:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68960417/1173093606.jpg.0.jpg)
Welcome to Part Six!
This installment is going to have 3 distinct sections.
Section 1 will provide an updated roster based on the decisions that you have made (as a group) over the past few days.
NOTE: For the purposes of this series, contract negotiations with our in-house free agents and the players you decided to offer extensions to were both quick and easy and the results are IN. SPOILER: They all signed.
Section 2 will look at the team’s current salary cap position (within the series), based on the roster updates in Section 1.
NOTE: For those that are interested, the contract breakdowns and a full accounting of the cap hits by year will be provided in the “Bonus Coverage” section at the end of this article.
Section 3 will ask you to prioritize the team’s areas of needs as we head into free agency (on Wednesday) and then into the NFL Draft (April 29th - May 1st).
NOTE: This is the section where the polls will be.
Ready to get started?
Let’s go!
The current state of the Seahawks’ ACTUAL roster
This is what the Seahawks’ roster looked like when the 2020 season ended:
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22365009/Depth_Chart___2020_01_xx__updated_.jpg)
And here is what it looks like today:
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22365010/Depth_Chart___2020_03_12__updated_.jpg)
Decision makers make decisions
Here on Field Gulls, the roster chart is a bit different because the 12s have been making some roster decisions - and it has been a BUSY week.
Here’s a quick recap:
- On Monday, y’all decided to sign Jamal Adams to a 4-year, $66M extension that will keep him in Seattle through 2025 at a total cost of $75.86M over 5 years.
- On Tuesday, you decided to tender RFA Poona Ford at the Round-Two level and to release Tre Flowers. You also decided to resign several of Seattle’s free agents.
- On Wednesday, you decided to turn down offers from the Bears, the Raiders, and the Saints, and KEEP Russell Wilson as your starting QB.
- On Thursday and Friday, you reviewed the current roster and largely decided to maintain the status quo. Although, a few players were offered extensions.
All caught up?
No?
How about a little more detail on the decisions you made Thursday and Friday?
You were asked what you wanted to do with 40 individual players and the majority of you said “Have him play 2021 on his current contract” for 34 of them (85%).
The six that a majority of you didn’t vote to have play the 2021 season on their current contract were: Bobby Wagner, D.J. Reed, D.K. Metcalf, Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, and Tyler Lockett.
More than half of you voted to give D.J. Reed Jason Myers, and Michael Dickson extensions. In Dickson’s case, 80% of you voted to extend him. D.J. Reed was second at 54%.
49% of you voted to offer D.K. Metcalf an extension while 43% voted to have him play 2021 on his current contract. Close vote!
NOTE: Unfortunately, it turns out that D.K. isn’t eligible for an extension until after his third season. That’s my fault - I forgot about “accrued” seasons when I made the polls for the offensive players. Sorry ‘bout that.
That leaves 2 players - Messrs. Lockett and Wagner. Strictly from a votes-perspective, the decision on Lockett is to extend him and the decision on Wagner is to have him play 2021 under the terms of his current contract. Thus, that is what we’ll do for this series. But . . .
Roughly a third of the votes (29% for Lockett and 35% for Wagner) were to “quietly ‘shop’ him” and try to find a trade partner.
Separate from those 40 players, there were follow-up questions on 5 players who had previously had polls about them: Russell Wilson, Duane Brown, Brandon Shell, Jarran Reed, and Quandre Diggs.
With Russ, 28% of you think he should be given a seat at the table so he can have a voice in personnel decisions while 11% of you think he should just focus on day job. Nearly 2/3rds of you think the solution lies somewhere in the middle.
In regard to restructuring his contract, the group was less certain. Technically, restructuring Wilson’s contract on an “as needed” basis was the winner, but a total of 10 votes separated the top 3 answers.
With Brown, Shell, J-Reed, and Diggs, you were asked if you’d be interested in trading them after the draft. For all but Jarran Reed, the answer was a resounding, “No!” With Reed, 56% of you said, “Yes.”
