE.
This could also signal they will try to retain Fant at RT, since they need another TE on the team to fill his “jumbo” slot on offense.
Dickson’s a gonner
Dickson is this year’s Barkevious Mingo; a clear salary cap casualty that may last on the roster until the money is needed or until they have a clearer idea about Dissly’s availability. Mingo was considered a “core ST player” and Houston was looking to upgrade ST so he had marginal trade value. I don’t see that with Dickson. I think he gets released.
Dickson is absolutely gone daddy gone. He was gone before Olsen and even more so now. Not sure why he is on the roster now unless they are trying to trade him and get an 18th round draft choice for him. They may want him to pass a physical first so they arent tied to a $1million plus injury settlement.
Maybe Dissly and Olsen can alternate being unavailable. Is that the thinking? As long as one is healthy it’s a go.
I like the signing. It should give Russell Wilson a go-to target on vital plays when Metcalf is taken away, kind of like how Rodgers used Graham occasionally this season when Adams was blanketed. You could see Rodgers trusted Graham. I expect that will be quickly evident with Wilson to Olsen.
Overall I wouldn’t be so sure that any draft year is lousy for tight ends. The market is changing. The mold is changing. Ever since the original Kellen Winslow the desperation is to find that type of gazelle athlete, the traditional looking tight end only markedly more athletic ability. In the current NFL that type is no longer ideal, IMO. You might as well have another wide receiver. The straight line tight end types with high end athletic ability have been disappointing almost without exception, from Ebron to Njoku to Howard and I expect Brevin Jordan will add to the list if he comes out next season.
These days you need a zig zag type, someone who can quickly create his own shot in either direction. That’s what makes Kelcie so special. Follow that broken play quarterback and give him a left or right option instead of the straight line type who will just keep running into easily forecast traffic. We’ve long heard about rebounders like Gates and Graham. IMO, the pros should start scanning basketball rosters for that instinctive 6-4 or 6-5 guy who can face up and deke either way.
It’s nothing to do with types of TE. It’s simply that there are hardly any good TE’s in this draft —- regardless of profile or style. The depth or quality isn’t there.
Well PFF didn’t really like hooper too much.
I think signing an older vet indicates they think dissly can at least contribute next season.
Olsen Dissly and Hollister.
Three players with things to like but major question marks on all three.
Can hollister become a better blocker?
Can Olsen and dissly stay healthy?
Then there’s Willson, who was strangely invisible last season. Bring him back? Or is are his nfl days coming to a close.
I’d still advocate drafting some rookie later on just to add some reinforcement to a unit that seems a bit shaky, even if there is potential.
I think some team will overpay hooper and then be disappointed finding out he’s a solid cog but not a game changer or real mismatch.
And there is Nick Vannett…
He does have good size (6004, 205) and 32 inch arms, even though the wingspan is an inch short (76 5/8) of the ideal. You can see how solidly he is built in the clip posted by Nagy:
https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1230120753850470401
Anxious to finally find out what these guys run. Only one more week till Combine time!
The good, as stated mostly already above:
1. Neither a huge overpay nor a steal; seems like fair market value at his age/health.
2. Doesn’t tie us up long-term.
3. Saves a potential comp pick.
4. Fills a need so we have more flexibility in FA and Draft.
5. He was voted the #38 player in the NFL in 2016 and #67 in 2017. That’s not that far removed. Can he get lucky enough with injuries to get back to a good level with the QB upgrade?
6. Good locker room presence and a coach in the TE room can accelerate Dissly’s learning.
My question is that he doesn’t really block. This looks like more of a search for a weapon for Russ than an all-around TE to hedge Dissly. Small sample size, so it’s not to be taken as an absolute, but you get the idea:
Olsen Blocking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JoS2jNJ7KI
Still, I think getting a need out of the way early might prove to be more important than we think. If we leave all the needs for later, we risk ending up scrambling to fill them and missing out on possible opportunities that arise either via trade or draft. (no more Eddie Lacys or Collier forced picks pls)
To your last point, this is exactly how they ended up with Ansah last year. Rather than dip into FA early on and pay a high, but fair market price for say one of the Smith’s GB picked up, they waited until Ziggy was about the only option left. And they still had to pay $8m for a broken down player who may be done with football at age 30.
