Why is Aaron Curry Still Unsigned? There Are 30 Million Reasons

It’s not surprising that linebacker Aaron Curry, the Seahawks’ top pick, is a holdout.

This is exactly the situation we projected two months ago, right after the New York Jets signed quarterback Mark Sanchez. And it’s looking like the Hawks are going to have to guarantee Curry $30 million, as we said then.

The crux of the problem: Curry’s agent, Mike Sullivan, wants Curry’s deal to pay more than Sanchez’s because the linebacker was picked one spot higher than the quarterback (fourth vs. fifth).

But the Seahawks don’t want to base their negotiations off a quarterback contract, which typically is worth more than deals for players of other positions. Sanchez got $28 million guaranteed in a five-year deal that could be worth $50 million.

“We’ll discount the quarterback deals,” Ruskell told reporters last week, “and they’ll say, ‘Nope, there it is.’ Therein lies the rub of where the deal will get done.”

Ruskell said the rules regarding the final capped year add to the problem. The biggest change is that salaries can’t increase by more than 30 percent for each year of the contract.

“Those kind of rules have just made it very difficult for us—those teams in the top 10,” Ruskell said. “It’s just very restrictive. It just has made it that much harder. There’s just a feeling of panic. And then there’s the quarterback deals. So, a lot of factors are adding to these not getting done.”

Typically the value of each contract is slotted in order, so teams try to wait for the players picked above and below them to sign.

“When a guy has a ceiling that’s a few picks ahead of him, and there’s a guy below him, then at least you have your range,” Ruskell said. “And if you have your range, then you can negotiate off of that.”

Well, the Seahawks have their range, because St. Louis signed Jason Smith, the No. 2 pick, to a six-year deal worth $62 million, with $33 million guaranteed. 

Even though they were picked three spots apart, Smith and Sanchez each got guarantees at an average of $5.5 million per year. That illustrates the premium paid to quarterbacks and the reason Ruskell wants to “discount” that amount in Curry’s deal.

But even if the Hawks try to go off the deal paid to last year’s No. 4 pick, they face the same problem. Darren McFadden, drafted fourth by Oakland last year, got $26 million guaranteed in a six-year deal—an average of $4.33 million per year.

So the absolute floor for the Seahawks would seem to be $5 million per year. In a six-year deal, that’s $30 million.

The only thing that might help the Seahawks would be if the Kansas City Chiefs signed the third overall pick, Tyson Jackson, to a lesser deal.

But the Chiefs apparently are waiting on the Seahawks, mainly because they can’t use last year’s No. 3 as a point of reference because last year’s No. 3 was quarterback Matt Ryan, who got $34 million guaranteed from Atlanta.

But Ruskell doesn’t seem like he feels it’s necessary to wait on the Chiefs.

 

“We’re going to try to get it done,” he said, “even without these other deals in. It is kind of a unique year that way.”

 

And that is why the Seahawks are probably going to have to guarantee Curry $30 million.

Steve McNair’s Infidelity Was His Fatal Flaw

Steve McNair’s death is a tragedy to those who cared about him; from his family members to his fans to those he helped in Nashville and beyond. But the simple fact is, McNair brought it on himself. 

Yes, McNair was an incredible football player who once led his Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl and was once named co-MVP of the league. He fought through injuries throughout his career and will always be remembered as one of the toughest quarterbacks ever to play. Everyone loved his tenacity and will to win. 

He was a pillar in the community. Whether it was the things he did with his own foundation or helping victims of Hurricane Katrina or countless other good deeds, he was an everyday hero to the less fortunate. Everyone loved his charity. 

But anyone who cheats on his spouse ultimately will pay for it. Ask Bill Clinton, who was one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history but whose personal failure led to his public undoing.  

Usually, the punishment for infidelity is not death, but in this tragic case, McNair paid the ultimate price. No matter who killed him, the fact is that if he had not been messing around with a 20-year-old girl, he would still be alive. 

Did he deserve to die? Absolutely not. He made the most of his 36 years of life, giving back to others through his deeds on the field and off. But his ill-advised dalliance with a barely legal girl was a flaw that turned out to be quite fatal.  

Let it be a lesson to all athletes—heck, to all people. When you mess with the emotions of others, when you create a complex life of lies, chances are many people will be hurt. And, in shocking situations like this, some fatally so. 

As much as he succeeded as a player and humanitarian, the simple fact is that McNair failed as a husband. And that, quite sadly, is why he is dead.