That leads us to the question of compensation - i.e. what you think you could get for the player if you traded him.
With J-Reed, 37% of you think you could get a Round 2 pick and 33% think you’d get a Round 3 pick.
The numbers were similar with Diggs (33% Round 2, 32% Round 3) and Brown (31% Round 2, 33% Round 3). With Shell, 29% thought you could get a Round 3 pick and 33% thought “early-Day 3” (i.e. Round 4 or 5).
A dilemma - and a solution
The two Jarran Reed decisions provide us with a dilemma.
In Part Two, 52% of poll respondents voted to sign him to an extension that lowers his 2021 cap hit. Then, in Part Five, 56% of poll respondents voted to have the option to trade him after the draft.
Because I needed a decision for this installment, I went with the option that got more actual votes. Having the option of trading him after the draft got 348 votes. Signing him to a contract extension that lowers his 2021 cap hit got 577.
That said . . .
His contract extension now includes 3 years of salary guarantees instead of a signing bonus. If the team releases him this year, the dead money is $20M. But if Reed is traded, the dead money is only $5M; exactly what it is without the extension.
In subsequent years, there is NO dead money.
While it’s unlikely that Reed’s agent would like the arrangement, his agent didn’t get a vote; Reed signed the deal and is now under contract through 2025.
NOTE: Full details for Reed’s contract - and each of the others that the group approved - can be found in the Bonus Coverage at the end of this installment.
Decisions List
- Released: Tre Flowers (and Carlos Dunlap).
- Tendered (and then signed to a new contract): Poona Ford
- Re-signed before free agency starts: Benson Mayowa, Carlos Hyde, Ethan Pocic, Geno Smith, K.J. Wright, Neiko Thorpe, Nick Bellore
- Signed to contact extensions: D.J. Reed, Duane Brown, Jamal Adams, Jarran Reed, Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Quandre Diggs, Tyler Lockett
After all of those decisions, here is what your version of the team’s depth chart looks like:
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367514/Depth_Chart___Post_Part_5__2021_03_13_.jpg)
Seattle’s current cap situation
Per OverTheCap (OTC), Seattle is currently $17,922,987 under the salary cap (as of 1am PTS on 3/13/2021). The roster moves that you have made, as John and Pete, have increased that amount by $15,825,857.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367517/Cap_Changes__as_of_2021_03_13_.jpg)
Heading into free agency (and the draft), Seattle has $33,748.844 in available cap space.
Positional priorities
The decisions that you’ve made so far have helped, but there are still quite a few holes to fill on the roster.
How are you going to fill them?
Or, more specifically, how are you going to prioritize filling them?
It’s polling time
My apologies, but there are A LOT of polls today.
The first 4 are the ones that I would consider the most important ones, so if you are only going to do some of the polls, please do the first four.
NOTE: The polls are going to close a couple hours earlier this time around.
They will be open until 8pm PST tonight.
Poll #P6.01a: Which side of the ball is your priority heading into free agency and the NFL Draft?
Poll
Which side of the ball is your priority heading into free agency and the NFL Draft?
This poll is closed
-
30%
Offense - at least 70% of our resources should go here
(167 votes) -
13%
Defense - at least 70% of our resources should go here
(73 votes) -
54%
Both equally - 50/50 (ish)
(298 votes) -
0%
Hey! What about Special Teams?
(4 votes)
Poll #P6.01b: Which position do you consider THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE to address in free agency and/or the draft?
Poll
Which position do you consider the MOST IMPORTANT one to address in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
2%
Quarterback
(15 votes) -
23%
O-Line: Center
(128 votes) -
36%
O-Line: Guard
(198 votes) -
7%
O-Line: Tackle
(42 votes) -
0%
Tight End
(0 votes) -
0%
Wide Receiver
(3 votes) -
1%
Running Back
(9 votes) -
0%
Fullback
(1 vote) -
1%
Defensive Tackle
(6 votes) -
14%
Defensive End
(80 votes) -
0%
Linebacker
(1 vote) -
11%
Cornerback
(62 votes) -
0%
Safety
(1 vote) -
0%
Special Teams
(0 votes)
Poll #P6.01c: Which position do you consider the SECOND-most important to address in free agency and/or the draft?
