Seahawks, Duane Brown Agree To Extension
Duane Brown will enter the 2018 season with a new contract. In his first training camp with the Seahawks, the veteran left tackle’s agreed to terms on an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Seattle has announced the extension.
The Seahawks and Brown have been working on this deal for weeks, per Rapoport. The soon-to-be 33-year-old blocker was going to play for $9.75MM this season but was set for a contract year. Despite his advancing age, the Seahawks are making a commitment to the tackle they acquired at the trade deadline last season.
It’s a three-year, $36.5MM re-up for Brown, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). This deal will keep Brown tied to the Seahawks through the 2021 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Brown will earn in excess of $14MM in 2018, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
After a stretch of committing scant resources to their offensive front, the Seahawks now have both Brown and Justin Britt signed long-term.
Brown staged a lengthy holdout into the regular season last year before the Texans shipped him to the Seahawks. He started nine games with Seattle upon arrival. The four-time Pro Bowler has started all 142 games for which he’s suited up in a 10-season career. Entering his 11th, he’s expected to anchor the Seahawks’ offensive line.
A lack of guarantees remaining on his Texans deal prompted Brown to hold out in 2017. He did not report to the Texans until late October of last year but was not holding out with his new team this offseason. Brown graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 27 tackle last season. He’s regarded as one of the best tackles of this era.
Malik McDowell Clears Waivers
- Defensive tackle Malik McDowell has cleared waivers and has reverted to the Seahawks’ injured reserve list, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). McDowell was released yesterday after he was unable to ever return to health following an ATV accident last summer. McDowell, the 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, has never played a down in the NFL and it’s unclear if there’s a chance he ever returns.
Latest On Seahawks’ Earl Thomas
Prior to offseason activities, the Seahawks informed Earl Thomas and his representatives that the team will not address his contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Seahawks were specific and clear in delivering that message and Thomas’ participation in camp would not have altered their stance. 
Things could get ugly as Thomas may be willing to take his holdout into the regular season. With one year to go on his current deal, Thomas wants a multi-year extension that will position him as one of the league’s highest-paid safeties. If the Seahawks won’t give that to him, then he wants to be traded, possibly to the Cowboys.
Thomas is set to earn a base salary of $8.5MM this year while counting for $10.4MM against Seattle’s salary cap. It’s the final year of the four-year, $40MM extension he inked back in 2014, a deal that made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety at the time. Today, that deal puts him sixth among NFL safeties in terms of annual average value.
It’s common for teams to delay extension talks when a player has two or more years remaining on his contract. However, with a year to go, this should be the prime time for the Seahawks to discuss a fresh deal with one of their biggest stars. Given Thomas’ age and the weakness of the free agent safety market, the Seahawks’ valuation of Thomas is likely far apart from his own appraisal. Opening up contract talks with Thomas could make the relationship even worse, which is probably why the Seahawks are holding off.
Seahawks Add Three Tight Ends, Waive CB DeAndre Elliott
With Ed Dickson currently dealing with an injury, the Seahawks added several tight ends today. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Seattle has claimed tight end Kyle Carter off waivers from the Giants. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team has also signed tight ends Kayaune Ross and Je’Ron Hamm (Twitter link).
The team had already opened one roster spot today by releasing former second-round defensive lineman Malik McDowell, and John Boyle of Seahawks.com notes that the team also let go of cornerback DeAndre Elliott with a failed physical designation.
Carter, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Penn State, was waived by New York yesterday. The 25-year-old spent the first two seasons of his career with the Vikings, appearing in three games with the team last season. Hamm, 26, has spent time with the Saints, Redskins, and 49ers since going undrafted out of Louisiana-Monroe in 2014. He has a pair of career catches for 13 yards. Ross, an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, finished his collegiate career with 19 catches for 286 yards.
Dickson has been dealing with a groin injury, leading to his placement on the PUP list earlier today. The trio of new tight ends will be hard pressed to make the roster unless Dickson is forced to miss the start of the regular season, as the Seahawks are also rostering Nick Vannett, Will Dissly, and Tyrone Swoopes.