Are the Vikings Doing the Right Thing by Pursuing a 39-Year-Old Quarterback?

As the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre seemingly get closer and closer to joining forces, it’s worth asking: Are the Vikings doing the right thing for the franchise by pursuing a quarterback who will turn 40 in October?

While not admitting that the Vikings are talking to Favre, coach Brad Childress recently told Twin Cities radio station KFAN, “…I’m charged with adding and subtracting players to make this team better. If [signing Favre] is going to make us better down the road, I’m going to take care of the Minnesota Vikings.”

The Vikings obviously have bought into the conventional wisdom that says they are a quarterback away from the Super Bowl. In 2008, the Vikings had the league’s best run defense and its leading rusher, and now they think that adding a future Hall of Fame quarterback will make them super contenders.

Knowing all it will cost them is perhaps $12 million for one year, they are willing to forgo the development of a quarterback—or suspend the development of Tarvaris Jackson—and hope Favre can get them to the promised land.

Some will argue it’s the right move, future be damned.

They’ll say the Vikings’ window for a championship is open now, and they need to jump through it. They’ll say Favre is better than either quarterback who might otherwise start for the Vikings, Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. They’ll say Childress is on the hot seat and needs at least to win a playoff game to keep his job.

Cynics will argue that signing Favre will not make the Vikings better—not in 2009 and certainly not later.

Skeptics will ask: Did the Vikings learn nothing from the New York Jets last year? Or from the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993? Or from the San Diego Chargers in 1973? Or from any other team that has tried to milk one more good year out of an over-the-hill quarterback?

Conventional team-building strategy says you draft a young quarterback and either develop him or let him learn on the run. Most teams historically have tried to build around the quarterback.

But some teams think they are so good everywhere else that they don’t have time to build up a quarterback. That’s what the Jets thought last year, when they traded for Favre. It’s what the Chiefs thought in 1993, when they traded for a 37-year-old Joe Montana. It’s also what the Chargers thought in 1973 when they acquired a 40-year-old Johnny Unitas.

The Vikings would say they are nothing like the Jets of 2008.

They would say the Jets failed with Favre because they had to teach him a new offensive system and he was injured at the end. The Vikings figure they will have a different Favre because he already knows their offense and, if he signs, it means he will be healthy thanks to recent shoulder surgery.

The Vikings would also say they are far better than the 1973 Chargers, who ended up starting rookie Dan Fouts in a season that ended 2-11-1.

The Vikings probably would say they are much like the 1993 Chiefs, who went to the AFC title game in Montana’s first season (Montana started only 11 games, while 35-year-old backup Dave Krieg started the rest).

Favre will be 40 in October, and few quarterbacks have done anything noteworthy at that age, let alone lead a team to the Super Bowl.

Most of the very best quarterbacks in NFL history retired before they reached 40. Montana, Sammy Baugh, Fran Tarkenton, John Elway and Dan Marino all retired at age 38. In his final season, Elway was the oldest QB to lead an NFL team to the Super Bowl.

But the Vikings might point to a couple of relatively recent 40-somethings who had excellent individual seasons despite playing on non-winning teams.

In 1997, a 41-year-old Warren Moon threw for a Seattle record 3,678 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. But the Seahawks finished 8-8.

In 2004, also at age 41, Vinny Testaverde threw for 3,532 yards for Dallas. But the Cowboys went 6-10.

The Vikings probably would compare their situation to the Arizona Cardinals, who anointed 37-year-old Kurt Warner their starter last year and let him take them to the Super Bowl.

Of course, over the history of the NFL, there has been a big difference between a 37-year-old QB and a 40-year-old. Only a dozen quarterbacks have played into their 40s, and most finished as backups.

Age aside, it’s easy to see why the Vikings seem so desperate for a quarterback. They have been trying to find a successor to Daunte Culpepper since they traded the busted-up former first-round pick in 2005 and went with Brad Johnson.

The last two years, they have tried to develop Jackson, their surprise second-round pick in 2006, but they also have ended up using Kelly Holcomb, Brooks Bollinger, and Gus Frerotte.

Considering Johnson and Frerotte both were 37 when they played for Minnesota, it figures that the Vikings are now pursuing a soon-to-be 40-year-old. But is it really the right thing for the franchise?

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Check out From the Top and other features at Football.com.

Aaron Curry: Seahawks Rookie To Get $30 Million Guaranteed?

Based on recent increases in top-five money and the deal quarterback Mark Sanchez signed last week, the Seahawks might end up guaranteeing linebacker Aaron Curry about $30 million in his rookie contract.