Poll
Which position do you consider the second-most important to address in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
0%
Quarterback
(3 votes) -
16%
O-Line: Center
(87 votes) -
31%
O-Line: Guard
(171 votes) -
5%
O-Line: Tackle
(30 votes) -
1%
Tight End
(6 votes) -
0%
Wide Receiver
(0 votes) -
3%
Running Back
(21 votes) -
0%
Fullback
(2 votes) -
1%
Defensive Tackle
(9 votes) -
19%
Defensive End
(106 votes) -
0%
Linebacker
(3 votes) -
18%
Cornerback
(97 votes) -
0%
Safety
(1 vote) -
0%
Special Teams
(0 votes)
Poll #P6.01d: Which position is the THIRD-most important to address?
Poll
Which position is the third-most important to address in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
0%
Quarterback
(4 votes) -
11%
O-Line: Center
(60 votes) -
12%
O-Line: Guard
(69 votes) -
5%
O-Line: Tackle
(27 votes) -
3%
Tight End
(19 votes) -
1%
Wide Receiver
(10 votes) -
7%
Running Back
(40 votes) -
0%
Fullback
(1 vote) -
3%
Defensive Tackle
(19 votes) -
24%
Defensive End
(132 votes) -
0%
Linebacker
(5 votes) -
26%
Cornerback
(143 votes) -
0%
Safety
(2 votes) -
0%
Special Teams
(0 votes)
NOTE: The rest of the polls dive into the position groups with 3 questions for each one. Responses are appreciated!
Offensive priorities
Poll #P6.02a: How much of a priority is the Quarterback position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Quarterback position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
10%
HIGH
(56 votes) -
20%
Medium
(109 votes) -
69%
low
(369 votes)
Poll #P6.02b: How many Quarterbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire? And what type(s)?
Poll
How many Quarterbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire? And what type(s)?
This poll is closed
-
25%
None
(133 votes) -
16%
One - a potential starter to "push" Russ
(86 votes) -
54%
One - a backup
(285 votes) -
4%
Two or more
(22 votes)
Poll #P6.02c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Quarterback position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Quarterback position?
This poll is closed
-
11%
None
(61 votes) -
53%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(275 votes) -
15%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(80 votes) -
1%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(8 votes) -
17%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(91 votes)
Poll #P6.03a: How much of a priority is Center position?
Poll
How much of a priority is Center position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
65%
HIGH
(331 votes) -
30%
Medium
(153 votes) -
4%
low
(25 votes)
Poll #P6.03b: How many Centers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Centers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
1%
None
(8 votes) -
82%
One
(415 votes) -
15%
Two or more
(79 votes)
Poll #P6.03c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Center position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Center position?
This poll is closed
-
0%
None
(4 votes) -
4%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(20 votes) -
15%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(78 votes) -
45%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(222 votes) -
33%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(164 votes)
Poll #P6.04a: How much of a priority is the Guard position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Guard position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
83%
HIGH
(407 votes) -
14%
Medium
(72 votes) -
1%
low
(7 votes)
Poll #P6.04b: How many Guards should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Guards should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
0%
None
(3 votes) -
34%
One
(166 votes) -
60%
Two
(297 votes) -
4%
Three or more
(22 votes)
Poll #P6.04c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Guard position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Guard position?
This poll is closed
-
0%
None
(2 votes) -
2%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(14 votes) -
11%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(57 votes) -
44%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(213 votes) -
40%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(196 votes)
Poll #P6.05a: How much of a priority is the Tackle position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Tackle position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
20%
HIGH
(98 votes) -
58%
Medium
(279 votes) -
20%
low
(98 votes)
Poll #P6.05b: How many Tackles should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Tackles should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
4%
None
(23 votes) -
44%
One - a LEFT tackle
(209 votes) -
18%
One - a RIGHT tackle
(85 votes) -
30%
Two
(144 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(6 votes)
Poll #P6.05c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Tackle position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Tackle position?
