Seahawks trade for Kentwan Balmer

[Danny Darko]

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee is reporting the 49ers have traded the 2008 first-round draft pick to Seattle, though terms of the deal are not yet available.
The Seahawks have not commented on the report, but Jason La Canfora of nfl.com says the trade likely is for a late-round draft pick.

Balmer, 23, left the 49ers camp last Wednesday and the team made the rare move of sending him a "five-day letter" which requires him to either report to camp or be put on a reserve list that makes him ineligible for the entire season.

The former North Carolina standout has been a disappointment in San Francisco since being selected with the 29th pick in the 2008 draft. He's never cracked the starting lineup and has just 19 tackles in two seasons. At 6-5, 315 pounds, he's played both tackle and defensive end.
It's too soon to know how the Seahawks might use him, but the team continues to look for ways to improve its defensive line depth.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/archives/218236.asp

Interesting... another sweet cheap gamble. I don't really know much about the guy. He sounds like an underachiever, but he's got nice size and who knows...

[Sweezo]

I'm guessing he becomes Red Bryant's backup, and oddly enough may force Jackson off the roster...the guy picked right before him in the same draft.

[Danny Darko]

Well scouted I'd say pre-draft:

Balmer will be labeled by many as a boom or bust type player. His potential is through the roof, but nobody is quite sure if he can keep it all together enough to be an effective player in the NFL. His great physical tools and high ceiling will make him a borderline first round pick.

http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/profile_display.cfm?prospect_id=1318

[Sweezo]

Still, I like the trade. A 6th round pick isn't much in terms of worth, and Balmer may seem like a better fit for our defense than L. Jackson.

And I'm guessing he's going to try to play his ass off against one of our division rivals...just a hunch.

[Sweezo]

Hmmm

So what became of the 49ers' reported attempt to recover up to $960,000 from defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, given his trade to the Seahawks?

Per a league source, Balmer paid $80,000 back to the Niners in order to facilitate the trade. That number represents 25 percent of the 2010 portion of his $1.6 million signing bonus.

But Balmer also preserved $800,000 in future guaranteed salaries, for which the Seahawks are now responsible.

Bottom line? Though Balmer's absence initially was explained as arising from a "personal matter," it appears that he personally wanted out of San Fran.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/16/kentwan-balmer-buys-his-way-out-of-san-fran-preserves-future-guarantees/

Hopefully that's true and not just bluster from PFT. Singletary's methods don't seem to be for everyone, much like Mora's camp from hell last year helped gas the players and lose the clubhouse.

Here's hoping Balmer thrives under Carroll's approach.