2015-16 Non-Niners Offseason Thread

[Pattersonca65]

Earl Thomas told Ed Werder he'll miss training camp and at least the first game of the regular season. He's really their best defensive player, and I believe Baalke passed on him to draft either Davis or Iupati.

He took Davis a couple picks before Thomas went. I really wanted Thomas, much more so than Davis at that point. Not too many times I can say I called it, but I did on that one. Thomas is simply instrumental to their D. His elite range and instincts allow all the other members of that secondary to be much more aggressive than they could otherwise be. They couldn't play that trail technique they like so much without him locking down the back end.

They play GB in their second game. It would be huge if they were missing Thomas for that. They're very thin at safety, at least in terms of experienced players. They'd better hope they hit on a diamond in the rough.

I read through the training camp section on ESPN's website. Read through the NFC West teams. I was surprised just how thin Seattle's Oline is. They are looking to start a converted dline player at Center or if that doesn't work a rookie. The oline could be their achilles heel this year if things don't go well. I don't see them falling to far, but could be a case where they fall enough where they loose home field advantage to other teams

[generaldreedle]

I actually think their crappy o line is what allows Wilson's extraordinary improvisational skills to shine, if they had a clean contained pocket for him I think he'd struggle a little bit.

[Pattersonca65]

I actually think their crappy o line is what allows Wilson's extraordinary improvisational skills to shine, if they had a clean contained pocket for him I think he'd struggle a little bit.

True but their oline got worse and what Wilson is doing is not sustainable long term. As he gets older or one serious injury and he is not going to continue the Houdini act. If he doesn't become a better pocket passer, his success will be more short term than long term

[generaldreedle]

I agree, but he has been very elusive so far. It's fun to read Pete Prisco's tweets about Russell Wilson, he thinks RW is a good but not great qb and the blowback he gets is hysterical.

[CrimsonCrew]

Chancellor threatening to hold out now:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/report-kam-chancellor-wants-more-money-threatens-holdout/?utm_network=twitter&utm_post=4001227&utm_source=TW%20%40SNFonNBC&utm_tags=srm%5Bfootball%2Carticle%5D

It will be very interesting to watch the Hawks this year. They're clearly still the class of the division and probably the league, but suddenly they've got three incredibly important pieces (Wilson, Bennett, Chancellor) unhappy with their contracts. Could be a major distraction. If Thomas is out to start the season and Chancellor either isn't in the lineup or is rusty, they could be in trouble. Their safety depth is pretty suspect.

[Pattersonca65]

Chancellor threatening to hold out now:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/report-kam-chancellor-wants-more-money-threatens-holdout/?utm_network=twitter&utm_post=4001227&utm_source=TW%20%40SNFonNBC&utm_tags=srm%5Bfootball%2Carticle%5D

It will be very interesting to watch the Hawks this year. They're clearly still the class of the division and probably the league, but suddenly they've got three incredibly important pieces (Wilson, Bennett, Chancellor) unhappy with their contracts. Could be a major distraction. If Thomas is out to start the season and Chancellor either isn't in the lineup or is rusty, they could be in trouble. Their safety depth is pretty suspect.

The fun is over for them now. They will have to deal with paying a QB probably somewhere in the $20 million range. No more paying peanuts. With all the money they already have tied up in the defense, they will have a dificult task.

[Pattersonca65]

Interesting story about the 49ers being interested in Julius Thomas. I don't buy it though. They might have kicked the tires but I can't imagine Baalke throwing much money at a free agent TE. Not sure I would want him either. Cdumler, a poster over at Hoopla, is a Denver Bronco fan and really knowledge about the NFL. He said Thomas can't pass block worth a damn and has low tolerance for pain. Takes himself out of games for any little injury. On the 49ers, his production would decrease not having Manning. I am glad he s not here.

http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/7/29/9069199/49ers-considered-free-agent-julius-thomas-releasing-vernon-davis

[CrimsonCrew]

Chancellor threatening to hold out now:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/report-kam-chancellor-wants-more-money-threatens-holdout/?utm_network=twitter&utm_post=4001227&utm_source=TW%20%40SNFonNBC&utm_tags=srm%5Bfootball%2Carticle%5D

It will be very interesting to watch the Hawks this year. They're clearly still the class of the division and probably the league, but suddenly they've got three incredibly important pieces (Wilson, Bennett, Chancellor) unhappy with their contracts. Could be a major distraction. If Thomas is out to start the season and Chancellor either isn't in the lineup or is rusty, they could be in trouble. Their safety depth is pretty suspect.

