Source: Safety Julian Love and the Seahawks reached agreement on a three/year extension worth up to $36 million. The deal was negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha. pic.twitter.com/3RWfilS98X
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2024
Julian Love had a cap-hit for 2024 of $8.1m, the last year of his short-term initial contract in Seattle. Adam Schefter’s tweet is likely a typical ‘agent-fed’ release — note the term ‘worth up to’ before the number of $36m.
It probably won’t be $12m a year.
We’ll need to see the actual numbers because a $12m annual salary feels like a lot. He was PFF’s 22nd ranked safety last year with a 72.8 grade. It’s not bad but wouldn’t justify being the ninth highest paid player at his position if $12m a year ends up being the number.
That said, there could be some savviness to doing a deal now. The Seahawks clearly like Love and talked him up a lot when they signed him a year ago. He had a relatively decent first season when the rest of the defense went up in smoke. They perhaps anticipate him playing even better in Mike Macdonald’s scheme, a system that included two top-20 ranked safeties in Baltimore in 2023.
If he does have a great year, he would be even more expensive as a free agent to keep in the next off-season. Obviously the gamble is that there’s no guarantee he’ll continue to improve but sometimes you have to use foresight to get value.
It’s also worth noting that $12m a year, if it proves to be that type of deal, only puts him on a par with Grant Delpit and Jalen Thompson, while being slightly ahead of Amani Hooker and Justin Reid’s salaries. If the Seahawks really rate Love, you can make a case for saying he’s due what they’re earning.
Unsurprisingly, our very own Curtis Allen pitched a contract extension for Love in this ballpark in February.
This could also reduce his cap-hit this year, adding to Seattle’s $8.5m in effective cap space. That’s important if they want to sign Connor Williams, who passed a physical with the team today. Williams — who is coming off a very serious knee injury — was PFF’s #2 ranked center last season (86.5) before his season ended in week 14. He had a 78.2 grade in 2022 and has been consistently one of the better interior linemen in the NFL when healthy.
The Seahawks might’ve tied up a defender they like to a deal that’ll provide value down the line, while creating some room to upgrade their offensive line. That has to be the hope, anyway. Drew Rosenhaus represents both Love and Williams — and he was at training camp today.
You also wonder if this could be just the start for the Seahawks. Currently they are scheduled to be $20.4m over the cap for 2025. That’s without adding Love’s deal into the equation. An extension for D.K. Metcalf or Geno Smith, for example, would be costly but it could also create cap space this year or next. If they see either player as part of their longer-term thinking, it’s an option.
If you missed our new training camp live stream earlier, check it out here: