The Seahawks have made a strong offer to free agent tackle Russell Okung, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Okung is representing himself and, in an interesting twist, he was barred from talking with teams during the two-day legal tampering period since players cannot talk with teams. As a result, the Seahawks are the only team able to talk to Okung until 4 ET/3 CT. Okung has been vocal about his desire to stay in Seattle, though he also wants to be paid fairly.
“It’s very possible that I could stay here,” Okung said in February. “But I know my value, and I’m not going to settle for anything less than that. If it works out, great. And if it doesn’t, that’s great as well.”
In late January, Okung underwent surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder. Still, the 28-year-old stands as the best offensive tackle on the open market. Overall, PFR ranked Okung as the No. 11 free agent in this year’s crop. Okung also says he expects to be fully cleared in a matter of months, which would put him on track to participate in training camp.
It will be interesting to see how much Okung gets on his next contract, whether it’s with the Seahawks or another team. By limiting himself during the legal tampering period, it’s quite possible that Okung has put himself at a disadvantage.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.