Earlier this week, the New York Jets guaranteed $28 million to Sanchez, the fifth overall pick in the draft, and the immediate question in Seattle was: How does this impact negotiations with Curry, whom the Seahawks drafted fourth overall?

Well, it could make them really long.

It comes down to what the Seahawks and Curry’s agent, Andy Ross of Octagon, want to base negotiations on. Do they base it on Sanchez’s deal, knowing that quarterbacks are generally paid more than other positions?

Or do they base it purely on the increase at the No. 4 spot?

Or do they wait to see what the third overall pick gets?

The guaranteed cash in Sanchez’s five-year deal breaks down to $5.6 million per year, which is a full million dollars more than the average of the guaranteed money the Kansas City Chiefs gave defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey at No. 5 last year.

Darren McFadden, drafted fourth by Oakland last year, got a 40 percent raise in guaranteed cash over the 2007 fourth overall pick, Tampa Bay defensive end Gaines Adams. So a 40 percent bump on McFadden’s $4.33 million average would amount to $6 million per year for Curry—$30 million over five years. That’s also more than Sanchez got, so it probably will be Ross’s target.

If the Seahawks don’t like the idea of $6 million per year, they might decide to wait and see what Kansas City pays defensive end Tyson Jackson, the third pick. And if he gets less than that, it could get really sticky as the Seahawks and Ross argue over which benchmark to use.

In the end, the Seahawks might go to $30 million only if Curry commits for six years. He would still get the same total, but the Seahawks would get him for an extra year.

Bleacher Report’s Colin Griffiths does a nice job of explaining some of the elements of rookie contracts (rookie cap, 25 percent rule, etc.), but he underestimates the amount the Seahawks will have to guarantee Curry.

Sure, Curry’s salary-cap number in 2009 will be a manageable amount (about $3 million), but it will quickly fly up the charts over the next few years with the usual contract tricks —roster bonuses, salary escalators, etc.

It’s probably safe to say that, after the deal finally gets done, the Seahawks will be at the front of the line in arguments for a rookie wage scale.

Check out the five best and worst uniforms in the NFL, NBA, NHL and baseball, according to the guys Outside The Press Box.

 

 

 

No Longer Cheap, Arizona Cardinals Still Have Business to Take Care of

For 30 years under Bill Bidwill, the Arizona Cardinals were viewed as one of the league’s cheapest and worst run franchises. From St. Louis to Phoenix, Bidwill was known as “Dollar Bill” for his frugal management of the Cardinals, and…not coincidentally, the Cards were known as one of the league’s longtime losers.

Only in recent years has that reputation changed, as Bill’s son Michael has taken more of a leadership role and made the team more competitive using revenue from University of Phoenix Stadium, which opened in 2006 and reportedly brings in more than $200 million per year.

The seeming culture change culminated last season in the team’s first Super Bowl appearance.

But in the wake of that franchise first, the Cardinals now face some of the same problems that many Super Bowl teams encounter—dealing with players whose perceived value has gone up based on the accomplishments of the team.

The future of the Arizona franchise depends on how the Cardinals handle their business during the next couple of months.

So far, they’ve had plenty of problems. The Cards flirted with losing quarterback Kurt Warner in free agency before finally signing him to a two year deal worth $23 million.

They have yet to resolve the contract issue of Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin, who has been unhappy with his contract for more than a year because he makes $6 million less than fellow receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

On top of that problem, the Cardinals have not been able to get extensions with franchise linebacker Karlos Dansby or Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson, and now defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has asked for a trade because he’s unhappy with the deal he signed in 2006.

At least the Cardinals finally released running back Edgerrin James.

Everyone knew they no longer wanted him, yet the Cards held him until they found insurance in the form of 2009 first round draft pick Chris Wells from Ohio State.

Darren Urban, who has covered the Cardinals for most of this decade, explained the reasoning behind the James situation in an e-mail to Football.com.

“They needed to make sure they took a back high in the draft before dumping [James],” wrote Urban, who now covers the Cardinals for azcardinals.com. “Last year everyone assumed they would take a back in the top two rounds.”

But the Cardinals ended up not getting a back in 2008 until they drafted Tim Hightower in the fifth round.

“If it would have happened again, Edge may still be with this team,” Urban wrote. “There was no reason to cut him, and there was a reason to keep him for a while.”

James surely sees it differently, considering he was released after most teams had filled their rosters. But you can probably chalk it up as a savvy business move by the Cardinals.

