How would you rank this offseasons FA priorities?

[DJrmb]

I don't think people are giving Michael Bennett enough credit that think you can "just replace him with another pass rusher". Bennett is what we have been searching for all along and what we'd hoped Red Bryant could be. He's not "just a pass rusher" and was a key piece to the defense this year. His versatility, athleticism, and ability to play well against both the run and the pass were extremely valuable.

1a. Re-sign Earl Thomas - The number 1 biggest asset to our defense and the biggest reason we're able to play the style we do.
1b. Re-sign Michael Bennett - What a find (again). He's the perfect fit for the defense on the line and is the missing piece we've been searching for.
2. Extend Russell Okung - While I think some are being a bit optimistic on how little we can pay him I do think we can extend him and free up cap.
3. Extend Richard Sherman - Sherminator is expendable if need be. Every FO has their knack, ours is finding DBs. But try your damndess to keep him!
4. Cut Sidney Rice - Not worth the money anymore
5. Cut Chris Clemons - Still has productive years but we need the money and he is only a 3rd or 4th backup pass rusher on this team
6. Cut James Carpenter - Big fella can't stay healthy and I'd rather spend the 2M on young talent as we'll likely address oline in the draft
7. Re-sign Doug Baldwin - Yes over Tate. He's become a sturdier version of Sidney Rice with a bit more YAC ability.
8. Re-sign Golden Tate - Tate is very talented and a very good returner. If possible bring him back.
9. Re-sign Breno Giacomini - Silently has become a very good RT. Hopefully the market doesn't overvalue him though.
10. Re-sign Steven Hauschka - has become one of the NFLs best and most consistent kickers
11. Re-sign O'Brien Schofield
12. Re-sign Anthony McCoy
13. Re-sign Tavaris Jackson
14. Re-sign Tony McDaniel
15. Re-sign Chris Maragos
16. Re-sign Lemuel Jeanpierre

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

From an organizational standpoint, I think it's important to re-up your homegrown All-Pros. I also think it's important to pay them near market value (assuming it doesn't destroy your cap).

Last year, PC/JS said extending Kam was their top priority (even over getting Harvin). I believe them, and I don't think this was just lip service. People were also surprised he got a market value contract. But there's a reason for this. Rewarding your top homegrown talent creates an important model for the other young players to follow: if you bust your butt and become the best at your position, you'll be rewarded handsomely. This is especially important for a team that relies on maximizing the development of late round picks, and I believe this is a big part of Pete's philosophy. Therefore, I think their top priority heading into this off-season is extending Sherman and Thomas, and I bet Pete talks a bunch about the positive impact of this on their organization at their joint press conference..........

I've been saying this since they re-signed Kam well before his contract ran out and I'm standing by it. The message that sent to the team cannot be overstated IMO. Earl and Sherm will get new deals and they will be big. But they will respond by playing at this level for at least 5 more years.

 

[kearly]

Is Jared Allen really going to go from 17 M/yr cap hit to 4-5M contract?

Not sure, but he's already made a ton of money and has spoken about his desire to get a ring. If not Allen, I'm sure there are other like-minded pass rushers who would come for relatively cheap like Avril/Bennett did last year.

Allen told USA Today: "If I continue to play, you want to try to win a championship at some point. Personal accolades can only go so far.

"I don't want to be chasing the ring. I want to earn the ring. I want to be somewhere, and obviously, you've got to have parts in place and you've got to be contenders."

Good post(s).

Interesting quotes from Allen. Minny fans already joke that the Seahawks are "Vikings West". Makes sense I guess, since the Vikings made their place in history by traveling west. If we got Jared Allen a ring though, they'd probably start calling us the Seattle Valhalla's.

 

[kearly]

My thoughts on Bennett:

Firstly, interior pressure is hard to find in this league. If Bennett walks, and you wanted to replace his interior production immediately without relying on dumb luck, you'd need to swing a trade for a guy like Suh, Atkins, Watt, etc. If you could even pry them away at all, it would cost multiple first round picks and a truckload of money. Compared to those alternatives, paying Bennett $7-$8 million per year with no draft pick losses is a bargain.

