Is Bruce Irvin talking his way out of Seattle?

[RiverDog]

He's been one of my favorite whipping boys since we drafted him with the #15 overall, but I had to admit that he turned into a pretty fair starter. But he's wearing out his welcome.

First of all, there was the PED suspension. Just plain stupid, especially after he saw what happened to a couple of his fellow teammates. Then he was one of the players that was rumored to be very upset with the Harvin trade. Not a big deal, rumors are rumors, and if Harvin was a friend, I can understand being upset. Then there was the fight he started at the end of this year's Super Bowl. Although I can understand the emotional letdown, it was still a completely classless act IMO. Richard Sherman took the opportunity to congratulate Tom Brady. But Irvin? No such deal. But again, no biggie.

But that's where my patience and understanding ran out. The tweets he made after he found out after he found out the Hawks weren't picking up his contract was horsechit, and despite an effort by Pete to explain why they weren't picking it up...assuming that it was something about the economics of the Seahawks specific situation and not about their opinion of his overall worth or playing ability...and now that he's had some time to reflect on that decision...he's making statements that he wants to play for the Falcons.

“Atlanta is where I want to be,” Irvin said. “Believe that.”

http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2015 ... 32011101=0

Pete went out on a limb for this guy when he drafted him at #15 overall and took a lot of flack in doing so, and this is the type of appreciation he shows. The FO can't be happy with his recent statements. Don't be surprised if he's not with the team this season.

[Hawktown]

I didn't read that particular article but read a different one on NFL's site, probably the same recycled article. I wouldn't really blame either side for this situation as if i had been drafted by a team other that my childhood favorite, I would also be more than willing to admit i would love to play for the Seahawks! If i was the hawks FO, they are trying to keep a winning team and it seems that a lot of players are not on that wagon. If i were the hawks FO i wouldn't worry about a guy saying he would like to play for his favorite team.

Wanting to be a falcon should have no bearing on how he plays for the hawks.

[RiverDog]

I didn't read that particular article but read a different one on NFL's site, probably the same recycled article. I wouldn't really blame either side for this situation as if i had been drafted by a team other that my childhood favorite, I would also be more than willing to admit i would love to play for the Seahawks! If i was the hawks FO, they are trying to keep a winning team and it seems that a lot of players are not on that wagon. If i were the hawks FO i wouldn't worry about a guy saying he would like to play for his favorite team.

Wanting to be a falcon should have no bearing on how he plays for the hawks.

If that were the only incident, then I'd agree. The majority of the players in the league grow up as being fans of a team that is not currently their own, and if that's all that was involved, then it wouldn't be a hugged deal. But it's not the only incident. There's the profanity laced tweets he made when he found out we weren't picking up the 5th year option.

The Hawks have to worry about team morale. After the end of SB 49, they have a lot of bridges to rebuild in that locker room, and Irvin is not helping matters with his public rants and his open disrespect of the FO and their decisions. The Hawks got rid of Percy Harvin in part because he was a locker room cancer. I would not be surprised at all if they expedite Irvin's expected departure. If he's not going to be with us going forward, then we might as well trade him this season and get something for him.

[NorthHawk]

They won't get much for him in a trade. Perhaps a 6th or 7th round pick as other teams know he won't be here next year.
Play him this year and if he becomes a problem, make it known what's going on and bench him.
That will send a huge message to other teams and he won't get much of a contract elsewhere.

That may sound somewhat vindictive, but if he truly wants to go somewhere else (it's also about the money), and if he's a true competitor he will play his butt off this year to show how much he's worth.

[c_hawkbob]

He's not talking his way out of Seattle in any other sense than that he might be talking on his way out. Nothing he is saying will impact whether he stays or not.

We want him to remain a Seahawk and will make him an offer commensurate with what we feel he's worth. The reason he's talking now is because we declined to pick up his 5th year option, which means that while we'd like him to stay, we don't want him as a $7M + cap hit.

As far as his saying he wants to play in his home town, I got no issue with that at all. If he does good for him! Thanks for all your hard hard work, give us one more good year and we part friends.

[RiverDog]

He's not talking his way out of Seattle in any other sense than that he might be talking on his way out. Nothing he is saying will impact whether he stays or not.