The fun is over for them now. They will have to deal with paying a QB probably somewhere in the $20 million range. No more paying peanuts. With all the money they already have tied up in the defense, they will have a dificult task.

I was reading an interesting piece, I think in Grantland, that was looking at the Hawks and projecting them to struggle a bit going forward - not the focus of the article, it just touched on this at one point.

The basic premise was that the staff is great at getting production out of low drafted DBs, but they've now got four starting DBs all signed to pretty hefty contracts - three to very large contracts - which may limit their success in the immediate future. It's a fair point. Schneider and Carroll have been at their best with the defensive back-seven. Their draft and development work on the DL and on offense leaves something to be desired. If they sign Wagner, they'll be paying six of their back-seven starters big money (even Cary Williams has a cap hit above $4.5 million this year). And it looks like they're losing the seventh next year in Irvin.

[Pattersonca65]

Chancellor threatening to hold out now:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/report-kam-chancellor-wants-more-money-threatens-holdout/?utm_network=twitter&utm_post=4001227&utm_source=TW%20%40SNFonNBC&utm_tags=srm%5Bfootball%2Carticle%5D

It will be very interesting to watch the Hawks this year. They're clearly still the class of the division and probably the league, but suddenly they've got three incredibly important pieces (Wilson, Bennett, Chancellor) unhappy with their contracts. Could be a major distraction. If Thomas is out to start the season and Chancellor either isn't in the lineup or is rusty, they could be in trouble. Their safety depth is pretty suspect.

The fun is over for them now. They will have to deal with paying a QB probably somewhere in the $20 million range. No more paying peanuts. With all the money they already have tied up in the defense, they will have a dificult task.

I was reading an interesting piece, I think in Grantland, that was looking at the Hawks and projecting them to struggle a bit going forward - not the focus of the article, it just touched on this at one point.

The basic premise was that the staff is great at getting production out of low drafted DBs, but they've now got four starting DBs all signed to pretty hefty contracts - three to very large contracts - which may limit their success in the immediate future. It's a fair point. Schneider and Carroll have been at their best with the defensive back-seven. Their draft and development work on the DL and on offense leaves something to be desired. If they sign Wagner, they'll be paying six of their back-seven starters big money (even Cary Williams has a cap hit above $4.5 million this year). And it looks like they're losing the seventh next year in Irvin.

According to a couple of the homer Hawk fans we know, it doesn't matter because Schneider is such a cap guru and with Carroll they will hit a home run with whoever they draft. Salary cap will never be an issue

[CrimsonCrew]

I don't see how you can call Schneider a cap guru at this point. He's never had to deal with an expensive QB, and until the last year or two, he's been relying on a ton of guys on their rookie deals. His real test will be going forward.

[Pattersonca65]

I don't see how you can call Schneider a cap guru at this point. He's never had to deal with an expensive QB, and until the last year or two, he's been relying on a ton of guys on their rookie deals. His real test will be going forward.

I think the Hawks have managed the cap pretty well up to this point, but the NFL created the league salary system to create parity. I don't care how good any GM is at salary crunching, the cap can only be spread so far and something is going to get neglected. The Hawks have alot of money (and more possibly coiming) tied up in their secondary and defense. It appears they have chosen their Oline to be sacrified for their cap. It looks like they aren't going to invest much in the oline. I suspect once Lynch is gone they are going with a draft pick there or cheap FA option. Turbin and Michel aren't very good. Over time, alot more of the offensive output is going to be put on Wilson. We will see whether he is the QB many Hawk fans think he is.

I've been curious how teams like Green Bay, Baltimore, and others with the highest paid QBs have fared with the cap and how they spend their money that is not tied up with the cap

[CrimsonCrew]

I think Turbin is pretty good, but I'm not sure he can be an every down back, and he certainly isn't Lynch. I can't see Lynch playing much more than another year or two - at least at the level he has been. Without Lynch, that OL becomes a major liability, though it's worth noting that almost to the man, they are much better at run blocking than pass blocking.

