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No real surprise and I don't have any details, just saw a 'Breaking News' feed on NFL Live which simply said, "Marshawn Lynch to Return to Seahawks next season. Now we can officially move past this and focus on free agents.

The alert I saw said that he was physically returning to Seattle to meet with the Seahawks and there is a deal on the table not that anything was agreed to or finalized.

$11-12 mil.

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seah ... n-in-2015/

Welcome Back Beast!

Great news everyone. Keith Olbermann just reported it. Seattle just resigned ML to an 11 million dollar contact, so they can not had the ball off to him and lose another Super Bowl! Sorry I had to laugh!!

So does the big signing bonus reduce his cap hit to just his actual salary, or does some of it still count against the cap?

Good news! One less distraction, now we can focus on bringing in players to replace Maxwell, Carpenter (?), etc.

That's a good raise in pay, from 7.5 to 11 million.

Actually it's a 3 year 31 million dollar deal with 12 million this year.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... lion-deal/

So I wonder where that ranks him in terms of highest paid RB's?

Happy he decided to stay , however I wonder What this means for CM?

Good news.

And he deserves every penny of it.

see next post ...

burrrton wrote:So does the big signing bonus reduce his cap hit to just his actual salary, or does some of it still count against the cap?

Mike Florio wrote:Per a source with knowledge of the terms, Lynch gets $12 million this year, in the form $7.5 million signing bonus and a $4.5 million fully-guaranteed base salary.

$4.5M base + $2.5M bonus pro ration looks like zero cap hit over the $7M he was due to make.

Best possible news of the offseason for the news that was questionable. You have to assume Wilson and Wagner will be taken care of.

Lynch transformed this teams image from the moment he got here, and they have not looked back.

I was not ready for life after Beast, so happy he was taken care of by Pete and John.

Edit...and Paul Allen..lol

Anytime we sign/extend/re-sign a guy I like to see the cap hit and dead money if we were somehow forced to cut that player. I Just saw the breakdown of this one and as Bob stated earlier no chance to cap hit this year (8.5 mil cap hit and 13.5 mil dead money this year). Next year a big cap hit 11.5 mil with 5 mil in dead money if we cut him. Year 3 12.5 mil cap hit with 2.5 in dead money. Overall I like the contract and if he plays all 3 years it will be because he is producing because his cap hit is so big, but the Hawks are protected if he starts to decline. I have also heard that they negotiated what would happen if he were to decided to retire at any point. If he were to retire after this season they could seek 5 mil of his bonus back. If he were to retire after the 2016 it would be 2.5 mil. I don't know if that would actually come off of the dead money hit (I don't know for sure but if I remember correctly from something I read a LONG time ago it stays on the cap even if the player has to re-pay it. Although that is something that could have changed with the new CBA because the info I am going off of was way before that).

I think I will wait to see what they do in FA and the draft before I comment. This could be good or bad we will see.

Anthony wrote:I think I will wait to see what they do in FA and the draft before I comment. This could be good or bad we will see.

there is NO way this is bad! None, zero, zip, nada. I have no idea what you got in your head makes you think this could be bad ...

Anthony wrote:I think I will wait to see what they do in FA and the draft before I comment. This could be good or bad we will see.

How exactly could this be bad? Maybe you are thinking they could have spent that money elsewhere, but the reality is he is worth at least his 8.5 mil hit this year and there isn't a doubt about it. There is nobody we could have signed in FA that could impact our team like him so you don't have to wait for anything, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the offseason. I know that is going to be difficult for you until RW is signed long-term, but don't worry that will get done as well.

Two Thumbs Up. Way Up!

There are two keys to the success of our current Offense - Wilson and Lynch.
No way this is a bad thing for 2015.

c_hawkbob wrote:
there is NO way this is bad! None, zero, zip, nada. I have no idea what you got in your head makes you think this could be bad ...

