canfan
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Basis4day":2ifk4flt said:Spleenhawk2.0":2ifk4flt said: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.