That still leaves major issues with Boldin, Dansby, Wilson, and Dockett—four of the team’s very best players.

In the past, there would have been no question about how the Cardinals would have handled these guys: The team simply wouldn’t have dealt with them and would have let them go when their contracts expired, like Bill Bidwill did in 1998 with linebacker Jamir Miller, fullback Larry Centers, and tackle Lomas Brown.

But Michael Bidwill and general manager Rod Graves have built the core of this team for coach Ken Whisenhunt, and they have promised him they will try to keep it together.

“Michael has been a huge influence on how this team does business,” Urban wrote. “His arrival meant a change in most of the things in the organization, to bring it mostly up to speed with the NFL’s current ways of doing business.”

The Cardinals still seem to have problems thinking outside of the box, however.

They are one of the only teams in the league that does not take advantage of a salary cap loophole that allows clubs to carry unused money into the next league year.

And they seem to have a problem planning ahead.

Fitzgerald’s rookie deal was horrible for the team and is what created the issue with Boldin, and the Cardinals have been remiss in not getting extensions for Dansby and Wilson.

The Cardinals admitted last month that they would listen to trade offers for Boldin, who wants a better deal than the one he signed in 2005 that averages $4 million a year. Boldin has gone back and forth on whether he wants a new deal from Arizona or just wants to be traded.

The genesis of that problem was the mistake the Cardinals made in Fitzgerald’s rookie deal, which contained unwieldy escalators that would have spiked his 2008 salary beyond $14 million.

To avoid that, the team was forced to guarantee him $30 million in a new four year, $40 million deal in 2008.

And that’s what set Boldin off.

Dansby is in his second year as the team’s franchise player and is eating up $9.7 million of the salary cap, leaving Arizona with just $5.5 million to sign rookies and do anything else.

The Cardinals balked at giving Dansby an extension prior to 2007, because they weren’t sold on him. But he has played well the past two years, and the team wants to keep him now.

The two sides reportedly were close to a deal in early April, but Dansby fired his agent, Kirk Wood.

Wood was thought to be asking for at least $22 million in guaranteed money, but Dansby might be thinking even bigger than that.

“There was an extension all but done when Dansby up and shocked everyone by firing his agent,” Urban wrote. “He’s never been to a Pro Bowl, but I think he wants serious money…and he sees dollar signs in next year’s uncapped year.”

Urban said Dansby might want to be one of the 10 highest paid players in the league. His new agent, Todd France, is expected to start talking with the Cardinals on a long-term deal soon, but Urban isn’t so sure Dansby wants to stay with the Cardinals.

Wilson might not stay, either, if the team doesn’t re-sign him soon; he’s headed into the final year of his contract, with a scheduled salary of $4.75 million.

“They have to get a deal done with this guy,” Urban wrote, “and in my opinion they need to do it before camp. He has been the good and loyal soldier. He has earned new, big money. But again, cap space could be an issue.”

The Cardinals typically have been one of the teams that spend as little as possible on players. But with $30 million promised to Fitzgerald, $15 million guaranteed to Warner over the next two years, and $9.7 million tied up in Dansby this year, the Cards can’t be accused of being cheap anymore.

As Urban wrote, “The Cards have come a long way from where they were.”

But they still have a long way to go if they are going to turn into a perennial Super Bowl contender.

As Michael Bidwill told the New York Times in January: “What we do going forward is really going to set the tone.”

Check out Football.com for “From the Top,” a weekly look at issues involving coaching, management and ownership of the NFL’s 32 franchises.

 

 

Tim Ruskell and the Seattle Seahawks Needed This Offseason

Tim Ruskell needed this offseason.

After a smashing debut in 2005, when he retooled the Seahawks’ defense and received tons of credit as the team reached the Super Bowl for the first time, his star had begun to fade amid a series of failed draft picks and veteran deals, and many fans were wondering whether he was the guy to lead the Seahawks in the post-Mike Holmgren era.

But he put down many of those doubts with a stellar performance this year—his best job, in fact, since he became team president.

Ruskell recently told reporters it’s too early to evaluate the personnel moves, but he was obviously happy with what he and his people were able to accomplish in the wake of a shockingly disappointing 4-12 season.

“I will say this; when I evaluate what our plan was and how it came through, I can easily say we did well,” the fifth-year team president said. “We had some targets coming out of the season, and we hit a lot of those targets.”

It started in free agency, when the Seahawks signed 330-pound, space-eating defensive tackle Colin Cole and then shocked everyone by luring wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Seattle with a deal averaging $8 million per year.