We want him to remain a Seahawk and will make him an offer commensurate with what we feel he's worth. The reason he's talking now is because we declined to pick up his 5th year option, which means that while we'd like him to stay, we don't want him as a $7M + cap hit.

As far as his saying he wants to play in his home town, I got no issue with that at all. If he does good for him! Thanks for all your hard hard work, give us one more good year and we part friends.

Pete Carroll has a sign above the locker room that says "I'm in". It's pretty clear that he expects all of his players to be completely dedicated to the team. If Irvin keeps jacking his jaws, keeps telling everyone how badly he wants to be in Atlanta EVEN IF THE SEAHAWKS WERE TO SHOW HIM THE MONEY, it's only going to be a matter of time before they heed to his request.

[Hawk Sista]

The kid was homeless and it was only by the grace of a few solid people in his life that he got on a track to play ball in college and the NFL. Without a doubt, he lacks the social maturity that one would prefer out of a player on their favorite team. I'm sure he feels a part of the Seahawk brotherhood and a belonging that he has not known in his lifetime. This recent move (or lack thereof) by the Hawks has hurt him deeply and I am sure he likely feels abandoned all over again. I'm sure Bob is right, the Hawks want to keep him and will make him an offer that some desperate crappy team (like the jags or the browns) will best. Bruce and his immaturity will equate money with love and respect and go to whatever team pays him the most, and he will struggle there when out of our scheme.

That said, I don't disagree that he should show more loyalty to the dudes who took a chance on him in the first round and coached him to become an effective, although not a super-star, at the NFL level. A lot of his actions have been PR nightmares for the Hawks. Pete does a great job of not reacting publically to it all- from Bruce's early arrests, to PED use and subsequent suspension, to really dumb on the field penalties ("BRUUUCE, NOOOO" Steve Raible), to his April Fool's Day tweet ("I got a DUI....nah man"), to starting a brawl after we lost the super bowl (how many times did I read how classless the Hawks and the fans were because of this stupidity?), to publicly criticizing his coaches for losing the SB, to his incessant and STUPID tweets (including the several after his extension was not picked up). BTW - he is very publically jabbing at and criticizing dudes who NEVER publicly criticized him for ALL of the things he has done to hurt this club.

I believe he will be gone and Frank Clark is at least in part, his replacement (I'll bet.) If I were a little more sinister, I'd vote for trading him to the Vikings or the Jags right now and get a lil something for him.

[RiverDog]

Here's a post from jammerhawk over at .net that I thought was the best take about this situation that I've read so far:

The concern about Irvin is only his immaturity, his temper as displayed on the field, and most of his foolish tweets. As posted above he's done well changing positions and is a good solid OLB with a limited pass rush repertoire. What he's worth is not what he thinks he's worth. He still thinks he's DE when his position is Now SOLB. In a money ball sense the decision not to pick up his option makes absolute sense. BI is now po'd about it, and doing his best to talk his way off the team. Too bad b/c he is a good player but really not the player the team thought they'd be getting when he was drafted. If he wants out the team should let him go they have depth now with the additions of KPL and now Clark and Gwachum.

I suspect this may motivate BI to have a big year, but if he's a distraction he should be moved. I can see him not being part of the plan going forward and a candidate for a 2017comp pick. This is too bad b/c I like his physicality on the field and sort of like the guy who has overcome a lot in life.

[c_hawkbob]

I still say nothing he says will effect what we offer him. We'll offer him what we think he's worth totally irrespective of anything he says.

[RiverDog]

I still say nothing he says will effect what we offer him. We'll offer him what we think he's worth totally irrespective of anything he says.

I'm not trying to be a smart Alec, but did you mean to say nothing that he's said or nothing that he says? If it's the former, I might be more inclined to agree. But if it's the latter, there's certainly some things he can say that could affect his future with us.

[HumanCockroach]

I suppose it is difficult to get worked up for me in regards to his to his contract situation. Irvin's a human not a machine, in wanting to play for his hometown team him being upset about not having his fifth year option picked up is only human the differences that everybody hears and sees it.

[obiken]

I was never a fan of his, you all know that I have no viable perspective on this guy. I think its time for him to go, but IF we can sign him on a cost vs. benefit package, then fine.