It all depends on what they do in FA and Draft, and in play design. You guys are looking at the right here and right now, I am looking at not just now but in the next 2+ years. Another year of Lynch, another year of not improving the pass blocking, another year of no real #1 wr, and the same high school play design, another year of having to cater to Lynch, another year of people saying its Lynchs team not Wilsons, another year of not preparing for life without Lynch and Wilson growth is slowed some more. That is my concern, but as I said I will wait till FA and the draft before I really worry. If everything stays as is, then it was a bad thing, if they make some improvements in the areas noted above than it was not a bad thing. Its pretty simple. Are they going to start preparing for life without Lynch and give Wilson the weapons he needs to succeed or is it going to stay status quo. Keeping Lynch allows them to stay status quo, Lynch leaving forces them to do what must be done.

We will see.

Anthony wrote:It all depends on what they do in FA and Draft, and in play design. You guys are looking at the right here and right now, I am looking at not just now but in the next 2+ years. Another year of Lynch, another year of not improving the pass blocking, another year of no real #1 wr, and the same high school play design, another year of having to cater to Lynch, another year of people saying its Lynchs team not Wilsons, another year of not preparing for life without Lynch and Wilson growth is slowed some more. That is my concern, but as I said I will wait till FA and the draft before I really worry. If everything stays as is, then it was a bad thing, if they make some improvements in the areas noted above than it was not a bad thing. Its pretty simple. Are they going to start preparing for life without Lynch and give Wilson the weapons he needs to succeed or is it going to stay status quo. Keeping Lynch allows them to stay status quo, Lynch leaving forces them to do what must be done.

We will see.

Don't forget that this might lead to the team not resigning RW, or RW not wanting to resign with the Hawks.

Anthony wrote:
It all depends on what they do in FA and Draft, and in play design. You guys are looking at the right here and right now, I am looking at not just now but in the next 2+ years. Another year of Lynch, another year of not improving the pass blocking, another year of no real #1 wr, and the same high school play design, another year of having to cater to Lynch, another year of people saying its Lynchs team not Wilsons, another year of not preparing for life without Lynch and Wilson growth is slowed some more. That is my concern, but as I said I will wait till FA and the draft before I really worry. If everything stays as is, then it was a bad thing, if they make some improvements in the areas noted above than it was not a bad thing. Its pretty simple. Are they going to start preparing for life without Lynch and give Wilson the weapons he needs to succeed or is it going to stay status quo. Keeping Lynch allows them to stay status quo, Lynch leaving forces them to do what must be done.

We will see.

Why in the world are tying improving our O-line and Passing game with whether or not Beast is on the team?!

Be it Beast or someone else, we're gonna have a running game and it's gonna be allotted the same percentage of resources (at least, likely more if we're try to replace the best back in the league) as is the case now.

News flash: We're a run first team!, we will always spend money on the run game.

mykc14 wrote:
Don't forget that this might lead to the team not resigning RW, or RW not wanting to resign with the Hawks.

It could but that is low on the list, as I am sure they already discussed all of this with him, however it could. FYI not so much the resigning of Lynch but what if anything they do with regards to the other things.

c_hawkbob wrote:
Why in the world are tying improving our O-line and Passing game with whether or not Beast is on the team?!

Be it Beast or someone else, we're gonna have a running game and it's gonna be allotted the same percentage of resources (at least, likely more if we're try to replace the best back in the league) as is the case now.

News flash: We're a run first team!, we will always spend money on the run game.

