Russell Wilson wants the richest contract in NFL history

[LambeauLegs]

An article posted an hour ago. But can they fit the NFL's richest contract in their salary cap?


Russell Wilson wants the richest contract in NFL history - Yahoo Finance


Russell Wilson doesn't appear to be any closer to cashing in on his success. Despite reports early in the offseason that the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson were close to a $100+ million contract extension, it appears that the two sides are actually nowhere close to a deal.

Recently, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Seahawks were offering Wilson a deal comparable to those of Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick. Danny O'Neil of 710 ESPN in Seattle put the value of Seattle's offer at $80 million over four years.

That's a far cry from where Wilson wants his contract to be, which is reportedly at or above the seven-year, $126.7 million contract signed by Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, the richest contract in NFL history in terms of total value.

Michael Vick, then with the Atlanta Falcons, signed a contract with a total value of $138 million in 2004. However, Vick ultimately only received about $30 million of that contract when he was sent to prison and the deal was voided.

NFL insider Jason Cole of Bleacher Report calls the Cutler contract "the starting point basically for where Russell Wilson wants to be."

According to Cole, using the Cutler deal as the floor for a new deal was pushed by Wilson's former agent, Bus Cook, who also represents Cutler. While Wilson has since re-signed with his former baseball agent (who is now also a certified football agent), the split between Wilson and Cook was deemed "amicable" according to Cole. In addition, Cook implored Wilson to get a deal like Cutler's and to avoid signing a deal like Kaepernick's or Dalton's.

While Kaepernick's contract was reported as a "record" $126 million contract when it was first signed, the deal turned out to be a complete sham with only $25.9 million in truly guaranteed money. Dalton's $96.0 million contract had even less guaranteed money than Kaepernick ($17 million

Jay Cutler was smart to get a huge chunk of his contract guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Cutler's deal includes $54 million guaranteed, a sum exceeded only by Tony Romo ($55 million guaranteed) and Ndamukong Suh ($60 million guaranteed), according to Spotrac.com.

With the gap between the two sides this big and with the Seahawks having less than $11 million in cap space for the 2015 season, it is looking more and more like a deal won't get done and the Seahawks will have to use the franchise tag (a one-year contract worth the average of the five highest-paid quarterbacks) on Wilson starting in 2016.

If that happens, don't be surprised if we start to here more about the possibility of Wilson returning to baseball.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Who's their source for this info? So far all reports that have come out are bogus. The Seahawks and RW are air tight about giving out details.

 

[Texas Jefe]

well, they are going to at least match what Tannehill just got, just for starters.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

well, they are going to at least match what Tannehill just got, just for starters.

Well yeah, but that's miles away from Cutler $

 

[Texas Jefe]

Well yeah, but that's miles away from Cutler $

yes, but it's more than what they are currently offering (unless I read it wrong).

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Who's their source for this info? So far all reports that have come out are bogus. The Seahawks and RW are air tight about giving out details.

I was wondering the same thing. That would suck if it's true for the Seahawks. That kind of money would cripple them.

 

[seattlefan75]

honestly if russell wilson was a free agent and he wanted a 7 year 130+ million dollar contract how many teams would be banging on his door to give him that? I love the guy but dude your not aaron rodgers just be reasonable taking the money and not performing will make you a hated man in the league

 

[LambeauLegs]

A franchise QB is the hardest thing to find for a football team so when a team has one why do you only leave $11 mil in cap space to sign one long term?

 

[dredinis21]

A franchise QB is the hardest thing to find for a football team so when a team has one why do you only leave $11 mil in cap space to sign one long term?

^^^This.

Your GM potentially paid its defensive players while sacrificing the best QB they've had in those parts since Rick Mirer (just kidding, obviously...about the Mirer part anyways). There are plenty of QBs that would clear cap space just at the thought that they could take a whiff at one of RW's farts. You don't think that NYJ, BUFF, CLE, HOU, TENN, STL, CHI wouldn't jump at the opportunity to get this guy? There is a bigger list of teams for sure, with a small handful being willing AND able to give him the type of contract RW is looking for.

RW could potentially walk if pissed off enough. He walked the walk, now it's time for the team to pay him his value and considering he was making less then like 700k last season. Rex Ryan would cream himself at the opportunity to turn the offensive keys over to Wilson and be able to focus on the defense. There are a few GMs that would throw their hats in the ring if they feel they are on the hot seat. And RW knows it.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

A franchise QB is the hardest thing to find for a football team so when a team has one why do you only leave $11 mil in cap space to sign one long term?