This poll is closed
-
1%
None
(9 votes) -
23%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(106 votes) -
35%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(162 votes) -
23%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(110 votes) -
15%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(72 votes)
Poll #P6.06a: How much of a priority is the Tight End position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Tight End position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
12%
HIGH
(55 votes) -
54%
Medium
(249 votes) -
33%
low
(150 votes)
Poll #P6.06b: How many Tight Ends should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Tight Ends should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
9%
None
(44 votes) -
75%
One
(335 votes) -
14%
Two
(64 votes) -
0%
Three or more
(2 votes)
Poll #P6.06c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Tight End position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Tight End position?
This poll is closed
-
4%
None
(19 votes) -
23%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(103 votes) -
47%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(210 votes) -
19%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(85 votes) -
6%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(27 votes)
Poll #P6.07a: How much of a priority is the Wide Receiver position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Wide Receiver position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
5%
HIGH
(24 votes) -
42%
Medium
(188 votes) -
52%
low
(233 votes)
Poll #P6.07b: How many Wide Receivers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Wide Receivers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
9%
None
(41 votes) -
63%
One
(278 votes) -
26%
Two
(115 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(7 votes)
Poll #P6.07c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Wide Receiver position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Wide Receiver position?
This poll is closed
-
4%
None
(18 votes) -
35%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(156 votes) -
43%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(191 votes) -
10%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(48 votes) -
5%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(24 votes)
Poll #P6.08a: How much of a priority is the Running Back position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Running Back position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
38%
HIGH
(170 votes) -
49%
Medium
(220 votes) -
11%
low
(53 votes)
Poll #P6.08b: How many Running Backs should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Running Backs should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
3%
None
(16 votes) -
64%
One
(279 votes) -
29%
Two
(129 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(7 votes)
Poll #P6.08c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Running Back position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Running Back position?
This poll is closed
-
2%
None
(9 votes) -
26%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(113 votes) -
44%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(193 votes) -
18%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(79 votes) -
8%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(35 votes)
Poll #P6.09a: How much of a priority is the Fullback position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Fullback position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
3%
HIGH
(13 votes) -
5%
Medium
(25 votes) -
91%
low
(395 votes)
Poll #P6.09b: How many Fullbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Fullbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
72%
None
(307 votes) -
26%
One
(112 votes) -
1%
Two or more
(5 votes)
Poll #P6.09c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Fullback position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Fullback position?
This poll is closed
-
53%
None
(227 votes) -
38%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(164 votes) -
4%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(18 votes) -
0%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(1 vote) -
2%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(11 votes)
Defensive priorities
Poll #P6.10a: How much of a priority is the Defensive Tackle position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Defensive Tackle position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
23%
HIGH
(98 votes) -
57%
Medium
(234 votes) -
18%
low
(77 votes)
Poll #P6.10b: How many Defensive Tackles should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Defensive Tackles should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
6%
None
(26 votes) -
66%
One
(268 votes) -
25%
Two
(101 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(7 votes)
Poll #P6.10c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Defensive Tackle position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Defensive Tackle position?
This poll is closed
-
3%
None
(15 votes) -
28%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(112 votes) -
48%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(192 votes) -
14%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(56 votes) -
6%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(25 votes)
Poll #P6.11a: How much of a priority is the Defensive End position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Defensive End position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
80%
HIGH
(323 votes) -
15%
Medium
(62 votes) -
3%
low
(16 votes)
Poll #P6.11b: How many Defensive Ends should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Defensive Ends should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
1%
None
(5 votes) -
37%
One
(147 votes) -
57%
Two
(226 votes) -
4%
Three or more
(16 votes)
Poll #P6.11c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Defensive End position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Defensive End position?
