I don't get why we released Leon. He led the NFC in yards per kick return. Was a focal leader on our team and an amazing, dangerous punt returner. Being a returner is a dangerous job, why not leave Leon there and protect our investment in Percy by leaving him at WR or couple him with Leon on kick returns? I don't think he was getting paid enough to free up a considerable amount of cap room, was he?? I will miss Leon but am excited for Percy too.

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first off leon is one of my favorite seahawks.. or was.. he was the starting rb at fsu when i attended there.. but yeah.. he was schedule to make like 2.5 mill this upcoming year.. cutting him frees up just over 2 million in cap space..

He was due a one million bonus plus his salary. Also Percy is a terrifying man running back K.O.'s.

He was making $2.5 million. That's a lot for a return specialist.

I never understood why we didn't implement him more as a 3rd down back...he could have been a game changer.

One of my favorite Hawks as well. Not happy to see him gone, but I understand it.

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YEAH, WE HAVE A DUDE NAMED CHRISTINE...DEAL WITH IT!

so does this mean Percy will be returning punts or will we see someone like Tate or one of the corners, possibly lane?

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I liked Leon as well, but it was pretty obvious-- at least to me that that Turbin was clearly a better RB option over Washington.

He just wasn't worth the money, Harvin represents an extreme upgrade in the return game and is younger than Washington. I wish him nothing but the best and hope he is able to catch on elsewhere.

I'm surprised Obo is still on the team. I saw somewhere that $82M of the Seahawks cap is on the offensive side of the ball. $2.5M may not seem like much but the team couldn't afford the luxury of carrying Leon's number when they have Harvin and Tate to cover Leon's main contributions. Sidney and Miller are going to have to do something next year to help lower this imbalance as more money starts to shift toward the defense.

Harvin had to take all the snaps Leon would have had as the 3rd RB, along with PR/KR responsibilities. On top of that he will be doing slot and some outside stuff. $12M/yr, expect other folks to get caught in the aftershock. Tate is not going to get paid here unless Rice walks. Baldwin would get an Obo-type deal at best.

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Money, and Tate/Harvin can both do PR/KR return duty. It's a business, even though we just gave up a draft pick to release Leon, which I love. Just because it's business doesn't mean it has to be cold.

<3 our Seahawks organization.

The trade for Percy Harvin made his role redundant and therefore expendable.

Leon's been great for us. But he's also 30 years old, and releasing him saved Seattle $2.125 million this season alone, not including the savings next year. That is money that will be needed to help pay for Percy's salary, other free agents and draftees, as well as cap rollover to re-sign our own young core players.

As an older running back who did not have a significant role in the offense, combined with the reduced impact of kickoffs due to NFL rule changes, and a lack of breakaway speed—it's pretty clear why he was released. With two starting wide receivers in Golden Tate and Percy Harvin that can handle punt and kickoff return duties, (who are also younger, faster, and more explosive players) it vacates a valuable roster spot that Leon was holding, which could be used for more pressing needs, such as defensive lineman, nickel cornerback, playmakers, or other depth.

there ya go diags.. thats what i've been saying.. tate is not gona get paid here.. sidney may not have had a big year last season.. but he was consistantly getting open.. was making good plays on balls in clutch situations. plus he offers a different dynamic when compared to harvin/tate.. those guys are similar receivers.. i've always referred to tate as a poor mans harvin.. but sidney is different.. he's the more prototypical wr with good size/speed/route running n what not.

1. Being a returner isn't as dangerous as people pretend it is.
2. Harvin can be a better KR than Washington was, honestly. Not sure about punt returning, though.
3. He was taking up about $3M in cap room to JUST be a returner (he was never really effective in the RB role).
4. Returns are less important with the various rule changes the NFL has implemented the last couple of years.

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Okay, so maybe that pass rush is still an issue. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The thing about a return game is that people forget just how valuable it is.

But at the end of the game, no matter how good your RB or WR, the clock still runs. Someone like Leon could bring us close to FG range with only seconds left. It gave us more options at the end of games, and saved games that might have been out of reach.