Oh I do not know maybe because we just paid more for Lynch so less is available. Maybe because prior to 2012 our run first team got us no place until Rw. Maybe because if we had improved the oline pas protection Rw would not be the most hit, hurried and sacked QB in the league. Maybe if we improved our Wr and had a legit #1 we would not be trying some stupid timing route with 2 wrs one of which would not be open most teams and the other would be a #4 at best. Last I checked run first does not mean you do not need to pass. FYI last year we passed the ball 454 times, and ran it 525, however 118 of those were RW and you can bet at least half or 59 were not designed runs. So if we take that into consideration we ran it 466 times and wanted to pass it 513. Either way you look at it we are trying to pass it between 46-52% of the time and either way that is a lot of our offense to not try to improve the pass blocking and WRs, and add to that if we resign Rw for the 18+ mil a year most think that is a huge amount of money not to try to protect it better and give it weapons. Common sense says you make that kind of investment in a QB you protect him and get him weapons.

All that said we will see, if the runmors are true then they are planning on doing just that.

Anthony wrote:
Oh I do not know maybe because ewe just paid more for Lynch so less is available. Maybe because prior to 2012 our run first team got us no place until Rw. Maybe because if we had improved the oline pas protection Rw would not be the most hit, hurried and sacked QB in the league. Maybe if we improve dour Wr and had a legit #1 we would not be trying some stupid timing route with 2 wrs one of which would not be open most teams and the other would be a #4 at best. Last I checked run first does not mean you do not need to pass. FYI last year we passed the ball 454 times, and ran it 525, however 118 of those were RW and you can bet at least half or 59 were not designed runs. So if we take that into consideration we ran it 466 times and wanted to pass it 513. Either way you look at it we are trying to pass it between 46-52% of the time and either way that is a lot of our offense to not try to improve the pass blocking and WRs, and add to that if we resign Rw for the 18+ mil a year most think that is a huge amount of money not to try to protect it better and give it weapons. Common sense says you make that kind of investment in a QB you protect him and get him weapons.

All that said we will see, if the runmors are true then they are planning on doing just that.

I doubt there is a Hawk fan out there who doesn't want the FO to get RW another target in the passing game as well as do something to improve the OL's pass blocking. With that most also understand how important ML is to our offense, the 8.5 we spend to resign him is the best money we will spend this offseason even though his resigning does nothing to our cap number this year and still gives us room to get another WR option and shore up the OL, either through the draft or free agency. The problem with the OL is there really isn't much help out there in Free Agency so saving $ does nothing in that regard. As far as WR goes they still could get any WR on the FA market they want this year, the problem is there isn't that true #1 guy. There are nice upgrades but none of them are top 15 big bodied receivers that we need. Cobb is great out of the slot, and he could help us, but he takes Baldwin out of his best position and at the price he is going to cost he wouldn't be worth it to us, IMO. So again, that money wouldn't be used on a WR anyway, probably.

we just paid more for Lynch so less is available

Nope, same cap hit whether he signed his extension played out his original contract. And going forward The amount of money we dedicate to our running game will be consistent whether Beast stays beyond next year or not. The very much bigger difference is going to be the amount of money he will have to dedicate to our passing game. We're talking differences in percentage points for our running game vs differences in orders of magnitude for our passing game. And you're getting your panties in a wad over Lynch?

prior to 2012 our run first team got us no place until Rw

It's also true that Russell Wilson has never been able to do it without Marshawn Lynch. are your really so sure that the only important part of that equation is Wilson? I'm not. And I believe myself to be as big a Wilson fan as you are, if perhaps a more realistic one.I don't expect us to fall apart after Beast leaves, in fact I didn't expect him to be back this season, but when you've got a winning hand you play it out, you don't fold just to get to the next deal.

Russ has got a long career ahead of him we'll see what happens when he has to bear more of the burden soon enough. In the mean time, I guarantee you he want's beast back for as long as he can play more than any of us!

mykc14 wrote:
I doubt there is a Hawk fan out there who doesn't want the FO to get RW another target in the passing game as well as do something to improve the OL's pass blocking. With that most also understand how important ML is to our offense, the 8.5 we spend to resign him is the best money we will spend this offseason even though his resigning does nothing to our cap number this year and still gives us room to get another WR option and shore up the OL, either through the draft or free agency. The problem with the OL is there really isn't much help out there in Free Agency so saving $ does nothing in that regard. As far as WR goes they still could get any WR on the FA market they want this year, the problem is there isn't that true #1 guy. There are nice upgrades but none of them are top 15 big bodied receivers that we need. Cobb is great out of the slot, and he could help us, but he takes Baldwin out of his best position and at the price he is going to cost he wouldn't be worth it to us, IMO. So again, that money wouldn't be used on a WR anyway, probably.