Ruskell also re-signed starting right guard Ray Willis and added depth on the D-line by trading for Cory Redding.

Then he had the perfect draft, ending up with the best player (linebacker Aaron Curry), a versatile lineman who should start right away (Max Unger) and a blazing-fast receiver (Deon Butler), in addition to an extra first round pick in 2010.

After that, Ruskell won a game of chicken with franchise linebacker Leroy Hill, giving the Seahawks one of the very best LB units in the league for years to come, and he brought back cornerback Ken Lucas, who will start opposite Marcus Trufant as he did in 2003 and 2004.

It was Ruskell’s best job as Seattle’s president, and it came at the perfect time, as the team tries to rebound from a horrible season, now under the direction of a new coaching staff.

The only questions that might follow Ruskell out of this offseason are:

1) Did Ruskell overpay Hill at over $6 million a year?

2) Why did the Seahawks decide to get rid of Julian Peterson just three years after Ruskell signed him? And after Ruskell sent Peterson to Detroit for Redding, why did Ruskell redo Redding’s deal to make him a free agent after 2009?

As for Hill, he is guaranteed $13 million over the next two years. If he plays up to the contract, the team probably will pay a $2.5 million roster bonus and $4.5 million salary in 2011. If not, the team can let him go after just two years.

With the Peterson situation, Ruskell’s MO has been to keep good draft picks with contract extensions (Trufant, Tatupu, Hill) but cut free agents after just two or three years. He signed eight free agents in 2005, and none of them were on the team last season. Only two—Chuck Darby and Kevin Bentley—lasted longer than two years.

In 2006, Ruskell added six free agents, led by Peterson. Apparently the Seahawks didn’t think Peterson was worth the $6.5 million he was due to make in 2009 and were for some reason willing to simply cut him.

But they will least get Redding for a year, and, because they drafted Curry and managed to keep Hill, that seemingly silly move shouldn’t come back to haunt them.

The Peterson trade leaves receiver Nate Burleson as the only player from the 2006 free-agent class still with the Seahawks.

In 2007, Ruskell signed Patrick Kerney and safeties Deon Grant and Brian Russell; and by next year, Grant will probably be the only one left.

That’s a lot of veteran turnover. Meanwhile, the Seahawks still have 23 of the 30 players they drafted under Ruskell from 2005 to 2008.

Ruskell obviously prefers to build long term through the draft, which is why it was so important for him to nail it in a year when the Seahawks picked so high (fourth overall).

Getting Curry, Unger, and Butler—plus the 2010 first-rounder—was the superfecta. And then, after pulling the franchise tag off Hill, Ruskell still managed to re-sign him a few days later.

That finished off a stellar, almost perfect offseason.

And boy did Ruskell and the Seahawks need it.

For a comprehensive look at Tim Ruskell’s best and worst moves with the Seahawks, check out “From the Top” at Football.com.

What do Vin Baker, Brian Bosworth and Richie Sexson have in common? They’re on the list of “The 10 Worst Contracts in Seattle Sports History.” Check out the list and give your opinion Outside The Press Box.

Forget 4-12: Seattle Seahawks Have Turned Luck Around

During the 2008 season, just about everything that could go wrong for the Seahawks did. Since then, just about everything has gone right.

The latest stroke of luck was being able to re-sign linebacker Leroy Hill, even after the Seahawks removed the franchise tag from him last weekend.

The deal—reportedly for six years and $38 million—means the Seahawks will have a stud trio of linebackers, perhaps through 2014. Lofa Tatupu is entering the second year of an eight-year deal, and rookie Aaron Curry is expected to sign a six-year deal as well.

The linebacker position has been on quite a roller-coaster ride this offseason. The Seahawks put the franchise tag on Hill on Feb. 19, and it looked like the Seahawks would keep the band of ‘backers—Hill, Lofa Tatupu, and Julian Peterson—who had played together for the past three seasons.

But then Seattle traded Peterson to Detroit on March 14, and all of a sudden the position looked pretty precarious, with Hill still unsigned.

Things looked up again last weekend, when the Seahawks were fortunate enough to find Curry available at No. 4 in the draft. Then the team turned around and rescinded the franchise tag, making Hill a free agent, eligible to sign with any team.

When they pulled the tag off Hill, coach Jim Mora and president Tim Ruskell expressed confidence that they still might be able to sign him.

They reasoned that the $8.3 million franchise tender had been a detriment to negotiations, and they were concerned that Hill, who was not under contract, was missing valuable time to learn Mora’s defense this offseason.