I can give you a few reasons.

Chancellor
Sherman
Avril
Graham
Thomas
Lynch
etc.

Wilson will not be easy, but it will get done. Anyone know what the cap hit is if they franchise tag him?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

^^^This.

Your GM potentially paid its defensive players while sacrificing the best QB they've had in those parts since Rick Mirer (just kidding, obviously...about the Mirer part anyways). There are plenty of QBs that would clear cap space just at the thought that they could take a whiff at one of RW's farts. You don't think that NYJ, BUFF, CLE, HOU, TENN, STL, CHI wouldn't jump at the opportunity to get this guy? There is a bigger list of teams for sure, with a small handful being willing AND able to give him the type of contract RW is looking for.

RW could potentially walk if pissed off enough. He walked the walk, now it's time for the team to pay him his value and considering he was making less then like 700k last season. Rex Ryan would cream himself at the opportunity to turn the offensive keys over to Wilson and be able to focus on the defense. There are a few GMs that would throw their hats in the ring if they feel they are on the hot seat. And RW knows it.

Wilson isn't going any where. I know it, you know it, we all know it.

 

[dredinis21]

honestly if russell wilson was a free agent and he wanted a 7 year 130+ million dollar contract how many teams would be banging on his door to give him that? I love the guy but dude your not aaron rodgers just be reasonable taking the money and not performing will make you a hated man in the league

HOU, NYJ, BUF, CLE, TENN, STL (if cap space were available) would sign him yesterday. Ever think about Philly? And a couple of those above mentioned teams would cut vets to make it happen. That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others.

 

[SonnyCID]

A franchise QB is the hardest thing to find for a football team so when a team has one why do you only leave $11 mil in cap space to sign one long term?

Do you understand how prorated bonuses work?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Do you understand how prorated bonuses work?

No he doesn't.

 

[LambeauLegs]

Do you understand how prorated bonuses work?

Ok you are the expert so please explain how you fit an $18 million to $20 million contract in the cap for 5 or 6 years with a guarantee of $50 mil using your prorated bonus that you talked about with $11 mil in cap space as well as paying rookies that have not been paid yet

 

[NWPATSFAN]

RW may not be going anywhere? But, like I been saying all along, it will cost you. Every deal that gets done before RW potentially costs Seattle more and more to keep him.

 

[dredinis21]

Wilson isn't going any where. I know it, you know it, we all know it.

Well, we mostly know it...but we don't know how far they are off, and frankly we don't know how much this franchise values its QB because there hasn't been one in decades worth mentioning. If this Carroll feels that the offense is plug and play, then SEA doesn't go beyond the number they value the position at. If Carroll feels that RW NEEDS to be there, then there are going to have to be some pretty hard decisions moving forward, starting with Bobby Wagner and others that are on the come up as well, in terms of managing the cap space.

If this report is true and they ARE that far off on money, do you really think that they are each going to budge, say, $20 mil over the life of the contract to make it happen? RW, by doing that, de-values his overall worth below QBs he may be better then.

At the end of the day, I think it only happens if SEA let people go and choose not to resign Wagner. That's why you are hearing the Wagner "I need an extension soon" now. Wagner's camp knows that's really what's holding up his negotiations and they want to have an idea as well as to how valued HE is in their plans. Or RW has to back WAAAAYYYY down from his stance of wanting to be one of the highest, if not THE highest, paid player in the NFL, which doesn't seem as likely. Who the fuck knows really? You hope it happens. I hope it doesn't.

 

[LambeauLegs]

I can give you a few reasons.

Chancellor
Sherman
Avril
Graham
Thomas
Lynch
etc.

Wilson will not be easy, but it will get done. Anyone know what the cap hit is if they franchise tag him?

But we were told many times that paying those guys the contracts they have would not create an issue once they had to start paying Wilson real QB money. Did I miss something along the way?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

RW may not be going anywhere? But, like I been saying all along, it will cost you. Every deal that gets done before RW potentially costs Seattle more and more to keep him.

Course it will cost the Seahawks. I disagree with the part about every deal done before Wilson will make a difference, unless it was Luck, which doesn't seem likely.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

But we were told many times that paying those guys the contracts they have would not create an issue once they had to start paying Wilson real QB money. Did I miss something along the way?

So what's the issue?