Seattle Seahawks Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

49ers, Seahawks Pursued Giovani Bernard

April 12th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

A free agent for the first time, Giovani Bernard agreed to join the defending Super Bowl champions. But prior to his Buccaneers agreement, the veteran passing-down back received interest from other NFC teams.

The 49ers and Seahawks also attempted to sign the eight-year vet, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson contacted Bernard, per Laine, though Bruce Arians and Tom Brady did as well.

Seattle re-signed Chris Carson and still has former first-round pick Rashaad Penny on its payroll. But the former is not known for his receiving chops, and the latter missed most of last season due to injury. The Seahawks have not incorporated their backs into the receiving game extensively during Wilson’s career. No Seattle back has eclipsed 300 receiving yards since Marshawn Lynch in 2014.

Bernard could have provided an intriguing weapon for the team. Wilson’s effort in attempting to recruit the veteran should also serve as a good sign for his Seattle status, which became uncertain for the first time this offseason.

San Francisco’s cap sheet no longer includes Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon‘s veteran salaries, but the 49ers do still employ key cogs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. Kyle Shanahan, however, valued McKinnon’s passing-game ability when he authorized a then-top-five running back accord in 2017. The 49ers, who saw injuries wreck McKinnon’s chances of living up to that contract, appear to be on the lookout for a receiving back capable of complementing Mostert and Wilson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Seahawks Re-Sign Damarious Randall

April 9th, 2021 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Damarious Randall is staying put. Meanwhile, he’ll also be changing positions. On Friday, the Seahawks announced that they have re-signed the veteran for the 2021 season. They also disclosed that he’ll be utilized as a cornerback, rather than safety.

Randall has moved around the secondary throughout his career. A safety at Arizona State, the Packers played Randall at cornerback. Then, after three years, he was traded to the Browns, where he was moved over to safety. That’s where the Seahawks kept him last year — Randall saw time in ten games off the bench last year. He was mostly used on special teams but, when he was on D, he was deployed as a free safety.

Randall, a 2015 first-round pick started 30 of his 39 games for the Packers. All in all, he notched ten interceptions, 32 passes defensed, and 144 tackles for his original club. Then, he started 26 games across two years for the Browns. Those combined Cleveland years saw four interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 15 passes defensed, and 146 tackles.

It’s a logical move by the Seahawks, who have lost Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar to free agency. Now, Randall will be penciled in as a CB along with D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, and one-time rival Ahkello Witherspoon. The Seahawks could still shop for corners in the draft and free agency, but Randall’s shift may rule out a reunion with old pal Richard Sherman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Seahawks Work Out Danny Isidora

April 8th, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks are clearly on the verge of adding some interior line help. Yesterday we heard they were hosting former top ten pick Chance Warmack and Cody Wichmann, and those weren’t the only two guards brought in.

The team also brought in Danny Isidora for a workout, per the league’s transaction wire. Isidora entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Vikings back in 2017. He spent his first two years in Minnesota, starting a few games. He was traded to the Dolphins in 2019 for a late pick, and entered the year as a starter for Miami. After starting three games he went down with an injury and missed the rest of the season.

He then spent time on the practice squads of the Chiefs and Steelers last season. The Miami product is still 26, so there’s some theoretical upside here. With the way they’ve been moving, it would be surprising if the Seahawks don’t sign a guard here imminently.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Contract Details: K. Miller, Lockett, McCoy

April 7th, 2021 at 10:55pm CST by Rory Parks

Catching you up on the details of a few recently-signed deals:

Raiders LT Kolton Miller: Three-year extension to keep Miller under club control through 2025. This looks like a fairly team-friendly deal. Miller was paid a $2MM roster bonus today and will earn a $9.5MM salary this year. He is also due a guaranteed $13.5MM roster bonus in 2022, but beyond a few $50K workout bonuses in 2022 and 2024-25, all of the money is in the form of non-guaranteed salary. His salaries from 2022-25 are $3.275MM, $14.225MM, $12.256MM, and $12.256MM (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett: Four-year extension to keep Lockett under club control through 2025. $19MM signing bonus. $13MM option bonus in 2022. Base salaries from 2021-25 are $2MM, $3MM, $9.7MM, $15.3MM, and $15.3MM. $1.6MM roster bonuses in 2024 and 2025 (Twitter link via Yates). 2021 cap hit of $9.25MM (previously $14.95MM).
Cardinals QB Colt McCoy: One-year deal. Veteran salary benefit. Worth $1.2MM with $137K guaranteed and counts $987K against the cap. Twitter link via Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

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West Notes: M. Jones, Seahawks, Clinton-Dix

April 7th, 2021 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been looking increasingly likely that the 49ers will draft Alabama passer Mac Jones with the No. 3 overall pick of this year’s draft, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter said just yesterday that Jones would be the Niners’ pick. But Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network isn’t as convinced. On a recent PFN Draft Insiders podcast (link), Pauline said he is hearing that whether San Francisco goes with Jones or one of Justin Fields or Trey Lance is a 50-50 proposition.