I am not debating what the fans want. I am debating what will be done, and what has not been done. Keeping Lynch to me is only a good move if we can improve in the other areas, otherwise all we did was stay status quo, not improve, not give Rw what he needs to take the next step, and not set our selves up for life after Lynch and we have done little to get Rw what he needs to take the next step. Great we kept Lynch but we may have retarded Rws growth. That is the point.

However again we will see and that si why I said I will wait till after FA and the Draft for what I think.

c_hawkbob wrote:


It's also true that Russell Wilson has never been able to do it without Marshawn Lynch. are your really so sure that the only important part of that equation is Wilson? I'm not. And I believe myself to be as big a Wilson fan as you are, if perhaps a more realistic one.I don't expect us to fall apart after Beast leaves, in fact I didn't expect him to be back this season, but when you've got a winning hand you play it out, you don't fold just to get to the next deal.

Russ has got a long career ahead of him we'll see what happens when he has to bear more of the burden soon enough. In the mean time, I guarantee you he want's beast back for as long as he can play more than any of us!

You can believe what you want but if Lynch leaves after this year it cost us more period. You do not pay someone more without it costing you at some point, As to the rest the reality is Prior to Rw we got no place post Rw we got were we wanted. Now was Lynch part of that of course but RW helps Lynch as much as Lynch helps RW. The fact is they are the only A+ talent players on offense. There is lies a problem because as of now we are not prepared for life after Lynch. Doe snot matter is we are a run first team we still need to pass protect and we suck at it and have for 3 years. Does not matter if we are a run first team you still need play makers at WR and our best would not even be a #3 on most good teams. I am sure Rw wants beast back because that is really all he has, and that is a problem. Your card analogy does not work here. because with cards the hand is over you get a new one. IN football that doe snot happen. You need to prepare for the future, as I said for 3+ years our oline has sucked at pass blocking. My point is why great Lynch is back, but our Franchise QB who we are going to pay over 18+ mil still is the most hit, hurried and sacked QB in the league and still does not have a true #1 or #2 wr. So to me signing Lynch only covers up a problem it does not solve it. I am waiting for a solution. Great teams improve on their weaknesses, 3 years later our weaknesses are the same WR and oline.

Again, all of those things, every one of them (at least of those that are true), would still be true if we were talking about Lynch or whoever it is we replace him with.

Besides, you're ignoring the very big point: percentage points vs orders of magnitude. We don't spend an inordinate amount of money on our RB position. We've been getting a bargain at the QB position and that's what's about to stop.

Besides, we've been spending a ton of both draft and monetary capitol on the WR and OL position, we've just had less success there. We don't need to spend less where we've been successful, we just need to do better where we haven't.

c_hawkbob wrote:Again, all of those things, every one of them (at least of those that are true), would still be true if we were talking about Lynch or whoever it is we replace him with.

Besides, you're ignoring the very big point: percentage points vs orders of magnitude. We don't spend an inordinate amount of money on our RB position. We've been getting a bargain at the QB position and that's what's about to stop.

Besides, we've been spending a ton of both draft and monetary capitol on the WR and OL position, we've just had less success there. We don't need to spend less where we've been successful, we just need to do better where we haven't.