Secondly, Bennett is a mean LEO as well, and we've already had one playoff run destroyed because of not having LEO depth.

Third, Bennett's ability to excel inside and out provides the kind of flexibility up front that Dan Quinn covets. Bennett and Bryant's ability to play both inside and out played a big factor in Seattle maximizing it's pass rush with a base four man rush.

Fourth, Bennett was rated as the 3rd best pass rusher in the game this past season by PFF. He may not get a ton of sacks, but he's been incredibly productive. Even if Seattle gave Bennett a 5/40 type deal, he'd still be helping the team in a moneyball sense. That's a very reasonable contract given Bennett's contribution.

Fifth, Seattle "only" managed 44 sacks this season despite having a legendary defensive backfield. There were a lot of games where Seattle created pressure but struggled to finish sacks. Our pass rush is obviously championship caliber, but to me it looks like a group that is getting the job done with precious little room to spare. Seattle has to be careful this offseason to not get too cute with the pass rush. If Seattle had 60 sacks last season I might be indifferent about Bennett, but as things stand they are "just good enough" and losing their best pass rusher would likely push them to "almost good enough" next season.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Is Jared Allen really going to go from 17 M/yr cap hit to 4-5M contract?

Not sure, but he's already made a ton of money and has spoken about his desire to get a ring. If not Allen, I'm sure there are other like-minded pass rushers who would come for relatively cheap like Avril/Bennett did last year.

Allen told USA Today: "If I continue to play, you want to try to win a championship at some point. Personal accolades can only go so far.

"I don't want to be chasing the ring. I want to earn the ring. I want to be somewhere, and obviously, you've got to have parts in place and you've got to be contenders."

Good post(s).

Interesting quotes from Allen. Minny fans already joke that the Seahawks are "Vikings West". Makes sense I guess, since the Vikings made their place in history by traveling west. If we got Jared Allen a ring though, they'd probably start calling us the Seattle Valhalla's.

Jared Allen should only be a consideration if he's going to play here very cheap.

At some point, and much sooner rather than later, this team is going to have to reward their own guys first before they bring in off the street guys. I don't know what kind of message it sends to Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, etc that they're giving nice deals to guys who haven't been a part of this program since Day 1.. while telling them to keep risking their long term health and performing at the level they are while being grossly underpaid for their value.

If Allen wants to come play and fill the Clemons role basically for 1 year and $3-4M or something.. then yeah sure.. go for it.. but if he's wanting 1/2 years for $8-9M a year.. no thanks.

 

[Hawks46]

Players that are eligible for contract extensions count (Thomas, Sherman, etc). As do players that are likely to be released (Rice, Miller, etc). You can name as many as you want, I'm just naming ten.

Mine:

1. Thomas
2. Bennett
3. Sherman
4. Tate
5. Giacomini
6. McDonald
7. McDaniel
8. Baldwin (RFA)
9. Schofield
10. Hauschka

Pretty good list and I'd agree with pretty much all of it. I find it interesting that you rated Tate so highly Kearly, yet Baldwin so low. Is this because Baldwin is a RFA and most of them are retained by the team they're on, or is there another reason ?

Personally, I like Tate, a lot. I think he's underrated but that said, he also seems to disappear in big games and the playoffs this year. In the regular season and in "average" games, he's a stud, and his PR performance can't be understated. I don't know if he can tear up average CBs but get erased by good ones, or what it is. In the AZ away game, he had his way with Peterson, but I've seen SF's CBs shut him down and I'd call them above average at best.

Baldwin, on the other hand, is Mr. Clutch. He seems to have the best chemistry with Russell and is the guy making the plays when Russ is scrambling. Any huge 3rd down conversions or bail out play on a scramble seems to go to Baldwin. Baldwin is also an above average KR specialist and I'd say he's probably decent at PR duties (I've really only seen him do this in preseason). I think any drop off we've seen from Baldwin is due more to him getting bured on the depth chart.

