Russell Wilson deal means Seahawks could face sacrifices

Getting Russell Wilson a new contract was the Seahawks number one priority this off-season. It felt like years before he actually put pen to paper thanks to impatient fans and speculation from the media but it’s done and everyone can start preparing for the 2019 season.

Russell Wilson’s new contract puts the Seahawks in a sort of bind with upcoming contract negotiations.  Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark are also looking to get new deals from the team. It’s going to be difficult for the Seahawks to keep Wilson, Wagner, and Clark all under contract but not impossible.

Clark, who was recently franchise tagged by the team, is rumored to sit out of off-season workouts, which was addressed by general manager John Schneider.

Right now the media keeps pushing the idea of a Frank Clark trade where the Seahawks could gain some draft capital. But after the Russell Wilson trade rumors fiasco, I’ve learned to tune out reports unless it comes from a trusted Seahawks source. At the same time, it is very possible that Clark is traded. As a top-five edge rusher, Clark should very well be eyeing a deal like the one Demarcus Lawrence just got with the Cowboys (five-year $105 million, $65 million guaranteed). The question is if the Seahawks can give such a deal especially if they also want to extend the league’s best linebacker, Wagner, to a huge deal.

The NFL salary cap seems to go up about $10 million every year. This year is salary cap is set at $188,200,000. Next year, the salary cap is likely set to be close to $200,000,000 but you also have to remember that the NFL will be in the midst of negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which could drastically affect player salaries.

I wouldn’t be concerned if the Seahawks ended up extending Wagner and trading Clark. They still have Jarran Reed and they are likely to look for an edge rusher in the draft whether or not they decide to trade Clark. But currently, things are looking positive at the possibility of extending both Wagner and Clark.

The thing to remember is, the Seahawks are good at building small around their franchise players. And by small, I mean finding good players for less money. Extend the important players and go out and find sleeper picks.