Seahawks make interesting move today

[Warden]

Reports are that the Seahawks did some reworking of Doug Baldwins contract today. Basically converted a large portion of this years base salary to signing bonus so they can free up cap space this year. Before this move the Seahawks whee 8 mil under the cap but 5 mil of that was needed as a reserve to cover injuries and the unexpected for the season. So for some reason they needed to increase the remaining 3 mil so they reworked Baldwins contract. Do they have a trade in mind? are they targeting a big name ? Richardson maybe? It is going to be a very interesting couple of days coming up

 

[SteelersPride]

oh snap

 

[MKHawk]

Trade is coming. I expect it to be a DL, likely a 3T. Sheldon Richardson and Kyle Williams are the names I keep seeing.

 

[JMR]

One thing about this organization in the PC/JS era is that it seems not to do what you think they will do. We see clues and think we know what is about to happen, then the headline is totally different.

So this extra cap space makes it look like a trade is coming. Sheldon Richardson has been rumored, so let's scratch that off the list if history tells us that's not what they're up to. Is there anyone else potentially in the window for an extension? I know we have tons of guys on 1 year deals right now (including contracts in final year). Maybe they are opening up some space so they can work extensions and fit the prorated SB into this year's cap?

 

[JMR]

Richardson would be a good get though. If he's a 3-4 DE then he can probably play inside for us with no problem, which may mitigate the presumed loss of McDowell for the season. Richardson is also only 26. Match him up with Reed, Naz Jones, McDowell, and Marsh, and that's a pretty good foundation prep for life after Bennett, Avril and Rubin.

 

[Mariners_44]

I may be wrong here, but isn't Richardson a one-year rental if we get him?

Not that that's a bad thing considering we will have another draft class, and with any luck McDowell back next year. That being said, hopefully it's a splash on the line; either side of the ball.

 

[JMR]

I may be wrong here, but isn't Richardson a one-year rental if we get him?

Unless he's extended, which I assume would be part of that plan. But yes, as it sits now he is projected as a UFA after 2017 according to overthecap.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Very interesting move.

@JMR brought up a very good, and very valid point that this organization is anything but predictable in the moves it makes. I can probably rattle off about 10 different moves they've made that nobody saw coming.

Looking forward to seeing what happens in the next few days. Also, it is worth taking into consideration that cap space rolls over to the next year. Meaning we could just be clearing up cap space for the upcoming offseason.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I may be wrong here, but isn't Richardson a one-year rental if we get him?

Not that that's a bad thing considering we will have another draft class, and with any luck McDowell back next year. That being said, hopefully it's a splash on the line; either side of the ball.

I think if we were to add Sheldon Richardson or Kyle Williams, on paper this would be the best defense the Seahawks have ever had. The interior of the defensive line is the only hole on this team. Even then, the poor interior was compensated for by the play of the edge players along with K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner.

 

[Warden]

The Baldwin restructure frees up 5.2 million in 2017 cap space

 

[Mariners_44]

I think if we were to add Sheldon Richardson or Kyle Williams, on paper this would be the best defense the Seahawks have ever had. The interior of the defensive line is the only hole on this team. Even then, the poor interior was compensated for by the play of the edge players along with K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner.

I hope you're right, but that Super Bowl winning defense was ridiculous. I think the secondary on that team was much better with more depth, but you're right in that this line (with the addition of Richardson) will be pretty dominant.

What's scary is that I think this offense may be the best Russell has ever had around him to go along with his maturation. The 2018 Hawks are gonna be special.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I hope you're right, but that Super Bowl winning defense was ridiculous. I think the secondary on that team was much better with more depth, but you're right in that this line (with the addition of Richardson) will be pretty dominant.

What's scary is that I think this offense may be the best Russell has ever had around him to go along with his maturation. The 2018 Hawks are gonna be special.

I really like the Seahawks depth at DB this year, I believe it will either rival or exceed the depth of the Superbowl team.

Griffin, Lane, Brock and Shead are all capable of starting on most NFL teams. Bradley McDougald is also another guy who was a starter last year and played very well. Hell, the fact that a guy like McDougald is willing to come to a team and be a rotational player when he could start for a lot of teams really speaks volumes about how attractive this organization has become.