Of course, this time of year is notorious for false leaks and misinformation, but the Niners are at least doing their due diligence on Fields. The Ohio State QB will hold a second pro day, and 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch are expected to attend.

Now for a few more West-related items:

The 49ers have hosted DL Ronald Blair on a visit, as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Blair, whom the Niners selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, was a useful piece of the team’s pass rush rotation during his first few years in the league, but he suffered a torn ACL in November 2019, and it was later revealed that the ensuing surgery was not successful. Though he re-upped with San Francisco on a one-year deal last March, he did not play in a single game in 2020.
Cornerback Quinton Dunbar recently signed with the Lions, but the Seahawks wanted to retain him, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Seattle has lost both Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin in free agency, and though the club did bring Ahkello Witherspoon aboard, CB is still an area of need.
The Seahawks continue to seek offensive line depth. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Seattle visited with guard Cody Wichmann today (Twitter link). Wichmann, a sixth-round pick of the Rams in 2015, has managed to land a couple of reserve/futures contracts and a spot on the Cowboys’ practice squad in 2018, but he hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2016. He has 18 career starts to his credit.
After the first few weeks of the new league year, the Raiders still have a glaring need at safety, but they don’t seem too worried about it. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the only FA safety Vegas was in on early was Rayshawn Jenkins, who inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Jaguars. Players like Kenny Vaccaro, Duron Harmon, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix remain available, and the Raiders actually had Clinton-Dix in for a visit in March. Tafur suggests that the 28-year-old may have an offer in hand from Vegas and could be waiting for the market to pick back up before agreeing to a deal.

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Chance Warmack Visiting Seahawks

April 7th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Chance Warmack could be headed back to Seattle. The veteran guard is visiting with the Seahawks, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Fowler notes he’ll be getting a physical and that this is a “potential re-signing.” Warmack is most well-known for being the 10th overall pick of the 2013 draft by the Titans. He became an immediate starter in Tennessee but never lived up to his draft status, had his fifth-year option declined, and was allowed to walk after the 2016 season.

He spent the next two years with the Eagles as a reserve, making a few starts. He was out of football in 2019, then signed with Seattle in March of last year. He ultimately decided to opt out of 2020 due to COVID-19, and was released back in February. Now, he might end up back with the Seahawks for real. If he signs and makes the team it’ll be his first game action since 2018. He’ll turn 30 in September.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Dunlap: Russell Wilson Assured He Will Stay With Seahawks

April 6th, 2021 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Russell Wilson‘s agent listed four teams that would be acceptable trade destinations, and the one of those franchises (the Bears) proceeded down that path. However, one of the Seahawks’ recent signings indicated the superstar quarterback plans to play next season in Seattle.

Despite being released earlier this offseason, Carlos Dunlap re-signed with the Seahawks on March 25. The veteran defensive end, a 2020 Seahawks trade acquisition, confirmed he asked Wilson if he would be back next season. Wilson assured Dunlap he would.

“I did ask him if, obviously, he was going to be with us. Because if I’m coming back, I’m coming back because I see him as my quarterback — and the rest of the team. I want to pick up where we left off,” Dunlap said, via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “And he told me that he’s with us and that he’s here to stay.”

Wilson is one of the few NFLers who can control his own fate, being in possession of a no-trade clause. If the 32-year-old passer intends to return, the Seahawks will surely accept that and move forward with another Wilson-centric team. While the Wilson trade rumors may not stop because of this, there has been some movement since the rumblings started in February.

