Seahawks Likely To Move On From Sebastian Janikowski
- Sebastian Janikowski‘s season ended on a low note, as he was injured and unable to kick in the second half of the Seahawks’ Wild Card round playoff loss. That might’ve been his last game as a Seahawk, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times expects Seattle to move on from the impending free agent this offseason. Janikowski is soon to be 41, and his play has clearly declined from his peak, but teams could be interested assuming the Seahawks let him walk. As Condotta notes, the team recently signed former Rams kicker Sam Ficken to a reserve/futures contract, and they could add more competition through the draft or free agency.
Seahawks Sign QB Paxton Lynch
The Seahawks have signed quarterback Paxton Lynch, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. The deal was first reported by Ian Furness of KJR Radio (on Twitter). 
Lynch may be a backup option for the Seahawks in 2019 behind starter Russell Wilson. Before this pact, Wilson was the only QB under contract for next season. Brett Hundley, who finished out the year as Wilson’s backup, is set for unrestricted free agency.
Wilson, 31 in November, has had a perfect attendance record since entering the league in 2012. Still, you can’t bank on perfect health in football. For all his warts, Lynch may prove to be a quality QB2 for Seattle.
Lynch tried out for roughly 25% of the league’s teams since being cut by the Broncos in 2018, but was unable to land a contract. The former 26th overall selection in the 2016 draft was beaten out twice for the Broncos’ starting quarterback job by former seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian. In two years with Denver, Lynch managed to start only four games, completing 61.7% of his passes for 792 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. Among the 52 quarterbacks who attempted at least 125 passes during those two seasons, Lynch ranked 41st in passer rating and 46h in adjusted net yards per attempt.
Latest On Seahawks’ Mychal Kendricks
Mychal Kendricks‘ sentencing date for his insider trading case has been moved from Jan. 25 to April 4, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. District court in Pennsylvania handling the case (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson). It’s a development that could impact Kendricks’ football future. 
Previously, head coach Pete Carroll indicated that he would like Kendricks back in 2019, provided that a prison sentence did not interfere with his availability. Kendricks could be facing 30-to-37 months in prison, so there’s no way of knowing whether he’ll be able to play football again anytime soon. If he is imprisoned for 37 months, he’ll be 31 years old at the time of his release and three years removed from the game.
Of course, the later sentencing date further complicates matters. Kendricks will not realistically be able to sign a contract with a team or gear up for the 2019 season while his freedom hangs in the balance. In a best case scenario, Kendricks can hope for a slap on the wrist and the ability to market himself in the second wave of free agency.
Seahawks, Frank Clark Discussing Deal
One way or another, the Seahawks do not appear to be ready to let Frank Clark leave the Pacific Northwest. Their top pass rusher is on the verge of UFA status, but the Seahawks have begun discussions for a second Clark contract, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes.
The sides have been negotiating since the season ended, per Condotta, who adds the Seahawks view the franchise tag as a “legitimate option” this year. Pete Carroll said at season’s end he’s “counting on” Clark being back with the Seahawks next season.
Seattle has not used the tag since applying their 2010 tag to Olindo Mare, but with Clark in position to command a lucrative deal on the open market, it looks like his current team will not allow that.
Seattle let several core defenders go last year and may enter the 2019 season with just one of its Super Bowl-era defenders left, Bobby Wagner. Clark led the Seahawks with 13 sacks — the most for this franchise since Patrick Kerney‘s 14.5 in 2007 — and profiles as another front-seven piece that could join Wagner as a long-term starter after waiting behind Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril for years.
Clark said he would be fine if the Seahawks tagged him. This would cost the Seahawks approximately $17MM, but the team is armed with more cap space than it has carried in recent years. Seattle stands to have just more than $60MM in room. With the team going through most of the 2010s without using the tag, a back-to-back tag scenario may unfold. Russell Wilson could be a legitimate option for a 2020 tag.
Considering Melvin Ingram and Chandler Jones signed extensions in the $16MM-AAV neighborhood after being tagged two years ago, on a $167MM cap, Clark will surely push to become the NFL’s highest-paid 4-3 defensive end. Danielle Hunter signed for $14.4MM per year before his Pro Bowl season. Clark’s 2018 production will surely push him north of that figure, if he and the Seahawks do get close on a long-term deal before the tag deadline.