Finally, starting drives at the 30 or 40 after the opponents score takes some of the pressure off of the offense. They are not near their own GL, if something goes wrong you have breathing room. Even if the drive dies you can punt and play field position. But driving the length of the field is easier when you cut the field in half.

I have always seen the return game and kickers get undervalued but frankly I have seen a lot of games won because of one or the other.

I suppose you can say we have Harvin we didn't need him, but I am not sure how much of a price you can put on not having to fix what isn't broken. Our return game was one of our key weapons and now it is a question mark.

I know we needed the space, but you don't remove one of the top players in their field, that was also a positive and effective locker-room presence, and expect not to lose anything.

i agree with the main parts of your post.. except for 2 things.. i dont really want harvin returning kicks with the amount were paying him and his value in the offense.. i think it will fall to someone else on the team or maybe one of our draft picks.. and 2....... leon doesn't have breakaway speed? i think you need to check up on that logic.. thats one of his best weapons.. he isn't really the shiftiest guy.. he was just good at seeing an opening making one cut and using burst to try and get through the opening before it closed.. a guy lacking breakaway speed doesn't have 8 kick/punt returns for tds...

The difference is that Leon's money had a roster bonus attached that we'd have to pay if he was on the roster beyond a specified date, so his cut had to come sooner. We don't have to pay Obamanu until the season starts, so we can wait to cut him later as long as we stay under the cap.

Sometimes it is not the price of things but the value that matters most.

Leon was a great value, even at the price.

Thought this was a nice little nugget of info for those of us that had much respect for Leon and those of you that are angry he's gone. The Seahawks still have class even in the business side of these things



We could have gotten some compensation for Leon but he didn't want to go there so we granted him his release so he can choose where he wants to go. Thanks Leon for everything, and thanks Pete and John for being good at what you do but also compassionate to those who've given so much to this organization.

That he was, but if his role was going to be even further reduced by the addition of Harvin, then it makes sense that maybe he'd want to move on and this move is mutually beneficial. I don't think he'll have trouble catching on with another team.

Percy Harvin is a weapon, and that is why he was acquired. He's extremely versatile, and one of the most explosive players in the league. You want the ball in his hands as often as possible. Considering how much draft capital we relinquished in order to obtain the rights to him, as well as the financial commitment we've given him—why wouldn't you try to maximize his attributes and value? You don't give up a first, third, and seventh round pick, in addition to $25.5 million guaranteed to not be used in as many ways as his talent allows.

I think you're confusing "lack of breakaway speed" with "slow", which is certainly not what I was insinuating. Leon is still plenty fast, but he does not have the kind of fifth-gear speed that Percy does, at not least not at this point in his career. I can recall numerous occasions where Leon was tackled in the open field, whereas someone with more burst and speed in the same position would have taken it to the house. That's not necessarily a slight on Leon. He was a Pro-Bowl returner for a reason. But again, it's a combination of factors that played into this decision. The only thing I wish the front office did differently here was trade Leon to the highest bidder, but it was a classy move to allow him to go to a team of his choosing.

4. Returns are less important with the various rule changes the NFL has implemented the last couple of years.

I think this has more to do with it than people realize. From a business perspective, it's hard to justify having a return specialist when there are so many touch-backs do to recent rule changes.

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Well, one thing that isn't really being discussed is that Leon is set to make a lot of money this year for a 30 y/o 3rd down running back who at this point is really only a return guy. What I imagine might have happened is that we decided he's not worth the money to us (given we have Harvin, Tate and others who can return kicks, that's fair) so they released him (and his fat contract). Now, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that he has to clear waivers before he's a UFA. So the way I can imagine it happening is that they granted him the opportunity to see if anyone is interested in taking on his current contract, or at the least willing to offer him something better than what we were willing to offer. If nobody is, I can see Leon come back for a deal somewhere closer to the vet minimum.

How many times have we seen guys leave and come back in the past? I think LeRoy Hill has done it at least 4 times in the PC era. I'm not holding my breath that Leon comes back mind you (because somebody could very well decide he's worth the money... I think he IS worth the money) but it's a possibility that he's not done here...

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