The Seattle Seahawks restructured Leonard Williams’ contract to liberate some cap area. This is only one of a collection of strikes the staff should make to first be in compliance with the cap (the staff is at the moment about $14M over the cap) and have room to make signings in free company.
DISCLAIMER 1: I’m not a cap professional like John P Gilbert, however I did my finest with the info from overthecap.com.
DISCLAIMER 2: This isn’t a suggestion, and, clearly, not all of the strikes needs to be made (we’re not in Madden), however a mixture of them.
Lengthen DK Metcalf
As a substitute of buying and selling top-of-the-line gamers on the staff (as many followers have urged this offseason), the Seahawks might prolong DK’s contract, spreading his cap hit additional along with securing the WR. This extension would permit the Seahawks to open up round $13M in cap area. This may let Seattle hold one of the vital gifted WRs it has ever had, who could possibly be the elemental vertical risk in Klint Kubiak’s scheme.
Reduce/Restructure Uchenna Nwosu
He could have $6M in ensures on the Friday after the Tremendous Bowl (February 14). Reducing him earlier than that date opens up $8M within the cap. The staff can nonetheless attempt to restructure the contract and handle to open up nearly $10M. Nwosu is coming off a season wherein he spent plenty of time injured. Due to this fact, it’s regular to rethink his continuity, particularly at this worth.
Reduce/Commerce/Restructure Tyler Lockett
The veteran has slightly over $5M in bonuses to obtain if he’s on the roster on March seventeenth. If the staff cuts or trades him earlier than that, they are going to have the ability to open up $17M. The staff can attempt to restructure (once more) the contract, attempt a pay lower or make a brand new contract association based mostly on incentives.
Nonetheless, I imagine that the final choices are unlikely to occur, in addition to some staff attempting to commerce for him. I imagine there are solely two actual hypotheses: he stays with the Seahawks on his present contract, or he might be lower earlier than the FA.
Reduce/Commerce/Renew Geno Smith
Geno has a cap hit of $44.5M. Not even John Schneider would have the ability to hold him for that quantity with the staff determined for cap. Regardless of the rumors that the Raiders would commerce for him, it is rather unlikely to occur. Due to this fact, the very best possibilities could be to chop or prolong him to attempt handle cap hit this 12 months. I might make a contract based mostly on objectives and incentives. One thing much like what they did within the final renewal of the QB. Geno is open to that?
Reduce Noah Fant
I by no means preferred his contract. The TE function was by no means used a lot by Ryan Grubb, however Fant solely managed one TD within the final sport of the season. AJ Barner, a fourth-round rookie, managed to match his total manufacturing in Seattle in only one 12 months. Reducing him would open up nearly $9M and depart $4.5M in useless cash.
Reduce Roy Robertson-Harris
Good commerce for Schneider. RRH managed to strengthen the DL effectively together with his versatility and aggressive mentality. Nonetheless, nearly 7M per 12 months for him is a better worth than his efficiency. Much more so for those who think about that it will not depart useless cash. An alternate could possibly be to chop him, watch for him to check the market and attempt to deliver him on a extra pleasant deal.
Reduce George Fant
Fant was a sensible choice to be an instantaneous backup for LT and RT. The large drawback is that he was unable to remain wholesome. He went on IR twice within the season. Reducing the veteran OT would save the staff $4 million at the price of almost $2 million in useless cash.
Reduce/Commerce Dre’Mont Jones
Seattle invested some huge cash in top-of-the-line names accessible in FA at time, however sadly it didn’t work out. It’s time to just accept the error and make the lower, because it’s impossible that John Schneider will discover a commerce companion. The staff would save $11.6 million with $14 million in useless cash (pre-June). It might transfer to $16 million in financial savings with simply over $9 million in useless cash if the designation is post-June.
