The Seahawks are cutting Carlos Dunlap, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The move will save the Seahawks roughly $14MM in cap room and put the edge rusher on the open market. 
Dunlap, 32, was due a $3MM bonus on the fifth day of the league year with a total cap hit of $14.1MM in 2021. Pressed for flexibility, the Seahawks opted against keeping the three-time Pro Bowler.
The Seahawks swung a deal for Dunlap at last year’s deadline, sending offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a draft pick to the Bengals in exchange. Oddly enough, the Bengals released Finney just a few days ago. Dunlap managed five sacks, 14 tackles, and six TFL in his half season, but the numbers crunch forced the Seahawks to go in another direction.
Dunlap, an 11-year vet, has 87.5 career sacks to his credit. He may have to take a pay cut with his next deal, but there should still be a decent market for his services.
Dunlap was the key to Seattle’s improvement on defense. They probably want to re-sign him on the cheap, but he might get more than the Seahawks are willing to pay on the market. I know they need the cap space and there are probably a few more similar moves coming, but letting Dunlap go will be a mistake.
So you would have kept him at $14M??? Dunlap had all the leverage here…
Best the ‘Hawks could have done is tried to work out an extension, but it takes two to tango…doesn’t benefit Dunlap much to NOT test the market.
I’m not saying that at all. I actually think he’ll go back there on a slightly smaller deal and then give him a signing bonus that would make up for the money he lost. He released a statement saying that he wants to come back.
Guess the “will be a mistake” part is what I’m hung up on. From my view (via the recliner) the ‘hawks are playing this the right way. If he walks it’ll be because someone else is willing to overpay him to do so.
If he was dead-set on returning, he’d have worked out an extension. He clearly wants to test the market before agreeing to whatever SEA is offering. Can’t fault him for that, nor should you fault them for not matching if his price tag goes too high.
Nothing wrong with a guy wanting to check FA. If we lose him he got more than we would or could match. As long as he doesn’t pull a Hutchison. Still mad at that guy. Carlos doesn’t have the ties here so might be harder to keep him.
Drop the recliner down a bit you might see kws statement a little better. Didn’t help me who knows you could be smarter.
Yeah it’s all about attempting to placate Russell Wilson now. Gonna need to free up some cap space for that.
The Seattle FO should try the Seinfeld approach and try to placate Wilson with free Starbucks coffee.
Seahawks got TIRED of DUNLAP !!