I think Kearse can do most of what Tate can do on the field. Tate might be better at high pointing the ball, but Kearse is 3" taller, which equals out in the jump ball category. I think we've seen Tate's ceiling on the field, while Kearse still has room to develop IMO. Why make the comparison ? I honestly think if we lost Tate, Kearse would give us most, if not all of his production. I'm not sure we can replicate Baldwin's clutch-ness if we needed to.

 

[DavidSeven]

If Allen wants to come play and fill the Clemons role basically for 1 year and $3-4M or something.. then yeah sure.. go for it.. but if he's wanting 1/2 years for $8-9M a year.. no thanks.

That's the assumption I'm working with -- that he'll come here for cheap. If I assumed it would cost $8-9M and that we had that kind of money available, then I would say just give it to Michael Bennett. I'm not saying Allen is willing to come for that cheap. He's just a name I picked. It could be any rusher at a bargain price on a one-year deal. SEA has actually had a lot of success doing this: Raheem Brock, Jason Jones, Michael Bennett.

I like kearly's aforementioned $7-8M range for Bennett. If he agreed to a 3-year deal, then I think that's a slam dunk and fair for both sides. That's the right length/money to be manageable with future hits coming from Wilson/Thomas/Sherman. I would get concerned if it crept into the $8.5+ and 5+ years range.

Edit: but I definitely agree with your overall point. Gotta take care of the homegrown guys first and then manage the rest of the cap around that principle (doesn't mean it will be accomplished in that order).

 

[hoxrox]

My thoughts on Bennett:

Firstly, interior pressure is hard to find in this league. If Bennett walks, and you wanted to replace his interior production immediately without relying on dumb luck, you'd need to swing a trade for a guy like Suh, Atkins, Watt, etc. If you could even pry them away at all, it would cost multiple first round picks and a truckload of money. Compared to those alternatives, paying Bennett $7-$8 million per year with no draft pick losses is a bargain.

Secondly, Bennett is a mean LEO as well, and we've already had one playoff run destroyed because of not having LEO depth.

Third, Bennett's ability to excel inside and out provides the kind of flexibility up front that Dan Quinn covets. Bennett and Bryant's ability to play both inside and out played a big factor in Seattle maximizing it's pass rush with a base four man rush.

Fourth, Bennett was rated as the 3rd best pass rusher in the game this past season by PFF. He may not get a ton of sacks, but he's been incredibly productive. Even if Seattle gave Bennett a 5/40 type deal, he'd still be helping the team in a moneyball sense. That's a very reasonable contract given Bennett's contribution.

Fifth, Seattle "only" managed 44 sacks this season despite having a legendary defensive backfield. There were a lot of games where Seattle created pressure but struggled to finish sacks. Our pass rush is obviously championship caliber, but to me it looks like a group that is getting the job done with precious little room to spare. Seattle has to be careful this offseason to not get too cute with the pass rush. If Seattle had 60 sacks last season I might be indifferent about Bennett, but as things stand they are "just good enough" and losing their best pass rusher would likely push them to "almost good enough" next season.

I just listened to Bennett on NFL Total Access and they asked him about a "hometown" discount. Based on his response, I don't think he's going to take anything less than market value. Teams like Denver already have him high on their list.

I hope the FO can make it happen, but am doubtful at this point.

 

[Recon_Hawk]

1. Thomas - Earl should be here till even after Pete retires.
2. Sherman - Sherm earns ~$500k in 2014 if he doesn't sign an extension this off-season. Seahawks has leverage to make a deal they won't have next year.
3. Tate - Tate's a play-maker and, importantly, durable. Stabilizes the receiver group heading into '14. I may be wrong, but I don't think he'll get a ridiculous contract.
4. Bennett - As hard as it would be, MB might be looking to sign with the highest bidder. He deserves a huge payout, but could be too expensive to commit the farm too.
5. Schofield - If CC is let go, OBS would add some needed depth. Pete loved this guy coming out of college. Could even compete for starting LEO spot.
6. Giacomini - Solid enough player. That's all they really need at right tackle.
7. Baldwin (RFA) - Dependable play-maker in his own right, but might be more valuable to another team (would love to see the numbers he'd put up with Brady).
8. McDonald - Has shown he's an important piece in the nickel defense. Knows his role on the team.
9. McDaniel - Didn't garner much attention over the season, but I consider that a good thing. Has shown he can hold his own next to Red and Mebane.
10. Hauschka - Clutch kicker is clutch