Additionally, Clark said (on Twitter) he played this season with two torn UCLs. That injury usually leads to Tommy John surgery, so it’s a situation worth monitoring this offseason.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/14/19
Here are Monday’s reserve/futures contract decisions:
Dallas Cowboys
- T Jake Campos
- RB Jordan Chunn
- CB Treston DeCoud
- CB Donovan Olumba
- LB Kyle Queiro
- DT Aziz Shittu
- G Cody Wichmann
Los Angeles Chargers
- K/P Ty Long
New England Patriots
- OL Ryker Mathews
New York Giants
- OLB Avery Moss
- G Chad Slade
Philadelphia Eagles
- LB Asantay Brown
- C Anthony Fabiano
- G Kaleb Johnson
- CB Jeremiah McKinnon
- WR Braxton Miller
- WR Dorren Miller
- DE Joe Ostman
- RB Donnel Pumphrey
- CB Chandon Sullivan
- TE Will Tye
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Jamie Meder
Russell WIlson Set To Earn At Least $35MM Per Year
- The Seahawks are set to begin contract negotiations with quarterback Russell Wilson, and in a piece that is well-worth a full read, Joel Corry of CBS Sports says that Wilson’s new deal will pay him at least $35MM per year.
Seahawks Workout Kickers
- Before signing kicker Sam Ficken yesterday, the Seahawks worked out a few other kickers. The team brought in Caleb Sturgis, Younghoe Koo, and Lirim Hajrullahua for workouts, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Koo was the Chargers’ kicker to open the 2017 season but was cut after a handful of games, while Sturgis was the Chargers’ kicker the first half of this season before being cut in favor of Michael Badgley. Hajrullahua has been in the CFL the last five years. Seattle’s interest in kickers suggests Sebastian Janikowski, who is a free agent this offseason, won’t be returning in 2019.
- Speaking of workouts, the Colts brought in tight end Gabe Holmes for a tryout, Balzer tweets. Holmes was signed as an UDFA by the Raiders back in 2015, and has bounced around some bottom of the rosters and practice squads ever since. The Purdue product has spent time with the Raiders, Seahawks, Ravens, and Cardinals. Holmes appeared in eight games with Arizona this year, but was used mostly as a blocker and never caught a pass.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: RB Troymaine Pope
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: K Sam Ficken
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/8/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Baltimore Ravens
- G Kofi Amichia
- T Randin Crecelius
- CB Robertson Daniel
- RB Tyler Ervin
- FB Christopher Ezeala
- S Bennett Jackson
- LB Alvin Jones
- TE Nick Keizer
Buffalo Bills
- WR Duke Williams
Chicago Bears
- OL Dejon Allen
- DL Abdullah Anderson
- DB John Franklin III
- WR Tanner Gentry
- WR Cyril Grayson
- DB Michael Joseph
- DB Jonathon Mincy
- RB Ryan Nall
- LB James Vaughters
- LB Josh Woods
Cleveland Browns
- OL David Bright
- DB Ashton Lampkin
Miami Dolphins
- LB Sam Eguavoen
New England Patriots
- C Jake Eldrenkamp
New York Jets
- WR Stacy Coley
- DE Harvey Langi
Philadelphia Eagles
Houston Texans
- TE Jerell Adams
- LB Davin Bellamy
- RB Josh Ferguson
- LB Chris Landrum
- OT Rick Leonard
- G Maurquice Shakir
- T David Steinmetz
- WR Jester Weah
- WR Issac Whitney
Philadelphia Eagles
- LB Alex Singleton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- K Matt McCrane
Seattle Seahawks
- CB Jeremy Boykins
- WR Caleb Scott
- WR Keenan Reynolds
- CB Simeon Thomas
- SS Marwin Evans
- TE Tyrone Swoopes
- LB Justin Currie
- C Marcus Henry
- G Jordan Roos
Seahawks, Wilson To Begin Negotiations
Russell Wilson‘s last contract negotiations proved quite the test for both sides, and the Seahawks quarterback made significant strides as a player in the years since. And the NFL’s quarterback salary landscape looks remarkably different now than it did in 2015.
With their season over and their franchise cornerstone entering a contract year, the Seahawks will soon begin extension talks, Pete Carroll said during a radio interview with 710 Seattle (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, on Twitter).
The last update provided on these looming talks came in September, when Wilson’s camp had not received any word the Seahawks were progressing on a new deal. Now that Wilson is in a contract year, that will change. But this may take a while. As of last offseason, Wilson expected this process to end with the Seahawks franchise-tagging him in 2020.
Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6MM deal with the Seahawks in July 2015. That re-up has since been surpassed by 10 other quarterbacks. With two passers now making at least $30MM per year, Wilson is unlikely to sign for less than that, especially considering he just turned 30. He should still be in his prime when this his third contract concludes. And with the Seahawks moving on from numerous high-profile veterans, making 2018 their first fully Wilson-centric team (and an unexpected playoff entrant, at that), the quarterback’s camp will surely demand their client be compensated like similar franchise centerpieces across the league.
Although Wilson was a two-time NFC champion when he signed his most recent Seattle deal, he compiled his first two 4,000-yard seasons over the course of that pact while throwing at least 34 touchdown passes three times in that span as well.