Seahawks may see big roster moves, but not for a while
It’s no secret the Seahawks may see a roster shakeup this off-season. We likely won’t see anything happen for a few weeks, though.
The Seahawks may see a lot of big names move on before the 2018 season. You know, besides practically the entire coaching staff. There seems to be a different reason for each of these potential moves. For now, 12s don’t have to worry about a single one of them.
Kam Chancellor is the only big name with the slightest potential of seeing any status change this weekend. And there’s really no chance of that, either. If Chancellor retires before this weekend’s deadline, he’ll forfeit $6.8 in guaranteed money. Sure that would help the team, assuming that he can’t play at all. But he’d be crazy to do that. If the Seahawks decide to cut him before the deadline, he and the Players Association would file a grievance they would almost certainly win.
Cliff Avril may not be back either, as you no doubt know. The Seahawks could save a cool $7.5 million by releasing Avril. If his injury prevents him from playing in 2018, the Collective Bargaining Agreement specifies Avril would be paid $1.15 million as compensation for his injury. So the Seahawks would be on the hook for that in addition to the $500,000 that would count against the salary cap. Regardless, this isn’t a move that has to be made anytime soon.
It isn’t just about the injuries
Michael Bennett is another player that could be gone, although in his case it’s strictly a financial issue. Cutting Bennett wouldn’t exactly save a fortune in the context of the NFL. Seattle would only save about $2.2 million in cap space. That sounds like hot dog money for the NFL, right? You have to remember this is the same team that had to release Dwight Freeney to save $400,000. But right now, there’s no reason to make the move on Bennett. That could come in few weeks though, as the Seahawks steadiest defensive lineman will collect a $3 million roster bonus in March.
The Seahawks have over a dozen unrestricted free agents to consider. Some of those players are going to carry some heavy price tags. Jimmy Graham, Paul Richardson, Bradley McDougald, and Blair Walsh are just a few of the names that will require some serious thought by the Seattle brain-trust.
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Yeah, just put Walsh in to see if you were still paying attention. For now, you can expect all of your favorite players to remain Seahawks. At least for a few more weeks.