Let’s hope Olsen’s signing turns out a whole lot better!!
This isn’t true. They didn’t have the cap space to go after the Smith’s. They only signed Ansah after trading Frank Clark and his franchise tag cap hit.
Copy that! I wasn’t sure I had the timing correct.
Obviously they had limited options at that time last year and just took a chance on Ansah, and it didn’t pan out. I just hope Olsen doesn’t turn out to be another poor investment on an aging veteran player with a recent injury history!
It’s a legit concern. After all, it seems like he’s been contemplating a broadcasting career for three years. But at least it provides a short term solution and I’m happy for them to give Dissly a chance to come back and earn the job long term.
We still need a blocking force…
If we keep Ifedi and lose Fant Ifedi will have issues as Fant lined up a ton next to him.
If we keep Fant he might need the same assistance, so we need a TE/OL who can help blocking like Fant did to Ifedi.
I’d rather get a good blocking TE with a receiving upside, so I think TE is still a need
Agree 100% on the first part – scratching something off the shopping list before the NFL’s version of Black Friday next month is a good day’s work. There’s also something to be said for a well-liked player like Olsen choosing Seattle over more familiar choices available.
Agree mostly with the second part. I think there’s a degree of limit to how much the Hawks can control in their roster-building offseason process. Their roster and injuries, the market cost of players, the market availability of players, and prioritizing their needs. There are just some seasons you can’t go into with a 2-starter quality roster at every position.
Pre-combine tier list coming today.
Combine preview coming on Friday.
Fantastic! Looking forward to it.
Combine starts in 9 days so cant wait for that but also that is when the illegal tampering period starts as well. Also you could start to see some trades in early March. Everson Griffen could soon become a street free agent as well which would help the comp picks.
Thank you, Rob! It can’t be said too many times how much your work and this site you have created is appreciated.
I think every team has a portion of their fan base that is interested in the intricacies of team-building, player evaluation, drafting, trading. But, no other fan base has you or SDB.
Thanks man 👍🏻
Although I wish they could have signed Olsen for $4-5m instead of 7, this is still a good pickup for the Hawks. Olsen is a reliable pass catcher, good route runner, and willing blocker, not to mention another strong veteran presence in the locker room.
It seems clear that $10-12m apy for 4-5 years for someone like Hooper or Henry was just to steep, especially for a team that desperately needs to revamp much of their defense. Olsen fills a one year gap, and this move provides good insurance in case Dissly has another unfortunate injury this year.
So, scratch TE from the 2020 needs list without trading any draft picks, losing any comp picks, or spending big money on a long term deal! Job well done!
It could be written at that price…
I think we need to see what that additional $1.5 million is first. If its per game roster bouses then he will probably get a good chunk of it. If its incentives he may not get much of it.It may be a combo of the two and maybe he gets $6 million total and not $7. I to thought $7 million was a little high but Im interested to see what the extra $1.5 million is.
To me this is a big overpay…only reason I can see is:
They know/think under contract TEs would cost too much or won’t be traded and UFA TEs will get too big contracts from other teams (like Hooper over 12m)
+
They’ll draft a TE in the first 3 rounds.
Olsen is a one year rental. If they bring in a rookie TE while having Olsen that put less weight on the rookie while he can also learn from Olsen.
Without drafting a TE I really don’t like this move as both Olsen and Dissly have injury riddled careers and Olsen is a 1 year rental so if there is no successor the TE issue will come back next year.
I think this is a pretty good TE class. Not Kittle-Hooper-Kelce-Ertz good, but has a ton of Dissly-like guys. I really like Harrison Bryant. Adam Trautman also pretty good and while he’s more of a receiver he can also block better than most give credit to him. There are some late round good blockers who can help (limited) to the passing game (as checkdowns, not as big play threats), like Deguara, Taumoupeau, Moss, Keene.
Or if we’re willing to draft him in R2 probably then Hunter Bryant or Kmet is also an option (but I like Harrison Bryant much more but he might go R1)
Nothing about this says they will draft a TE early. It’s the opposite. It’s to fill the need, give Dissly a chance to earn the role for the long haul and avoid needing the draft.