The nine-year Seattle starter went public about his issues with the team, pinpointing offensive line issues publicly. He also wanted a greater say in how the team proceeded with its offensive coordinator search. The Seahawks did bring in a notable outside O-lineman, in ex-Raider guard Gabe Jackson, and included Wilson in an OC search that ended with Shane Waldron. Following a report indicating Wilson and Pete Carroll butted heads last season, the quarterback and head coach have spoken periodically this offseason as well. And the Bears’ efforts to acquire Wilson proved ineffective.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Contract Details: Dunlap, Bills, Texans, Burns

April 4th, 2021 at 9:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Let’s catch up on some of the latest contract details from around the league:

Seahawks DE Carlos Dunlap: Two-years, $13.6MM. This had previously been reported as $16.6MM, but it turns out Seattle got Dunlap back for a few million cheaper than that, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. It’s actually a five-year pact with three years that automatically void for cap spreading purposes. As previously reported, it has $8.5MM in guaranteed money. Dunlap was set to have a $14.1MM cap charge for 2021 before the Seahawks cut him and then re-signed him to this less expensive deal.
Bills LB Tyler Matakevich: One-year extension. Buffalo gave their special teams ace a one-year extension through the 2022 season, which lowered his 2021 cap number to $2.95MM from $3.7MM, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic tweets. His base salary for 2021 is now fully guaranteed. He’ll count for $3.25MM against the 2022 cap, but there will only be $750K in dead money if he’s released.
Texans CB Tavierre Thomas: Two-years, $4MM. We now have details on this contract, as Thomas will be getting $2MM in guaranteed money, Wilson tweets. Not bad for a player who prior to 2020 was mostly a special teams guy. He ended up playing almost 20 percent of the defensive snaps for the Browns last year as they dealt with injuries in their secondary. He got a $1MM signing bonus, a $1MM guaranteed salary for 2021, and a non-guaranteed $1.5MM salary for 2022 with $250K in per game active roster bonuses for each season.
Bears CB Artie Burns: One-year, $990K. The financial terms on this one were previously not reported, and it turns out the former first-round pick only got the veteran’s minimum from Chicago, Wilson tweets. The 25th pick of the 2016 draft by the Steelers got over $1MM to sign with the Bears last offseason, but then tore his ACL in August before playing a down for the team.

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Waldron Helped Get Everett To Seattle

April 4th, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks signed away tight end Gerald Everett from the Rams in free agency, and it turns out a prior poaching played a large role in that. Seattle hired former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron to be their new OC after firing Brian Schottenheimer, and Waldron played a role in delivering Everett. “Shane is a mastermind,” Everett said, via John Boyle of the team’s official site. “He’s very creative, and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do in Seattle… When Shane went to Seattle, obviously the idea was there, it lingered in my head.” Everett was a second-round pick of Los Angeles in 2017, and although he never put up huge numbers in Rams offenses that had a lot of mouths to feed, he flashed a lot of potential. “Yes, he was a factor in my decision to come to Seattle,” Everett said of Waldron. The Seahawks gave him a one-year, $7MM deal in March.

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Jarran Reed Refused Seahawks Restructure

April 2nd, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarran Reed made a somewhat surprising relocation this offseason, leaving the Seahawks and joining the Chiefs. After he hit the market more than a week after free agency’s outset, the veteran defensive tackle will make less money in 2021.

The Seahawks wanted to keep Reed for the 2021 season, with Mike Garafolo reporting the team approached the D-tackle starter about a restructure (video link). While this was not a pay-cut request, Reed refused Seattle’s bid to restructure his contract — thus lowering his cap hit and adding void years to the deal — and made a push for an extension. But the Seahawks balked and released him, leading the five-year veteran to Kansas City.

Reed is set to make $5MM on his one-year Chiefs contract. Had he agreed to the Seahawks’ restructure offer, he was due to earn nearly $9MM next season. Reed’s agent recommended his client agree to the Seattle restructure, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports, but Garafolo adds that Reed knew he would end up making less with another team and declined to redo his Seahawks deal anyway.

When the Seahawks declined to extend Reed, the former second-round pick asked if they would commit to an extension down the road, per Henderson. The team did made no such pledge, which upset the four-year starter, according to 710 AM Seattle’s John Clayton. The Seahawks attempted to trade Reed but opted to release him soon after.

A Seahawks restructure would have reduced Reed’s base salary to $1MM, but he would have collected the rest of the money — from his 2020 deal (two years, $23MM) — via signing bonus, Henderson adds. Reed would still have been a free agent in 2022. His Chiefs pact also puts him on track to hit the market again next year.

The Seahawks spent late March reorganizing their defensive line. They re-signed Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa and Poona Ford and added Kerry Hyder. After Reed’s exit, the Seahawks brought back Al Woods for a third stint. Reed will now team with Chris Jones and former teammate Frank Clark with the Chiefs. During Reed and Clark’s previous season together, 2018, Reed recorded a career-best 10.5 sacks. He registered 6.5 last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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