[Pattersonca65]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/07/30/russell-wilson-contract-negotiations-warren-moon

Hawk fans say RW is not about the money, but it is all about the money with him. According to his buddy Warren Moon, RW is concerned about what other QBs are going to get in the near future and how his current contract might not be enough figuring in QB pay inflation, lol.

[CrimsonCrew]

It's unclear if he's about the money, the respect, or what. It's interesting that guaranteed money is seemingly so important to him, though. It almost reflects a lack of faith in himself. How many 26-year-old QBs who have achieved the success he has don't believe they'll see the full value of their first big contract? Is he really that worried that the team would just walk away from him? Kap - who was in a shakier position IMO - bet on himself with a contract with relatively low guarantees, but pretty big paydays if he earns them. It's interesting to see Wilson pushing for the guarantees as a young player who should feel awfully good about his job stability for the foreseeable future.

Wilson's concerns about being leap-frogged are also kind of silly. That's inevitable. Whenever he signs, he will be leap-frogged at some point. I can see wanting to wait and see what Luck gets, as Luck will likely set a new bar, but it's kind of a given that once you sign, the next guy in your ballpark to sign will get more. It's the nature of the beast.

[Pattersonca65]

It's unclear if he's about the money, the respect, or what. It's interesting that guaranteed money is seemingly so important to him, though. It almost reflects a lack of faith in himself. How many 26-year-old QBs who have achieved the success he has don't believe they'll see the full value of their first big contract? Is he really that worried that the team would just walk away from him? Kap - who was in a shakier position IMO - bet on himself with a contract with relatively low guarantees, but pretty big paydays if he earns them. It's interesting to see Wilson pushing for the guarantees as a young player who should feel awfully good about his job stability for the foreseeable future.

Wilson's concerns about being leap-frogged are also kind of silly. That's inevitable. Whenever he signs, he will be leap-frogged at some point. I can see wanting to wait and see what Luck gets, as Luck will likely set a new bar, but it's kind of a given that once you sign, the next guy in your ballpark to sign will get more. It's the nature of the beast.

Whatever the ulimate reason maybe, it is about the money for him.

[DoobieKeebler]

Extry, extry! J-Mart to meet K-Mart!

Jonathan Martin is retiring from football at the senseless age of 25.

Somewhere Richie Incognito is readying a text message about how now Marin has no one to run and snitch to after he gives Martin's mom the "blue light special."

[Pattersonca65]

Extry, extry! J-Mart to meet K-Mart!

Jonathan Martin is retiring from football at the senseless age of 25.

Somewhere Richie Incognito is readying a text message about how now Marin has no one to run and snitch to after he gives Martin's mom the "blue light special."

J Martin stunk and he was here because of Harbaugh. They could have brought in any Free Agent scrub and he probably would have done just as well if not better

[Pattersonca65]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13350726/kam-chancellor-seattle-seahawks-plans-holdout

Looks like Kam Chancellor is following through on his holdout.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Russell Wilson - QB - Seahawks

Seahawks signed QB Russell Wilson to a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension that includes $60 million guaranteed.

Wilson gets a $31 million signing bonus and is signed through 2019, his age-31 season. The deal is short compared to other quarterback contracts, but gives Wilson another potential bite at the free-agency apple when he's still theoretically in his prime as a quarterback. Wilson's $21.9 million annually in new money makes him the second-highest paid quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers ($22 million). There were whispers Wilson was aiming for a fully-guaranteed contract. He settled for 68.5 percent of it guaranteed, which is still better than any other quarterback. The Seahawks will now turn their attention to MLB Bobby Wagner.
Source: Peter King on Twitter

Jul 31 - 9:55 AM

[Pattersonca65]

Russell Wilson - QB - Seahawks

Seahawks signed QB Russell Wilson to a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension that includes $60 million guaranteed.

Wilson gets a $31 million signing bonus and is signed through 2019, his age-31 season. The deal is short compared to other quarterback contracts, but gives Wilson another potential bite at the free-agency apple when he's still theoretically in his prime as a quarterback. Wilson's $21.9 million annually in new money makes him the second-highest paid quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers ($22 million). There were whispers Wilson was aiming for a fully-guaranteed contract. He settled for 68.5 percent of it guaranteed, which is still better than any other quarterback. The Seahawks will now turn their attention to MLB Bobby Wagner.
Source: Peter King on Twitter

Jul 31 - 9:55 AM

Welcome to salary cap hell