It seemed likely that a handful of teams would have jumped at the chance to sign Hill, who immediately became the best free agent available. But either no one pursued him, or he simply didn’t want to play for anyone else.

Mora said Hill had been “a little shook up and maybe disappointed” to hear Sunday that the Seahawks had taken away the guaranteed $8.3 million tender. However, Mora said: “He’s very motivated to be a Seattle Seahawk. He told me this morning that this is where he wants to finish his career.”

And then Thursday morning, Mora predicted that Hill would re-sign by no later than Friday and be present for the weekend minicamp. A few hours later, it was done and Hill was on his way back to Seattle.

Hill reportedly turned down a six-year, $36 million deal early in the offseason. This deal is worth just $2 million more, but the snag was probably the guaranteed money and the question of whether he might have to return any of it if he is suspended at some point for his recent arrest on charges of marijuana possession. The Seahawks reportedly included a stipulation that they would not try to reclaim bonus money if Hill is suspended.

With that, the Seahawks once again achieved the improbable this offseason.

Two months ago, if someone had said the Seahawks would get steady veteran receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh in free agency, acquire the best player in the draft, and keep Hill even after taking away the franchise tender, no one would have believed it.

Those lucky strikes are almost enough to make you forget the Seahawks’ miserable 4-12 record last season.

Add to that the signing of space-eating, 330-pound defensive tackle Colin Cole in the first weekend of free agency, the re-signing of key right-side lineman Ray Willis, and the return of cornerback Ken Lucas, and the Seahawks sure seem poised to take back the division title they had owned for four straight years until Arizona won it last season.

Are the Seattle Mariners an April mirage? Go Outside The Press Box to find out.

Franchise Moves: Revisiting the Steve Hutchinson Debacle

Tim Ruskell’s recent controversial handling of his linebacking corps has brought back memories of his worst move as the Seattle Seahawks’ president: failing to use the franchise tag on All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson in 2006.

Ruskell’s decision to remove the $8.3 million franchise tag from linebacker Leroy Hill last weekend has some scratching their heads, but it’s not as big of a “he did what?!?” as when Ruskell chose to use the transition tag instead of the franchise tag on Hutch three years ago.

The Hill move was motivated by the same ideal that led Ruskell to not use the tag on Hutch: Ruskell doesn’t want to start negotiations that high. He’s right about Hill’s value, but he was quite wrong about Hutch.

 

Ruskell made his first mistake in not placing the $6.98 million franchise tag on Hutchinson, and his second in allowing other teams to drive the market for the three-time Pro Bowl player. The franchise tag would have cost the Seahawks only about $600,000 more than the transition tag, and it would have guaranteed them two first-round picks from any team that signed Hutchinson.

Instead, Ruskell used the less-restrictive transition tag on Hutch, asking the guard to bring any offer to the Seahawks before signing an offer sheet. But Hutch was annoyed that the Seahawks had not shown enough interest to re-sign him before he became a free agent, so when the Minnesota Vikings offered $49 million over seven years, he took it.

The deal included a “poison-pill” provision that Hutch had to have the highest average annual salary of any offensive lineman on his team (Minnesota or Seattle) in 2006, or his entire seven-year deal would have to be guaranteed. The clause took effect on the date he signed the offer sheet.

Hutch knew about the clause and decided simply, “If they can’t match, they can’t match.”

The problem for Seattle was that Walter Jones was the team’s highest-paid lineman ($7.5 million). So the Hawks modified Jones’ deal, adding a voidable eighth year at $1 million to drop the average yearly value to $6.69 million.

Then, in a hearing with special master Stephen Burbank, they tried to argue that the guarantee stipulation should not take effect until they had matched.

But Burbank ruled in favor of the Vikings and the union, meaning the reworked Jones deal came too late and the Seahawks’ only choice—as it had been all along—was to guarantee the $49 million. The Seahawks decided not to.

Instead, the same day the Seahawks lost the arbitration hearing, they signed linebacker Julian Peterson to a seven-year deal worth $54 million—the kind of money they didn’t think Hutch was worth.

Now it is three years later, and the Seahawks decided last month that Peterson had served his purpose and was no longer worth the money they gave him in 2006, so they traded him to Detroit (which fortunately stepped in before Ruskell simply cut Peterson).

Meanwhile, Hutchinson has been named to the All-Pro team in all three of his seasons in Minnesota, and it’s looking more and more like it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to guarantee the $49 million.

