Russell Okung signs with Broncos ($53m/5yr OR $5m/1yr)

[drdiags]

so what in the world are we getting as a comp pick for this?

Less than what Sweezy will bring in.

 

[HawkMeat]

Edit- amazing. So no comp pick it seems

 

[LickMyNuts]

looks like we'll be drafting 9 "offensive" lineman

especially as we got nothing but dog crap in fa

rw needs to invest some of that money into body armor

 

[BlueTalon]

How is that the poison pill all over again?

This is why it's similar. The way the contract is structured made it impossible for Seattle to match it without having to make some major rearranging on the roster.

That makes it a poison pill, not the poison pill.

 

[Jville]

so what in the world are we getting as a comp pick for this?

Less than what Sweezy will bring in.

:177692: Stop ...... I need to let that sink in .....

JR Sweezy was guaranteed more 2016 money than Russell Okung!

ok .... so I wasn't the only one that ranked Sweezy ahead of Okung for this off season.

 

[Jville]

The more I think about it. Okung's exit was all about appearances.

JR Sweezy is the lineman they really wanted to keep.

 

[McGruff]

The more I think about it. Okung's exit was all about appearances.

JR Sweezy is the lineman they really wanted to keep.

Undoubtedly.

 

[BelgianHawk]

That sounds like a loophole the league needs to address.

Just for some perspective, I think the rule for Soccer in most (European) countries -at least in mine- is that an option can never be for more years than the actual contract.
While I like the American salary cap system, I believe a similar rule should be in place in the NFL.
If you're using 1-year prove-it deals for players, the players should be protected in that they can get to free agency at most 1 year after that season.

 

[jammerhawk]

Congrats to Okung, it is clear though that the Hawks would not have paid that amount to keep him. Thanks for your well compensated service to the team.

I suspected he was gonzo after he didn't respond positively to the Hawks 'generous offer', and started his tour to look for The Money. I wonder how genuinely serious the team was to renew him. His silence and his continuing tour to me confirmed he was gone. Still I'd bet he was telling the team they were still 'in it' until today. That part sucks. To me he wasn't worth the money even though his replacement now is surrounded by some uncertainty.

We need to remember that while at times he was adequate or better at LT he missed 23.8 % of his potential starts here and was a big reason for a lack of continuity on the OLine. HIs injury history will not likely significantly improve as her passes 30. There is no single player on any team that can't be replaced and it appears likely their team will get a 3rd Rd comp. pick for him reducing somewhat his loss. He clearly had lost some speed from his ankle and toe injuries and had become somewhat vulnerable to speed rushers and took compensating false start penalties as a result. He was however a good run blocker and better than average pass protector.

The team will find a suitable replacement, though it would have been easier if he'd made up his mind a few days earlier. I'm glad the team is no longer a hostage to this negotiation.

The argument about losing a bomb DLineman doesn't hold water as Pn'J gave never been shy about taking the guy they think is best for the team. However they have reached for need a few times. Normally though they pick the BAP with althletic parameters acceptable to their standards.

Time to move on.

 

[kearly]

Sowell will cost us a 5th round pick. Webb's would normally cancel out Mebane. But it's total qualified UFAs lost minus qualified UFAs gained.

Hard to see Sowell remaining on the roster. It'd be adding a replacement level OL player at premium cost for the cost of a 5th round pick at this point. Don't see us making that 'trade'. The final addition and loss calculation is done at the cutdown to 53.

Players who are coming off 1 year contracts do not factor into compensatory consideration. Sowell signed a 1 year contract with Arizona last February, so he won't count against our comp picks.

Similarly, non-tendered RFA's do not factor into compensatory consideration. Webb was a non-tendered RFA.

Seattle won't lose any comp picks from either of those signings.

 

[DavidSeven]

I would've given him the first-year $8m straight up. Maybe guarantee a small 2016 base salary and give him a bonus for the rest, which you could spread over a second or third non-guaranteed year. Not sure if this would've gotten it done, but the numbers look like they were within reach and manageable under the cap.

To me, it looks like they got impatient with the negotiation and ultimately put forth a "take it or leave it" offer that was taken off the table. We'll never know if it was a better deal, or if perhaps Okung was anxious to get out of Cable's room anyway. But if we did pull it, I'm left to wonder why weren't more aggressive in pursuing other LT options earlier.

 

[raisethe3]

Part of me is glad he's gone. I mean, he's an injury prone dude. No way he deserves this type of money.

 

[HawkGA]

That sounds like a loophole the league needs to address.

Being able to pay free agents more than other teams seems like a loophole that needs to be addressed? That makes absolutely no sense.

Not that. The team option that ends up ripping the original team out of a comp pick.

 

[HawkGA]

Hawks weren't held hostage by his negotiations. They had first crack at it, and could have probably kept him if they wanted. The day Okung started his visit Hawks started signing guys, and have OL guys into visit. They knew the moment he walked out he door that he wasn't coming back, hence the talk that Seattle didn't even have a deal on the table for Okung when he left. My guess is Seattle had a number in mind, and Okung thought he could beat it. At that point Seattle said, thanks for your service and moved on.

I don't think anybody is complaining that Okung left. I personally thing he's a bit of an idiot for taking a contract like that but that's his deal and I don't know what his other options were. But I think you misunderstand the grumbling. It's mostly about how the contract is structured such that Seattle will likely end up with no comp pick or a crappy one at best.

 

[mrt144]

I would've given him the first-year $8m straight up. Maybe guarantee a small 2016 base salary and give him a bonus for the rest, which you could spread over a second or third non-guaranteed year. Not sure if this would've gotten it done, but the numbers look like they were within reach and manageable under the cap.

To me, it looks like they got impatient with the negotiation and ultimately put forth a "take it or leave it" offer that was taken off the table. We'll never know if it was a better deal, or if perhaps Okung was anxious to get out of Cable's room anyway. But if we did pull it, I'm left to wonder why weren't more aggressive in pursuing other LT options earlier.

Honeybadgers towards the OL is why.

 

[morgulon1]

I don't know, guys. You guys are saying the exact same things you said when we shipped off Unger, Carpenter, Giacomini.

Where has that left us?

It left us 2:00 minutes from our third straight NFC Championship game. Which was of course with out Russell Okant.

 

[Largent80]

Can we move this to the nfl forum now?...Thanks

 

[kearly]

According to the comments on Fieldgulls, which referenced Davis Hsu, this transaction will net Seattle a 3rd round comp pick at best and a 6th round comp pick at worst. It all depends on how many incentives Okung earns and also if Denver picks up his 2017 option.

Here's hoping Okung is successful in 2016.

 

[firebee]

Alright... This is a good thing. Now we don't have to sit on the money we had set aside for Okung, which frees us up a little more in free agency. Not saying go buckwild and sign a big name. Just keep doing what we're doing, but turn up the pace. I think we'll see a lot more free agents being brought in for a look now and I like what we've done in free agency so far. Sowell, Siliga and Webb are great upside acquisitions. Keep dialing the upside guys and things will pan out through preseason much better than it would if we spent big on a couple namebrand players.

 

[James in PA]

Clayton said Okung cost himself millions by not having an agent. It's a 1 year/5 mil deal. All the other numbers don't mean anything. Time to bring in Clady after Denver fails to trade him.