K9. Saddle up and pay or not?

[GemCity]

I’d like to see a 3-4 year $11M per

 

[Silver Hawk]

This is a fascinating topic and I think we should broaden it to include Rashid Shaheed but for the moment:

Would you rather:

1. Sign K9 to a reasonable contract or at worst - tag him and pay $11-14MM for one year and figure this out over the next year or more; or

2. Hope that: 1) you can draft an unspecified stud running back with one of your 4 measly draft picks that could be better spent elsewhere (see OL) ; 2) you can sign some free agent that nobody else notices, to a much cheaper contract than required for K9; or 3) Charbs comes back to start the season and Kenny M. can carry the ball more than the 31 times that he did in the past 3 years.

Which has the better probability of success? I’d put my money on #1.

 

[AnimeAmore]

I am against 2nd contracts for RB on principle, so I hope they trade back from #32 and use a pick on RB, and possibly pursue a cheap veteran RB who is looking for a lighter workload and a ring.

 

[AnimeAmore]

This is a fascinating topic and I think we should broaden it to include Rashid Shaheed but for the moment:

Would you rather:

1. Sign K9 to a reasonable contract or at worst - tag him and pay $11-14MM for one year and figure this out over the next year or more; or

2. Hope that: 1) you can draft an unspecified stud running back with one of your 4 measly draft picks that could be better spent elsewhere (see OL) ; 2) you can sign some free agent that nobody else notices, to a much cheaper contract than required for K9; or 3) Charbs comes back to start the season and Kenny M. can carry the ball more than the 31 times that he did in the past 3 years.

Which has the better probability of success? I’d put my money on #1.

#2
Make Charbs the #1 RB while sharing the workload with a cheap veteran or a draft pick.

If the Hawks find an upgrade for Bradford it will help the run game as well, so less pressure to pay $$$ for RB

 

[Trackhawk]

14 million? where did that come from? I would say he falls around these guys.
Maybe we see what James cook gets as well as Breece Hull who has about the same contract.

Kenneth Walker

Seahawks

26

$8,441,580

$2,110,395

$6,144,040

$6,144,040

2026 UFA

Player	Team	Age	Total Value	Avg./Year	Total Guaranteed	Fully Guaranteed	Free

James Cook	Bills	27	$46,000,000	$11,500,000	$30,000,000	$15,280,000	2030 Void
Kyren Williams	Rams	26	$33,000,000	$11,000,000	$23,000,000	$15,145,000	2029 UFA
Aaron Jones	Vikings	32	$20,000,000	$10,000,000	$13,500,000	$11,500,000	2027 UFA
Joe Mixon	Texans	30	$19,750,000	$9,875,000	$13,000,000	$13,000,000	2027 UFA

Top tier backs are 15-18, pushing into the 20s this year or next. (Saquon was an overpay). 14-16 is a reasonable number for a second tier back in 2026, and some here seem to think that’s where he belongs.

If you think he’s on par with Mixon, Jones, Williams, and Brooks, then 14-16 is about right. That’s what those guys would go for if their contracts were signed in the 2026 season.

I think he’s a tick below that, and I would offer him a contract that starts in the 9-10 range with escalators that push him into the 12-14 range in years 3 and 4.

 

[Silver Hawk]

I am against 2nd contracts for RB on principle, so I hope they trade back from #32 and use a pick on RB, and possibly pursue a cheap veteran RB who is looking for a lighter workload and a ring.

#2
Make Charbs the #1 RB while sharing the workload with a cheap veteran or a draft pick.

If the Hawks find an upgrade for Bradford it will help the run game as well, so less pressure to pay $$$ for RB

Charbs may not even be available until the season is half over. Not good. Adding some lazy veteran (“looking for a lighter workload”) doesn’t seem like a good bet either.

Edit to add: Charbs was injured on January 17th. The standard recovery time for an ACL injury has been stated as 9-12 months.

Why not keep K9? Why take a gamble? The money is available for a reasonable outcome.

 

[Trackhawk]

I like the idea of a four-year contract with incentives, escalators and out clauses.

It’s a prove it contract, with incentive to do so.

I’d even be happy with a 10 mil base salary with bonuses for 800, 1,000 and 1,200 yards, playoffs, NFCCG, and Super Bowl etc, that would give him 14 mil if it turns out the last seven games of this season weren’t a fluke.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Maybe I'm completely wrong on this but Ken walker is at t-mobile hq today for a photo op with employees. Would he be doing this if he wasn't coming back? This close to free agency too?

 

[glenwo2]

Maybe I'm completely wrong on this but Ken walker is at t-mobile hq today for a photo op with employees. Would he be doing this if he wasn't coming back? This close to free agency too?

Maybe he's hoping he and JS come to a reasonable (for both sides) contract so he's going to act like he'll still be here.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

3 years, 30-33 mil, my prediction.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

3 years, 30-33 mil, my prediction.

15 guaranteed?

 

[Bobblehead]

Does splitting RB1 duties come into factor.
I suppose it doesn't since, other teams will want him full time.

We can offer him 8 million, but he only has to work half the time..sounds reasonable.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

We have a sh** ton of cap. 8 mil? Not gonna happen

 

[irfuben32]

This is a very tough call.

I think K9 was injured earlier in the year. He wasn't getting to the edge or breaking tackles. At the end of the year he looked strong and fast. He scored that touchdown against SF where he shrugged off a tackle attempt that would have brought him down in the first half of the season. On top of the physical aspects, in the Super Bowl in particular, he looked to be a different back mentally. Maybe he just found the rhythm in Kubiaks offense or maybe he just took the next step in his career. Either way he looked like a serious weapon that will being doing a lot of damage in the future. The downside is his injury risk. I feel like it is pretty significant. His injury history isn't that bad, So the data doesn't say it, for some reason I just feel like it is.

 

[glenwo2]

We have a sh** ton of cap. 8 mil? Not gonna happen

Exactly.

Seahawks want him back? You pay up what he's worth (or at least close to it without breaking the bank).

The last thing JS needs to do is to pinch pennies here.

 

[glenwo2]

This is a very tough call.

I think K9 was injured earlier in the year. He wasn't getting to the edge or breaking tackles. At the end of the year he looked strong and fast. He scored that touchdown against SF where he shrugged off a tackle attempt that would have brought him down in the first half of the season. On top of the physical aspects, in the Super Bowl in particular, he looked to be a different back mentally. Maybe he just found the rhythm in Kubiaks offense or maybe he just took the next step in his career. Either way he looked like a serious weapon that will being doing a lot of damage in the future. The downside is his injury risk. I feel like it is pretty significant. His injury history isn't that bad, So the data doesn't say it, for some reason I just feel like it is.

I think we're overreacting just a tad.

 

[glenwo2]

If we don't re-sign a RB just 'cause of injury concerns, then we might as well not sign ANY RB because they do get injured/banged-up at some point.

 

[glenwo2]

15 guaranteed?

Bare minimum.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Does splitting RB1 duties come into factor.
I suppose it doesn't since, other teams will want him full time.

We can offer him 8 million, but he only has to work half the time..sounds reasonable.

Splitting is a double-edged sword. It lowers stats, but it also protects a RB from injury.

 

[Bobblehead]

Bare minimum.

That's at Henry's salary..