Crazy, you say? Well, the Lions just guaranteed $42 million to a guy who hasn’t done anything in the NFL—first overall pick Matthew Stafford.

Meanwhile, Hutch is a four-time All-Pro in the prime of his career. If he plays two more seasons like the past three, it certainly can be argued that the ‘Hawks should have called the Vikings’ bluff and guaranteed the entire sum.

Of course, that is hindsight, and no NFL team back then would have promised that much money to a player of a game in which guys drop like flies every season.

But one fact remains: Ruskell made a mistake by not using the franchise tag on Steve Hutchinson in 2006.

It’s a fact we’re all reminded of in the wake of Peterson’s sudden departure and Hill’s sudden transition from franchise player to free agent.

Seattle Seahawks Continue Game of Musical Linebackers

Seahawk president Tim Ruskell thinks taking the franchise tag off linebacker Leroy Hill will hasten the completion of a long-term contract.

The question is: Will that contract be with the Seahawks or with some other team?

After the Seahawks drafted linebacker Aaron Curry fourth overall, they pulled the $8.3 million franchise tag off Hill, making him an unrestricted free agent who can now sign with any team.

“We know that obviously he is a free agent,” Ruskell said. “Had we not gotten Curry, it probably wouldn’t have been a possibility. We wanted to make sure we were in good shape that way in terms of our linebackers.”

“But, the tag just wasn’t working,” Ruskell added. “We were kind of leery putting it on originally, to be honest with you. Both sides felt that way.

“But, we thought it would help get a deal done quicker. When that didn’t work, then we started looking at other options, not knowing if Curry was going to be available to us.”

Ruskell said he thinks the removal of the tag will hasten contract talks, and he is willing to lose Hill if that’s how it works out. Hill reportedly has already turned down a six year, $36 million deal.

“We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t say that we can handle losing Leroy,” Ruskell said.”We don’t want to, they [Hill and his agent] don’t want to, and we think we can get a deal done, but otherwise, we wouldn’t have done it.”

Ruskell said the money their linebackers were slated to make played a part, although it was not the major reason the Seahawks pulled the tag.

Last month, they traded Julian Peterson because they felt he was not worth his $6.5 million salary and $8.8 million salary-cap number.

Before trading Peterson, the Hawks had $20 million of the $127 million cap devoted to starting linebackers Peterson, Hill, and Lofa Tatupu. They saved a net $2.2 million by trading Peterson for defensive lineman Cory Redding.

But by drafting Curry, they would have been right back where they started, since he will be due $25 million in guaranteed money and would count at least $3 million in 2009, depending on how the Seahawks structure the deal.

Had the Seahawks not rescinded the $8.3 million franchise tender they offered Hill in February, they still would have had at least $14 million tied up in their top three linebackers.

“Obviously, we budgeted for that, and we could have gone through the season,” Ruskell said. “It would have taken away our flexibility to do anything else, and with the way the [salaries of] first-rounders look like they are going to be coming in, it would have been very tough to do.”

“It was not the overriding reason,” Ruskell said, “but it does allow us to still take a shot at Leroy and get some other things done. It gave us flexibility and it gave us options, and that’s really what ruled the day when we decided, ‘Let’s take the tag off.’ “

Hill might be lamenting his decision to not sign the tender, which would have guaranteed the $8.3 million but also would have required him to attend any mandatory team minicamps.

But now he will have a chance to see whether any other team will offer him the money he is seeking, which obviously is over $6 million per year.

Several teams could easily afford the 26-year-old linebacker. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Green Bay reportedly have the most cap space, and all four could use a rising star at linebacker.

If the Seahawks lose Hill, they will be right back where they were after they traded Peterson, with D.D. Lewis being the probable third starter in 2009.

But coach Jim Mora is confident things will work out.

Mora talked to Hill on Sunday morning and said, “He’s very motivated to be a Seattle Seahawk. He told me this morning that this is where he wants to finish his career.

“I think he was a little shook up and maybe disappointed,” Mora added. “But in terms of being upset or mad, no. At least, that’s not the feeling I got in talking to Leroy.

“He sounded motivated to get something done, get it done quickly,” Mora said. “We talked about him possibly being here for minicamp this weekend. …

“Like Tim said, maybe this hastened the situation; and that’s our hope, because we certainly would like to have him here.”

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scene. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum — we’re Outside The Press Box.