Yeah, after I thought about it it’s not really likely they’ll go TE early… It’s sad, I really like Harrison Bryant, I think he’ll go R2 and he have the chance to become the next Kittle. But I still think they’ll get a TE just to be safe, but more likely in R5-UDFA
Some of those names you mention will be available as UDFA’s.
He has been a good player, despite injuries. Definitely had some good games against the Hawks. How is he at blocking? I was liking TE Fells from Houston, underrated player who had a good year, but the Texans might be keeping him.
Well, that’s nice.
He never dropped any against us, it seemed…
Nagy on the TE class:
https://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4819318/who-is-patriots-next-te-scouting-2020-prospects-who-could-fill-void
Let’s just say glad we signed Olsen and can wait for next year’s TE class…
Hi Rob,
Do you have any thoughts on Natane Muti, OG from Fresno State in general or as a potential Seahawk fit? PFF rates him as their best interior lineman and essentially says he is the second coming of Quentin Nelson. I know injuries have kept him down too.
He’s on my list to study because I’ve seen people talk about him but hasn’t he had availability issues?
Great! Yes, he has, so much so, that most of his highlights are from his freshman year. Looks like a pancake machine though.
His highlight reel is amazing. I watched the film from his vs Minnesota and wasn’t impressed. It was a great game though. The injuries are a huge concern as well.
One younger free agent OT that I was interested in as a potential reclamation project was Greg Robinson from Cleveland but he just got busted for what looks like some significant marijuana smuggling.
There were 39 free agent offensive tackles at the start of the off season.
DJ Humphries is off the market after signing a 3-year $45 million deal.
Jack Conklin looks likely to get something similar.
Pittsburgh will give a high tender to Matt Feiler.
I won’t list all the over-30 veterans with injury history but I think if Ifedi moves on, it is possible that Seattle signs one of them later in free agency like they did with Iupati and Fluker.
Fant is generally considered about the 20th best free-agent tackle.
Ifedi is generally ranked around 25th.
So, when you start projecting big FA contracts for Fant and Ifedi and Rob reminds you that both these players have to find a market before they get big contract offers, you should pay attention.
If a team is looking for a potential starter among some other team’s backups, they are probably going to consider Philadelphia’s Halapoulivaati Vaitai or the Titans Dennis Kelly before Fant.
I personally see Fant as more of a Cable-type project than a Solari-type player. It is very possible that Ifedi comes back on a modest 2-year deal with a chance to try free agency again in a couple years.
Greg Olsen has had 5 drops in in the Last 3 years I can live with that and 3 and 5 I would go to Greg Olsen wouldn’t you.
Rob I have another quick question for you what’s your thoughts on A ‘ Shawn Robinson I remember him Alabama I can’t remember what you thought about him he is 6’6 and 330 and he is a free agent this year . Any thoughts
Was never a big fan of his
Good points Steve
I was wondering if we might see shorter deals for many top tier types, because of the new CBA coming. Guys could get a much bigger bite at the apple in a season or two if they can live with the risk of less guaranteed money now.
While I’m not in love with signing Olsen due to multiple Seasons with injuries and durability concerns, I do like that Seattle shored up a position of need early before the draft. It stands to reason his price tag likely means the Hawks can secure Clowney and other positions of need, it will be a busy signing year for the Hawks and TE can now be checked off.
Look how bad the top 20 of this 1st round (’13) was. Were the scouts asleep at the wheel?
1. Eric Fisher
2. Luke Joeckel
3. Dion Jordan
4. Lane Johnson
5. Ziggy Ansah
6.. Barkevious Mingo
7. Jonathan Cooper
8. Tavon Austin
9. Dee Milliner
10. Chance Warmack
11. DJ Fluker
12. DJ Hayden
13. Sheldon Richardson
14. Star Lotulelei
15. Kenny Vaccaro
16. EJ Manuel
17. Jarvis Jones
18. Eric Reid
19. Justin Pugh
20. Kyle Long
Yep, not very many pro bowls in that group, or very many really good careers. Hopefully Pete/John are done picking up these retreads, although I still like having Fluke on the team.