For one you do not know they would be the same if it was not Lynch, you can guess but you do not know. I would probably depend on what they can get. If no Lynch but they get 2 top flight Wr I bet we throw more. As I already showed we actually tried to throw more this past year but thanks to bad pass blocking or Wr not getting open or bad route trees Rw had to run a lot which is what makes it look like we run so much, when we really do not. As I already showed we ran only 54% of the time, and again that is inflated as that includes RW running after not having a choice, which means it was pass play that went awry. As to spending a lot on RB ahh he has been a top 5 paid RB in the league for a few years now, so yeah we do. Your last statement made no sense. Nor did I say spend less, how about making him play out his contract which already pays him top 5 money. As to spending a ton on oline and WR. ahh not really, and not relevant since our oline they have been paying road graders, run blockers they said that themselves, so that does not help the pass game much. to Wr the only one we spent money on is Harvin and he is not a WR, nor did we use him like one. According to Sportrac Wr is behind RB in spending and our wr spend is raked 20th in spending in the NFL, while our RB is ranked 6th. And the difference in spending between RB and WR is made worse when you realize we had 7 players as WR and only 4 at RB.

Like I said I will wait till after FA and the Draft before I settle on my thoughts here. But as of now keeping Lynch and paying him 11-12 mil a year while not improving pass blocking and not getting serious Wr help makes this a bad move. They could think yet again hey we got Lynch, Rw can make up for the bad pass blocking, mediocre Wr and route trees, so lets just add more defense, and the once again we pray Rw does not get hurt seriously, and we still have not prepared for life without Lynch and have not built around our best player and franchise QB.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/positional/

Talk about a circular conversation! It's not a sane thing to carry on further, so I'm out.

I think it's obvious we need WR improvement.
I like Norwood, and now that he has a year under his belt and has corrected his foot injury maybe he will become a bigger factor.
However the ACL with Richardson is a worry for this year at least, so I would hope with a fairly deep WR class we can get one by the 2nd round.

The OL hasn't really panned out very well even with picks of Okung and Carpenter. Britt might have a future and like Norwood after a full season, he just make a big step.
Sweezy played good at times but still misses too much, but he has improved a lot from his first year. It remains to be seen if he has reached his ceiling.

Unger is having some health issues the last few years, but Jeanpierre and Lewis look like good backups.

The problem is contracts with Carpenter possibly moving on this year and both Okung and Sweezy possibly being FAs next year.
If the worst happens and we have to replace all 3, that's a lot of continuity to replace in 2 years.
It's why I advocate taking an OL in the early or middle rounds every year as it's also a lot less expensive than Free Agency.

Looks like we got us a bargain in Lynch's deal.

Unless you would rather have McCoy for $4 million more?

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status ... 9672950784

NorthHawk wrote:I think it's obvious we need WR improvement.
I like Norwood, and now that he has a year under his belt and has corrected his foot injury maybe he will become a bigger factor.
However the ACL with Richardson is a worry for this year at least, so I would hope with a fairly deep WR class we can get one by the 2nd round.

The OL hasn't really panned out very well even with picks of Okung and Carpenter. Britt might have a future and like Norwood after a full season, he just make a big step.
Sweezy played good at times but still misses too much, but he has improved a lot from his first year. It remains to be seen if he has reached his ceiling.

Unger is having some health issues the last few years, but Jeanpierre and Lewis look like good backups.

The problem is contracts with Carpenter possibly moving on this year and both Okung and Sweezy possibly being FAs next year.
If the worst happens and we have to replace all 3, that's a lot of continuity to replace in 2 years.
It's why I advocate taking an OL in the early or middle rounds every year as it's also a lot less expensive than Free Agency.

Those are all valid and is why I am waiting till after the draft and FA to decide my final thoughts on Lynch.

I can't see the negatives in resigning Beast, either, except for the philosophical reason of re-negotiating the renegotiated contract.

There were a lot of rumors that the team and Beast were not on good terms and that they had grown tired of his act. But this resigning seems to have put those concerns to rest, at least for the time being. I'm glad he's back in the fold. Despite his work load and style of play, he doesn't miss many starts.