So, if Lynch is not on reserve/retire list by Wed.

[canfan]

I am not sure how this article can be true. Lynch's 2016 portion of the contract does not become fully guaranteed after next week. He has $5 million of signing bonus remaining - $2.5 million for 2016, and $2.5 million for 2017 - which is the amount the Seahawks could seek to have returned, or it becomes the cap hit. His 2016 base salary of $6.5 million is not guaranteed - so the Seahawks could cut him any time between now and June 1st and receive $6.5 million in extra cap space. If cut after June 1st, I believe that the Seahawks can elect to have the $5 million dead money spread over the next two seasons...but not certain about that part. The only way his entire salary would be guaranteed would be if some sort of mystery clause existed to move the base into a guarantee

Either way, the Seahawks have moved on. If Lynch changes his mind, I am 100% certain the Seahawks will cut him. They may cut him anyway to make certain that both parties are able to put this behind them.

The article never says that the Hawks will take a cap hit of 11.5 million as the OP suggested. It says that "They need to clear him off the roster by Wednesday, or the Seahawks will carry a cap number of $11.5 million for Lynch into the new league year."

Which is true. If he doesn't file retirement papers or the Hawks don't release him he effectively remains under contract as outlined by his current terms. It's not really an issue until Week 1 of 2016 season when his salary becomes guaranteed for the year as a vested veteran.

I've been checking out Over the Cap. Assuming the Hawks don't want to pursue the signing bonus, (and assuming I understand what I am reading!) if they put him on the reserved retired list today, the entire $5 M left on the signing bonus becomes a cap hit against 2016. If they delay the paperwork to June 1, the cap hit gets spread across 2016 and 2017, as spleenhawk has mentioned, and buys them $2.5 M of cap space in 2016. Possibly, this is a move by the Seahawks and has nothing to do with Lynch. He doesn't have to file retirement papers with the league according to John Clayton - all that has to happen is the Seahawks designate him retired, his salary comes off the books and they retain his rights for the length of the contract. So if he wants to play in Oakland, it won't happen behind anybody's back. The Raiders are going to have to come to Seattle to ask for permission to speak to him. In the meantime, the Hawks free up enough cap space to sign another one of their targeted free agents. If Rubin's new contract is $6 M the first year with $5 M guaranteed as is being reported, then a base salary of $1 M this year with a $5 M signing bonus gives him a 2016 cap hit of $2.667 M. Leaving Marshawn on the books until June 1 would pretty much cover this cap hit and still leave the team with $26.7M in cap space. Assuming $10 M for rookies, PS and IR, they still have almost $17 M for free agents even after the Rubin signing. Enough for Jeremy Lane, Sweezy and likely one more.

 

[Anonymous]

My Shaun Alexander rookie card says Marshawn becomes Raider.

I told it to just shut up, and sit down.

 

[CurryStopstheRuns]

My Shaun Alexander rookie card says Marshawn becomes Raider.

I told it to just shut up, and sit down.

You didn't need to tell it to sit down. It would have fallen down on its own.

 

[kf3339]

What a bunch of nonsense. He's done. We were fortunate to have him these last years, but he declined heavily this last season. Even if he wants to play one last year or two with the Raiders it will be as a limited back with health issues. Who needs that?

Personally, unless the team has an arrangement with him written in stone, it's time to cut him and move on. This team has far more important issues to deal with than him.

 

[Rocket]

If he holds out, perhaps the team should let him know they want his $5 mill sb back.

This is BS.

This ^, Too much Drama....I can't believe that there are people around here that are on board with this jerking shit around.
Man up Marshawn.

IF, big if, he signs elsewhere, I'd be good for going after his bonus money.
IF

 

[Rocket]

My Shaun Alexander rookie card says Marshawn becomes Raider.

I told it to just shut up, and sit down.

I'd like you to smack it with a shoe a couple times, just out of pure spite.