What really stands out to me about that list is just how many of them have been Seahawks!
2. Luke Joeckel
3. Dion Jordan
5. Ziggy Ansah
6.. Barkevious Mingo
11. DJ Fluker
13. Sheldon Richardson
And the best of the bunch might be Fluker!
I think you covered it all well in the article, Rob.
Except maybe you don’t do much justice to Will Dissly. Yeah, I wouldn’t say he is a reliable player, but when he is on the field, he’s dominant. He was on pace to have a top 3 TE in the last season. It took 107 targets for Kittle to score 5 TDs, Dissly scored 4 TDs on 27 targets, that’s outstanding.
To have Olsen as insurance is a luxury, that fortunately, the Seahawks can afford this season, and this signing set the tone for the aggressive offseason the Seahawks are about to have. Great time to be a Seahawk.
🚨 It’s “nothing”… 🚨
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1230201435389865990
//waves hand
This isn’t the wide receiver you’re looking for. He can go about his business. Move along.
As Condotta put it well:
I can’t imagine anyone from Minnesota will make a statement like that. They’re in deep trouble. Nothing should be off the table.
Being in deep cap trouble won’t stop them from saying it!! And they might be right since trading Diggs doesn’t gain them tons of cap space right away ($5m in 2020 I think). Now, they should trade him, and save that $5m, if he’s becoming to much of a distraction and doesn’t want to be in Minny!
I don’t like his attitude that much, but he’s a cost-effective option, and I’d bet he’d love to catch deep bombs from RW.
Rob, maybe you’ve already included this in your Combine primer piece, but if not, some of these changes could be of interest to note or at least link to:
https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/02/19/nfl-combine-changes-coming-interviews-bench-press
I skimmed your post too quickly and thought that the bench press and interviews are now combined.
Yes, prospects will now be interviewed by NFL media while bench pressing, as this more closely simulates their on-field communication skills throughout the course of the game.
Any Ducks fans out there care to chime in on him? Or anyone else who has watched him?
*raises hand*
One of my favorite guards in this class. Have brought him up a handful of times.
From what I saw from videos on Twitter the dude seems like an absolute mauler. He creates giant holes for the RB. Lance Zierlein gave him a 6.20 (good backup who can become a starter). Zierlein also says he has some issues with pass blocking.
Well, ok… to each his own…
https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2020-nfl-draft-musings-two-pac-12-linemen-grade-as-most-underrated/
I hope everyone feels that way. So he slips to the Hawks.
I love how lazy the “average size” tag is thrown around. Sure he’s 5’11” and change but Nagy says he measured an 81″ wingspan. The equivalent of a 6’9″ player. That’s NOT average.
I love the move, here is why.
The nfl is a copycat league and teams usually try and take things that the best teams had and get there own version(remember how everyone started looking for big corners after our super bowl victory) what did the 49ers and the chiefs both have? A dominate TE. I believe that john scheinder is putting a 7 mil for a proven player (when healthy) at the TE position is gonna pay off when you start to see some outrageous contracts for the TE position this free agency. I believe that john is gonna try and rack up comp picks once again because if you can get extra picks every year it puts you in a advantageous situation every offseason to make deals that benefit you, this is also why I believe that they will resign clowney. If you are able to get clowney on a two or three year deal not only do you have control over him as a asset you dont forfeit a comp pick for signing another big contract player at a position of need, and if he proves good enough for the contract you keep him if not trade him and get some picks or players back for him. The ideology is that in this mega contract free agent era we are in is to stay on top if your assets and there are many routes you can take to do this such as signing cut player(cut players do not count against comp picks) trading for players on existing contracts(existing contracts will usually be a discount in the long run) and not letting good players leave without getting value( this can be done by trades or managing your free agency period well to maximize your comp picks) A good example of how this can be done is the Patriots. The Patriots are one of the best managed teams of all time and there is no logical argument against that, they never let a chance to maximize a players value slip them by they couldn’t afford chandler jones so they traded him for a first round pick, they couldn’t afford Jamie collins so they got a high pick in return(and somehow got him back in a couple of years) they got a 2nd round pick from a back up qb, they traded a 1st for brandon cooks won a superbowl then traded him for a first and avoided paying him. Notice the theme, good trades are the most efficient way to manage an organization, whats a makes a good trade? One where you are taking advantage of a teams ignorance/needs. You want to be in control over your assets. With our current assets there is no need to overspend in free agency for players that will take away comp picks, there are good players that will be cut, and if you dont want those guys you can make a trade for a player that is locked up on a contract, this is the biggest offseason in john scheiders tenure since 2010 if managed correctly he can set up the seahawks to be in a situation where we can be successful year in year out comp pick are extremely valuable and I think its in the seahawks to prioritize keeping as many as possible this offseason.