This poll is closed
-
1%
None
(4 votes) -
2%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(8 votes) -
10%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(41 votes) -
39%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(157 votes) -
47%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(188 votes)
Poll #P6.12a: How much of a priority is the Linebacker position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Linebacker position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
5%
HIGH
(20 votes) -
27%
Medium
(107 votes) -
67%
low
(268 votes)
Poll #P6.12b: How many Linebackers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Linebackers should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
33%
None
(131 votes) -
60%
One
(239 votes) -
4%
Two
(17 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(5 votes)
Poll #P6.12c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Linebacker position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Linebacker position?
This poll is closed
-
18%
None
(73 votes) -
43%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(169 votes) -
25%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(101 votes) -
9%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(36 votes) -
3%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(14 votes)
Poll #P6.13a: How much of a priority is the Cornerback position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Cornerback position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
80%
HIGH
(317 votes) -
17%
Medium
(70 votes) -
2%
low
(8 votes)
Poll #P6.13b: How many Cornerbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Cornerbacks should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
1%
None
(4 votes) -
31%
One
(125 votes) -
62%
Two
(246 votes) -
4%
Three or more
(18 votes)
Poll #P6.13c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Cornerback position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Cornerback position?
This poll is closed
-
0%
None
(3 votes) -
4%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(19 votes) -
13%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(54 votes) -
47%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(185 votes) -
33%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(132 votes)
Poll #P6.14a: How much of a priority is the Safety position?
Poll
How much of a priority is the Safety position in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
2%
HIGH
(9 votes) -
8%
Medium
(35 votes) -
88%
low
(346 votes)
Poll #P6.14b: How many Safeties should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Safeties should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
71%
None
(277 votes) -
26%
One
(104 votes) -
1%
Two
(4 votes) -
1%
Three or more
(4 votes)
Poll #P6.14c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Safety position?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Safety position?
This poll is closed
-
60%
None
(237 votes) -
29%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(113 votes) -
4%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(17 votes) -
1%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(7 votes) -
3%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(15 votes)
Special teams priorities
Poll #P6.15a: How much of a priority are Special Teams SPECIALISTS (i.e. Kicker, Punter, Long-Snapper)?
Poll
How much of a priority are Special Teams SPECIALISTS in free agency and/or the draft?
This poll is closed
-
2%
HIGH
(10 votes) -
3%
Medium
(14 votes) -
93%
low
(365 votes)
Poll #P6.1b: How many Special Teams players should the Seahawks try to acquire?
Poll
How many Special Teams SPECIALISTS should the Seahawks try to acquire?
This poll is closed
-
90%
None
(352 votes) -
7%
One
(31 votes) -
1%
Two
(5 votes) -
0%
Three
(2 votes)
Poll #P6.1c: How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Special Teams positions?
Poll
How much of the team’s available cap space should be earmarked for the Special Teams positions?
This poll is closed
-
81%
None
(315 votes) -
11%
Rookie scale or Veteran Minimum only
(44 votes) -
2%
More than Rookie scare or Veteran Minimum, but less than $5M
(10 votes) -
1%
At least $5M but not more than $10M
(4 votes) -
3%
Whatever it takes to properly address the position
(15 votes)
Bonus Coverage
Contract terms, by player
Each of the proposed contracts in this series are based on one of three things:
- PFF free agent estimates (behind a paywall - I believe)
- The proposals that were made in Part Five of the “If I were John and Pete series” (2/15/2021)
- A continuation of the contract the player performed under last season (ex. Benson Mayowa signed a 1-year, $3.05M contract last offseason)
NOTE: Graphics are included for multi-year contracts; text-only for 1-year deals.