 

[QuickLightning]

If he holds out, perhaps the team should let him know they want his $5 mill sb back.

This is BS.

This ^, Too much Drama....I can't believe that there are people around here that are on board with this jerking shit around.
Man up Marshawn.

IF, big if, he signs elsewhere, I'd be good for going after his bonus money.
IF

If he's cut you can't go after the signing bonus. It's his to keep per league rules.

 

[SomersetHawk]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/707694630175948804[/tweet]

 

[QuickLightning]

$11 million for a guy unofficially retired. That's crazy.

 

[Basis4day]

$11 million for a guy unofficially retired. That's crazy.

They can wait till June so the 5 million in dead money is split with next season. Also, Lynch's salary isn't guaranteed until week 1.

 

[drdiags]

Just a update on this.


[tweet]https://twitter.com/SheilKapadia/status/712347709177520129[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SheilKapadia/status/712370637021581316[/tweet]

 

[vin.couve12]

General manager John Schneider was asked Tuesday if there's a reason why Lynch is not on the retired/reserve list.

"Not really," he said. "We just haven’t received his papers yet. He’s been out of the country riding camels and stuff."

:lol:

 

[Exittium]

I appreciate what he's done on the field and for his charities, but outside of those two things, the stunts and shit he's been pulling with the team, he's gone from one of my favs to one I could care less about and dislike. His stunts are becoming hurtful to a team ($$$) that relied heavily on him.

I'm not saying he's not a great teammate, I'm not saying I don't appreciate his past performance and achievements, and what he's done for the TEAM. But now at this point I'm sick of his antics. Retire, or don't. If you don't want to be here because of whatever reason, great man the hell up and say so. Stop playing games, its not cute, its not funny, its annoying and aggravating.

 

[Cyrus12]

Hmmm...seems like he maybe isn't really retired....

 

[sutz]

Hmmm...seems like he maybe isn't really retired....

It seems like he is trying not to be retired. The team has things to protect here. Starting to feel a bit like a game of contract chicken now. If the team cuts him early, he could play elsewhere.

Not liking the way things are going.

 

[naholmes]

They can wait till June so the 5 million in dead money is split with next season. Also, Lynch's salary isn't guaranteed until week 1.

Correct. There will be an extra $2.5M in cap space this season ($9M vs $6.5M) if he retires or is released after June 1st. So this could actually be a team decision. I guess we won't know for sure unless his retirement papers come in after June 1st.

 

[Exittium]

They can wait till June so the 5 million in dead money is split with next season. Also, Lynch's salary isn't guaranteed until week 1.

Correct. There will be an extra $2.5M in cap space this season ($9M vs $6.5M) if he retires or is released after June 1st. So this could actually be a team decision. I guess we won't know for sure unless his retirement papers come in after June 1st.

Makes sense, and hopefully it is the team making the choice. Help them and provides more money, not a lot but enough.

 

[sutz]

It still has a bit of a feel to it that Marsh is trying to leverage the team into releasing him before the draft. If he really does want to play elsewhere this year, he would have more leverage with the new team if he could sign before then. After Jun 1, he would not have the same opportunities as he does now.

JMO, and it does look like the team is handling this properly. No sense hurting the team's position to placate a player who has "retired."

 

[naholmes]

What leverage does Marshawn really have? He can try to force a release but the team could hold him to his contract and tell him to show up for camp or forfeit $5M of his signing bonus. If the Seahawks were over the cap and needed the cap space now then it might be a different story but that does not seem to be case.

 

[sutz]

What leverage does Marshawn really have? He can try to force a release but the team could hold him to his contract and tell him to show up for camp or forfeit $5M of his signing bonus. If the Seahawks were over the cap and needed the cap space now then it might be a different story but that does not seem to be case.

True. I'm really just speculating. I kind of hate assigning ulterior motives to Lynch's actions, but I know he's smarter than his public persona might indicate.