I can almost guarantee Clowney won’t be signing anywhere for 2-3 years.
This is the kind of crap that has become writing about the Seahawks.
‘King’ — who occasionally posts on here — posted this on Reddit:
Now who among you would say this is an accurate portrayal of what I wrote?
Or did I actually just pitch a proposal, among many others, on how to potentially fix a four man rush that included re-signing Clowney, suggesting (while acknowledging it might not be likely) they should pursue Campbell IF possible based around a curiously lukewarm interview from the Jaguars’ owner, I said consider drafting Raekwon Davis but not definitively in R1, I actually suggested he might fall and that with three picks they had flexibility on where they might target him, and then said try to add some speed. I said IF (again big if) Fowler’s market was as cold as last year he might be an option. Then pitched several cheaper alternatives.
If you’re going to quote me, get it right.
As an online fan base Seahawks fans are obsessed with stupid agendas and point scoring and it needs to f-ing stop asap.
Is that King R*****?
Yes
I absolutely despise the “point scoring” mentality that has unfortunately become a staple on so many parts of the internet. Getting “likes” or “recs” or “upvotes” or whatever it happens to be called on your site of choice means absolutely nothing. NOBODY CARES and I truly feel sorry for anyone who has actually come to look to those for some sense of self-worth or suddenly believes they are somehow entitled by them to consider themselves superior to others.
Rob, IMO it’s a battle not worth fighting. Just keep doing what you’re doing and the sensible, open-minded crowd who actually wants to ENJOY talking Seahawks fandom and doesn’t take their own armchair scout/GM opinion too seriously will eventually, hopefully find their way here.
I’ve been around that sub for a long time and he has a tendency to go on strange crusades sometimes. Anyone that can read would recognize this is a comical misrepresentation of the article.
Unfortunately that’s just the nature of online forums these days, and IMO highlights what a valuable community SDB is. Best case scenario, maybe his post will dissuade other illiterate reactionaries from coming here.
No that’s not what you wrote.
I don’t pay any attention to the poseurs and the haters. Besides which I strongly disagree with his assertions.
You can backload contracts and avoid getting into cap hell by front loading dead cap space. That way you can always move on from an expensive player if their performance no longer justifies the cap space their roster position occupies. Moreover, if you manage the roster rotation of other positions/players, you can maintain a reasonable cap load deep into expensive contracts. And finally, who cares if SEA are in cap hell if they’re winning championships? Cap hell only matters when a team needs to rebuild to get back into contention.
I also disagree that Clowney will get $25m apy. Maybe I’m splitting hairs but I think he’ll be closer to $23m apy than he will to $25m. And as we’ve documented with other mega contracts, it’s not hard to structure the deal to minimize the year 1 cap hit. So yes, it is entirely possible to do everything you discussed — sign Clowney, trade for Campbell, draft Davis in R2 (NOT R1 🙄), sign an EDGE defender like Fowler or Griffen, draft some quality OL prospects and add another weapon for Wilson.
BTW since I haven’t been able to comment on the news of Olsen signing…I’m pretty surprised. I assumed it was a done deal he’d reunite with Rivera in WAS. I don’t think SEA dramatically outbid the other. interested teams, which suggests that other factors were influential in Olsen’s decision to choose SEA, such as playing for a legit SB contender, a chance to play with one of the top 3 QBs in the League, and SEA’s locker room culture. It bodes well for SEA’s ability to attract other quality FAs.