Benson Mayowa
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 1 year, $3.25M contract
Bonuses and Guarantees: $1.5M signing bonus; base salary fully guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.25M base; $1.5M prorated bonus; $500,000 per-game roster bonus; $3.25M cap hit
Carlos Hyde
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 1-year, $2.2M contract
Bonuses and Guarantees: $500,000 signing bonus; $1.25M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.25M base; $500,000 prorated bonus; $450,000 per-game roster bonus; $2.2M cap hit
D.J. Reed
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $920,000 - - - $920,000 base; no bonuses; $920,000 cap hit (no dead money)
The Offer: 5-year, $15M contract with additional $2.5M in incentives (max value of $17.5M over 5 years)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $5M at signing; $7.5M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1M base; $1M prorated bonus; $2M cap hit (plus additional $500,000 in incentives)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367414/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_DJ_Reed.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: Reed’s 2021 cap hit actually goes UP with this new contract - but the consensus seems to be that he has more than earned it.
Duane Brown
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $10M - - - $10M base; $2M prorated bonus; $1M per-game bonus; $350,000 “other” bonus; $13.35M cap hit ($2M dead money)
The Offer: 2-year, $19.65M extension - with a void year (3 years, $33M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $8M of 2021 base pay converted to a signing bonus; $15M guaranteed at signing
2021’s Contract Numbers: $2M base; $4M prorated bonus; $1M per-game roster bonus; $7M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364469/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Duane_Brown.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: An APY of $11M per year is very good for a Pro Bowl Left Tackle. And if Seattle “moved on” from Brown after 2022, the APY is only $10.5M (2 years / $21M).
Ethan Pocic
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 2-year, $3M contract
Bonuses and Guarantees: $300,000 signing bonus; 2021 fully guaranteed; 2022 fully guaranteed if incentives* are reached
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.1M base; $150,000 prorated bonus; $1.25M cap hit
* 2022 base salary fully guaranteed if Pocic plays 90% of the offensive snaps in 2021.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364918/Proposed_Contract_for_Ethan_Pocic__2021_.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: It seems likely that Pocic will sign for more than this, but PFF predicts 1-year / $1.25M and his base salary in 2020 was $1,066,233 so these are the numbers we’re rolling with.
Geno Smith
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 1-year, veteran minimum contract (est. $900,000)
Bonuses and Guarantees: None
2021’s Contract Numbers: $900,000 base; no bonuses; NLTBE incentives of $8.5M ($500k per start, max. 17 games); $900,000 cap hit
WORTH NOTING: NLTBE incentives are “Not Likely To Be Earned” and thus do not affect the salary cap in the current year.
Jamal Adams
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $9.86M (5th-year option) - - - $9.86M base; no contractual bonuses; $9.86M cap hit ($0 dead money)
The Offer: 4-year, $66M extension (5 years, $75.86M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $25M at signing, just shy of $35M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.86M base; $5M prorated bonus; $6.86M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364475/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Jamal_Adams.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: This contract would make Adams the highest paid safety in the league. Also, the contract terms would be #3 if he were a linebacker, and Top-20 if he were a defensive end. Hard to imagine him not being happy with the terms.
Jarran Reed
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $13.975M - - - $8.325M base; $5M prorated bonus; $425,000 per-game bonus; $250,000 other bonuses; $13.975M cap hit ($5M dead money)
The Offer: 4-year, $29M extension (5 years, $43M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: No signing bonus; $15M guaranteed.
2021’s Contract Numbers: $2M base; $5M prorated bonus; $7M cap hit ($20M dead money if released; $5M dead money if traded)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367510/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Jarran_Reed___TRADE_FRIENDLY.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: It seems unlikely that Reed’s agent would approve of this agreement as it is clearly intended to make it easy to trade him. However, for the purposes of this series, this contract works.