 

 

For Seattle Seahawks, It’s Either Curry or a Spicier Option—Trade Down

With the draft less than two days away, it’s starting to look like the Seattle Seahawks might have a good chance of trading down from the fourth pick overall.

 

Although multiple polls show receiver Michael Crabtree to be the fan favorite for the Seahawks’ pick at No. 4, Aaron Curry has to be the guy if he’s available. The Wake Forest linebacker is the safest, surest pick in this draft and would fill an immediate need for Seattle, which surprisingly traded Julian Peterson last month.

 

Many people have argued that the top five is too high to draft a linebacker. But it’s not too high if that linebacker is the best player in the draft. And it’s not too high if you’re a team that needs a stud linebacker to replace the stud linebacker you just traded—and perhaps to replace the stud linebacker you franchised and might not have a year from now. Curry is easily the best pick if he’s there.

 

If Curry is not there, it means USC quarterback Mark Sanchez becomes the hot commodity at No. 4. And it means the Seahawks have a good chance to move down and pick up extra picks.

 

Last week, Seattle president Tim Ruskell said he had yet to hear from teams wishing to move up. But with at least three teams reportedly coveting Sanchez, Ruskell’s phone is starting to ring now.

 

Denver, Washington and the New York Jets are the teams that reportedly have the most interest in Sanchez. If the Broncos really want to come up from No. 12 to get Sanchez, they have plenty of ammo to do it, with five picks in the first three rounds thanks to the Jay Cutler trade that precipitated their need for a new franchise quarterback. The Seahawks could probably get second- and third-round picks as they moved down to 12.

 

Once at 12, the Seahawks would probably be looking at choosing among Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State running back Chris Wells, Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno or perhaps Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher or Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin, plus a bunch of pass rushers and linebackers.

 

Dealing with Washington, the Seahawks could drop down to 13th and also get the Redskins’ third-round pick and 2010 second-rounder—or Washington’s first-round pick in 2010, if the Redskins were willing to surrender it.

 

If the Seahawks dealt with the Jets, it would mean dropping down to 17. In that case, the Seahawks would be looking for the Jets to give them second- and third-round picks in this draft, plus a third-rounder in 2010. Or second rounders this year and next year. Or the Jets’ first rounder in 2010.

 

And at 17, the Hawks probably would be looking at a bunch of defensive players.

 

The real key to any trade down would be the extra picks Seattle could use to move around in the second and third rounds. Ideally, the Seahawks would end up with another second-round pick so they could draft a center—California’s Alex Mack or Oregon’s Max Unger—and another player.

 

If the Sanchez talk is just that, and no team wants to give up what it would take to move up to No. 4, Seattle would have to choose between Crabtree and Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe.

 

Crabtree would please many fans and potentially give Seattle a stellar receiving corps over the next couple of years.

 

Monroe would be the safe pick, a guy who could replace Walter Jones in a year or two and man the left side after the future Hall of Famer retired. The Hawks need to start building their future line, and this is a good draft to do it.

 

 

PASS ON THE PASSER AT NO. 4

 

Why not Sanchez, you ask? Because the guy is inexperienced and wasn’t even considered a top-10 prospect until all of the offseason workouts and draft analysis began.

 

Even his college coach, Pete Carroll, said Sanchez is not ready for the pros. And Carroll should know; he spent 15 years in the NFL before becoming the best college coach in the land.

 

Drafting a quarterback in the first round is a total crapshoot under most circumstances, and this year is no exception. The Seahawks should know that better than anyone, if the current regime simply looks back at the franchise’s three first-round busts—Kelly Stouffer, Dan McGwire and Rick Mirer—from the early 1990s.

 

The Hawks know very well that it is quite possible to find a quarterback without spending a first-round pick. The three best passers in franchise history came out of nowhere: Jim Zorn was picked up off waivers in the franchise’s inaugural year, Dave Krieg was an undrafted free agent who led the team to the playoffs four times in the 1980s, and current starter Matt Hasselbeck was a former sixth-round pick acquired in a trade with Green Bay in 2001.

 

Hasselbeck is signed for two more years, and the Seahawks fully expect him to play like he did in 2005 and 2007 and take the team back to the playoffs.

 

Also forgotten in all of the Sanchez chatter is the fact that Seneca Wallace has turned into a very capable backup passer. He played extremely well last December, once he was completely healthy.

 

So the Seahawks are actually sitting in very good position at quarterback for at least the next two years. Meanwhile, they can keep their eyes open for a promising young veteran to groom as Hasselbeck’s replacement a few years from now.

 

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scene. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum — we’re Outside The Press Box.

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