To me, it’s a simple equation: Olsen >>> Ed Dickson + 4m in cap space.
I really get disappointed with a lot of Seahawks fans that are full of nonsense and hatred. Honestly Rob it seems like this website is the only glimpse of hope for this fanbase and it’s because of your hard work and insightful content.
Also worth noting that he’s been extensively sh*tting on you in the Field Gulls comment section. Honestly lost all respect for the dude after that. I hope he stops commenting here.
Good to know, thanks for passing that on.
I just posted about Rob was going to fly me to London and take me out for beers at the next NFL game there. Back to Back Jags games baby!
I can’t stand that guy honestly. He acts like a know it all and is never wrong even with hindsight.
But no you outlined a few scenarios but reddit doesnt read the actual article and blindly upvote the “summary”.
Best part was someone saying to use cap to sign only OL and draft Chaisson with the first pick
Reply to rob above
Prince Tega-Wanogho won’t be doing the combine drills.
I guess it’s good news that he’ll reportedly be ready by Auburn’s pro day, but I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a degenerative issue there or if it’ll be something a team would have to continuously monitor.
That sucks. Hope he’s able to heal up before the draft. 🚩
The more I think about this the more I like this scenario:
Re-sign Clowney for ~22m APY (first year 17m)
Draft Raekwon Davis #27
Sign Arik Armstead ~18m APY (might be a bit overpay, but that’s the market right now. First year for 15m)
Sign Beasley or Ogbah for ~10m APY (low GTD, 8m first year)
That is around 40m in the first year. With moving some pieces (cut and probably re-sign Britt, restructure KJ, cut Dickson, etc) we’d still have room for Fant/Ifedi, keep our RFA/ERFA, for draft, and for some cheaper vet additions.
Draft a solid OC (Ruiz if he slips or Cushenberry) in R2 (maybe after moving up with next year’s pick(s)), draft an OG or OT in R2 (Bredeson, Bartch, Lemieux, Niang, Damien Lewis, Tyre Phillips, John Simpson, Wirfs, Isaiah Wilson can all be considered if they’re there), draft a WR in R3 (Gandy-Golden, Van Jefferson, Duvernay…obviously depending on combine, etc…I think these guys will be risers, so R2 or R3 potentially…), get an RB in R4 (it’ll depend on the combine…some of the names might go much earlier, but potentially: Joshua Kelley, Dobbins, Akers, Gibson, James Robinson, Vaughn, and last but not least one of my favorites Perine).
For R5, R6, R7…I have a feeling they might trade R6/R7 for an nCB like they did with Coleman. They have the eye for undervalued DBs on other teams.
For R5 they might take someone like Julian Blackmon or a solid blocking TE with some upside or a raw but great athlete LB
This would solidify the DL:
Clowney – Davis – Armstead – Beasley/Ogbah/Green/Jefferson/Collier
It would have depth and competition. We could have a great inside rush and it would help run defense too. Davis has tremendous upside, Armstead is great if he has a good line and between Beasley/Ogbah and Green and Collier and QJeff someone should be able to step up.
OL should be good too:
Brown – Jones/Haynes/rookie – Britt/Hunt/rookie – Fluker/rookie/Haynes – Fant/Ifedi
Was not a fan of Iupati, so I think someone else will be an upgrade. Hunt is OK, but a bigger rookie might be better too.
Offense would get some weapons with a solid addition to the RB stable and I like these WRs too.
Gandy-Golden is a big dude, good agility, great catching radius, soft hands, solid at jump balls; Jefferson has NFL bloodlines, has some PR exp, agile, good in slot, can win routes early; Duvernay solid KR, speedster, YAC potential, great attitude, BAMFy agressive runner with the ball, good hands, has a bit Deebo Samuels feels to him (but more raw and less agile…but still).
My two favorite later-round guys is Duvernay and Perine…yeah, mostly because of the senior bowl, but also has some good vibes from them. Perine has some Carson-Lynch about him…he just doesn’t like to go down, fights hard for every inch. Duvernay also has some toughness about him…maybe he’ll be just another name on some roster, but atleast he has ST upside and could become a slot speedster and also help the screen game big way