Jason Myers
Current Contract Terms: 2 years, $9.35M
The Offer: 3-year, $15M extension (5 years, $24.35M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $5M signing bonus; $8.5M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.5M base; $2M prorated bonus; $3.35M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367432/Proposed_Contract_for_Jason_Myers__2021___v2.jpg)
K.J. Wright
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 2-year, $12M contract
Bonuses and Guarantees: $5M at signing; 2021 base salary fully guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.5M base; $2.5M prorated bonus; $500,000 per-game roster bonus; $4.5M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364949/Proposed_Contract_for_K.J._Wright__2021_.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: Wright’s 2020 cap hit was $10M but $2.5M was from his prorated signing bonus; his actual earnings in 2020 were $7.5M. If Wright were released after 2021, this contract would end up being extremely comparable: 1-year, $7M.
Michael Dickson
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $3,456,538 - - - $3,384,000 base; $72,538 prorated bonus; $3,456,538 cap hit ($73,538 dead money)
The Offer: 5-year, $14M contract with $1.25M in additional incentives (max value of $15.25M over 5 years)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $3M at signing; $6M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1,384,000 base; $600,000 prorated bonus; $1,984,000 cap hit (plus $250,000 in incentives)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364990/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Michael_Dickson.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: Through his first 3 seasons, Dickson’s career earnings are $2,090,152. The signing bonus on this contract is almost TRIPLE that - and deservedly so!
Neiko Thorpe
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 1-year, veteran minimum contract (est. $900,000)
Bonuses and Guarantees: None
2021’s Contract Numbers: $900,000 base; no bonuses; $900,000 cap hit
Nick Bellore
Current Contract Terms: N/A - Free Agent
The Offer: 1-year, veteran minimum contract (est. $900,000)
Bonuses and Guarantees: None
2021’s Contract Numbers: $900,000 base; no bonuses; $900,000 cap hit
Poona Ford
Current Contract Terms: Tendered at RFA Round-Two level ($3.384M)
The Offer: 3-year, $10M contract
Bonuses and Guarantees: $2.1M signing bonus; $5.15M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1,284,000 base; $700,000 prorated bonus; $1,984,000 cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364962/Proposed_Contract_for_Poona_Ford__2021_.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: The cash to Ford in 2021 ($2.1M signing bonus + $1,284,000 base salary) exactly matches the amount of his Second-Round tender ($3.384M).
Quandre Diggs
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $6.15M - - - $5.95M base, $100,0000 per-game roster bonus, $100,000 workout bonus, $6.15M cap hit, $0 dead money
The Offer: 4-year, $26M extension (5 years, $32.15M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $10M at signing; $15.15M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $1.65M base, $2M prorated bonus, $3.65M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364478/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Quandre_Diggs.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: Given his age (30), a 4-year extension may be considered “excessive”, but it easily converts to a 2-year, $15.15M contract if Diggs were released following the 2022 season and it’s a 3-year, $19.15M contract if he were released after 2023.
Tyler Lockett
Current Contract Terms: 1-year, $14.95M - - - $11M base; $2.25M prorated bonus; $500,000 per-game roster bonus, $1.2M other bonuses; $14.95M cap hit ($2.25M dead money)
The Offer: 4-year, $52M extension (5 years, $66.95M overall)
Bonuses and Guarantees: $15M at signing; $25.2M guaranteed
2021’s Contract Numbers: $2M base; $5.25M prorated bonus; $500,000 per-game roster bonus; $1.2M earned incentives; $8.95M cap hit
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22364991/Proposed_Contract_Extension_for_Tyler_Lockett.jpg)
WORTH NOTING: Seattle’s longest-tenured wide receiver is currently slated to have the 10th highest cap hit of any wide receiver in the league in 2021. This extension would lower his 2021 cap hit by $6M.
Salary cap overview, by year
2021
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367525/2021_03_13___2021_Salary_Cap_Figures.jpg)
2022
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367524/2021_03_13___2022_Salary_Cap_Figures.jpg)
2023
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367523/2021_03_13___2023_Salary_Cap_Figures.jpg)
2024
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367522/2021_03_13___2024_Salary_Cap_Figures.jpg)
2025
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22367521/2021_03_13___2025_Salary_Cap_Figures.jpg)