I believe that both K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner are even better than they were back then. Additionally, I believe Avril, Clark and Bennett are all guys capable of putting up 10+ sacks. The only weakness on this team right now is the interior. Even without adding another defensive player, I believe this defense is better than it was last year and the deepest it has been since we won the Superbowl.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I hope you're right, but that Super Bowl winning defense was ridiculous. I think the secondary on that team was much better with more depth, but you're right in that this line (with the addition of Richardson) will be pretty dominant.

What's scary is that I think this offense may be the best Russell has ever had around him to go along with his maturation. The 2018 Hawks are gonna be special.

I agree. My only concern is that long-term I think our window for a Superbowl is this year and next. As long as Wilson is on the team, I do believe that we will always be at least a 9 win team, but by 2019 the team will be pretty aged. Wilson, Baldwin, K.J. Wright, Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will all be 30-31. Bennett and Avril will be 33 each.

I believe that the Hawks will still be in that "elite" category this year and next, but we may start to see regressions by 2019.

 

[Mariners_44]

I really like the Seahawks depth at DB this year, I believe it will either rival or exceed the depth of the Superbowl team.

Griffin, Lane, Brock and Shead are all capable of starting on most NFL teams. Bradley McDougald is also another guy who was a starter last year and played very well. Hell, the fact that a guy like McDougald is willing to come to a team and be a rotational player when he could start for a lot of teams really speaks volumes about how attractive this organization has become.

I believe that both K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner are even better than they were back then. Additionally, I believe Avril, Clark and Bennett are all guys capable of putting up 10+ sacks. The only weakness on this team right now is the interior. Even without adding another defensive player, I believe this defense is better than it was last year and the deepest it has been since we won the Superbowl.

I just think of the DB position that year with Sherman, Browner, Maxwell, Thurmond, and of course Bam Bam & Thomas. That was a lockdown crew.

 

[Mariners_44]

I agree. My only concern is that long-term I think our window for a Superbowl is this year and next. As long as Wilson is on the team, I do believe that we will always be at least a 9 win team, but by 2019 the team will be pretty aged. Wilson, Baldwin, K.J. Wright, Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will all be 30-31. Bennett and Avril will be 33 each.

I believe that the Hawks will still be in that "elite" category this year and next, but we may start to see regressions by 2019.

I agree, but in the 90's did you ever think we would become what we did? Those were some rough years, but it all happened for a reason. We are blessed as football fans to have these Hawks. I think as long as Pete/JS/RW are in charge we will be competitive regardless.

Crazy to think the Hawks became one of the elite teams in the league while the Mariners became the armpit of baseball.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I just think of the DB position that year with Sherman, Browner, Maxwell, Thurmond, and of course Bam Bam & Thomas. That was a lockdown crew.

Yeah I feel you.

Browner I always felt was a bit overrated. He was a liability against smaller/quick WRs. I wasn't too sad to see him go. Maxwell played lights out and Thurmond was great when he was healthy.

I still think that the group of Sherm, Brock, Griffin, Lane and Shead could rival that though.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I agree, but in the 90's did you ever think we would become what we did? Those were some rough years, but it all happened for a reason. We are blessed as football fans to have these Hawks. I think as long as Pete/JS/RW are in charge we will be competitive regardless.

Crazy to think the Hawks became one of the elite teams in the league while the Mariners became the armpit of baseball.

I was born in the early 90s, I'm aware of the history of the team but wasn't exactly there to experience it first hand lol.

Since the Holmgren era the Hawks have always been competitive - with the exception of his last year and Mora's brief stint. Crazy to think that Carroll is the oldest head coach in the NFL. Hope he plans on sticking around for a while.

 

[MrS]

Hope they didnt go to doug and tell him restructure or we cut kearse.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Richardson makes sense but it would just be for this year. A 3rd rounder would probably get the Jets to give him up which kind of sucks, but if it means making it to the Super Bowl it's worth it. The benefit to Richardson being on a 1 year deal is it's a prove it year for him to get his big payday, so he'll probably play lights out.

He makes a ton of sense for our defense considering he played DT, DE, and OLB at NYJ. I don't think the NYJ org/coaching staff has a fucking clue what they're doing, but point is he has experience at a lot of positions. He was pretty dominant as a DT early in his career before he probably just gave up considering it was the Jets. He should find the resurgence of motivation given a) it's Seattle contending for a Super Bowl, b) contract year.

He's an $8M hit this year which is the remainder of our cap, but Doug's restructure gives us $5M and likely that will be saved for injuries, etc.

 

[Cloud]

Hawks get Richardson from Jets for Kearse. Seattle has not confirmed the trade yet.