 

[Tical21]

I think it is such a given that Thomas stays, I don't see it as a major talking point. From that list, there are really only a few guys I think we really need to have.

1. McDaniel--One of the few guys I don't think we have a replica of. He and Mebane were among the best DT tandems in the league. I think Mebane/McDonald or Mebane/Hill is a pretty significant step down. I think McDaniel comes relatively cheap for a DT, and if you don't re-sign him, you'll just end up spending that same money on a possibly lesser DT.

2. Schofield--With the thinking that Clem is gone, Schofield's versatility and pass-rushing ability may be needed. He can play multiple positions, and should come cheap. He can play some at LEO. If Irvin gets moved back to LEO, we're going to need a backup at OLB. I think Schofield is a player given the opportunity.

3. Hauschka--we've come too far to mess around with the kicker position. Kicks can be too important in the playoffs.

4. Red--Would love to see them find a way to get him done. He's a captain for goodness sake, and underrated as a leader and catalyst. I also think he is a guy we don't have a replica of. Who would fill that role if he is gone? Does it come down to Red vs. Bennett? Don't know that I see Bennett in that role. In a division with Gore and Zac Stacy, we still need to be able to stop the run, and Red showed his worth to me this season.

That is really about it for me. A little about my thinking for the other guys....

Bennett--He's going to be expensive. I think it is reasonable to think he topped out this year, which is fine, he had a great year. He looked to me like a guy playing for respect and a contract. How will he do without that chip? Will he fight guards and doubleteams as hard every play? I'm certainly not going to whine if they keep him, but if it costs us Okung or possibly Sherman, I think we could replace him if pressed.

Breno--Love me some Breno. He is akin to Kam or Red Bryant to me, as far as the tone he sets for our offense. But Bowie showed me enough to think he can fill in adequately enough for pennies on the dollar.

Golden--Love me some Golden. A few years back, nobody sang his praises higher than me. I love that he never gets hurt. I love that he never drops the ball. I love the fight, the athleticism. But he isn't an outside receiver. He is a slot, and probably the third best one that we have. I'd rather give his snaps to Kearse, again for pennies on the dollar, and add a receiver through the draft or free agency that possesses a skill set that is less redundant on our team.

McDonald--I would love to bring him back on a 1-2 year deal for 2-3 mil per. Would he go for that? If not, it is time for Jordan Hill to put on his big boy pants. I have no problem with that.

Clemons--I think he's going to have a big year next year. I think the reports of him falling off are overblown and premature. Sadly, I don't think that big year will be here. I would love to see a re-structured deal, but I think he is going to gamble that he'll get a payday, and I think he'll win that gamble somewhere.

Miller--Not totally sure how I feel about him, although I know I don't want him at his current salary. I think signing Beckham may signify the end of Miller here. I still think McCoy could surprise in an expanded role, and I think Willson blocks just well enough to where we can see an expanded role out of him too. With as little as we throw to the TE, I'm fine going cheap there.

It appears that I believe our cap situation is worse than a lot of others do. I just see Sherm and Wilson, and know that we're going to have to find a way to shave 30+ just for those two guys in the next 15 months. That is a ton of dough. That doesn't even get into raises for Okung and Thomas. When you add Percy, that is going to be nearly half our cap for five guys. And we've still got Lynch, Mebane, Kam, Avril. Doesn't leave a lot of room for extra luxuries. I think Bennett/Tate costs us Okung at the very least, very possibly Sherman.