Elliott joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State in 2016. In two seasons with the team, he’s compiled eight tackles.
Seahawks Release Malik McDowell
It’s officially official. On Thursday, the Seahawks released 2017 second-round pick Malik McDowell. It was first reported back in April that Seattle would be moving on from the defensive tackle. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Place Chancellor On PUP List]
The Seahawks had high hopes for the Michigan State product last year, but an ATV crash last summer changed the course of his career. Then, in the midst of his would-be rookie season, he was arrested for disorderly conduct after an incident at an Atlanta night club. According to reports, McDowell demanded a refund on a $600 alcohol purchase. When he was told that he had not yet paid that $600 tab, he got into a shouting match with club employees. When police arrived on the scene, he got into a verbal tirade with officers.
Last year, the Seahawks moved down three times from No. 25 before selecting McDowell with the No. 35 overall pick. At the time, it appeared be a savvy maneuver. Unfortunately, it turned out to be yet another draft miss from the Seahawks’ front office.
The 6’6″, 295-pound McDowell tallied 24.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 32 games at Michigan State, where he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in each of his final two seasons on campus.
Seahawks Place Chancellor On PUP List
Kam Chancellor‘s season is officially over, and so is his career. The Seahawks placed safety Kam Chancellor on the Reserve/PUP list on Thursday, formally ruling him out for the year. 
[RELATED: Kam Chancellor Announces Retirement]
After eight seasons with the Seahawks, Chancellor announced his retirement earlier this month. There was little doubt about his future, but the transaction means that the Seahawks have been forced to eat his $5.2MM injury guarantee for 2019. Chancellor is undoubtedly disappointed about how things have turned out, but he won’t be hurting for cash as he leaves the club with $12MM in guaranteed cash for the ’18 and ’19 seasons.
Chancellor missed nearly half of last season with a neck injury and was unable to get the greenlight from doctors this year. His nine appearances in 2017 marked a career low. Chancellor missed 16 combined games over the last three seasons after starting at least 14 games between 2011-14.
Chancellor leaves Seattle as one of the club’s most accomplished defensive players of all time. As a pivotal part of the “Legion of Boom,” Chancellor earned four Pro Bowl nods and helped the club to its first Super Bowl win following the 2013 season.
Seahawks’ Thomas Willing To Miss Games?
It could be a while before we see Earl Thomas and the Seahawks reach a resolution. There’s a belief around the league that Thomas is preparing to sit out through training camp and into the regular season, unless he gets a new deal or is traded, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Haven’t Discussed Thomas Trade Since Draft?]
Thomas is under contract with the Seahawks for one more season and is set to carry a $10.4MM cap hit. After celebrating his 29th birthday this offseason and watching the disappointing free agent safety market play out, Thomas is insistent on receiving a lucrative new contract now instead of next year.
The Seahawks have already lost several of their core defensive players this offseason and they can ill afford to start the year without Thomas. Thomas, who graded as the Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 ranked safety last year, has arguably been the league’s most consistent safety in the NFL since 2010.
To date, Thomas has spent his entire career in Seattle and picked up six Pro Bowl selections along the way. In 14 games last season, Thomas compiled 88 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions.
Cowboys Haven’t Discussed Thomas Since Draft
According to one report, the Cowboys have discussed an Earl Thomas trade with the Seahawks in recent months. However, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones told reporters on Wednesday that the two sides have not talked about a deal since the draft (Twitter link via PFT’s Charean Williams). 
At this point, it’s hard to know whether Jones is telling the truth. What is clear, however, is that Thomas is still holding out hope of a trade if he does not get a new deal. This week, he is staying away from the club as training camp gets underway.
Thomas is under contract for one more season with a base salary of $8.5MM and a $10.4MM cap hit. When Thomas signed his four-year, $40MM extension with the Seahawks in 2014, he was the highest-paid safety in the game. Today, that deal puts him sixth in average annual value. Thomas either wants the Seahawks to restore his place atop the mountain or trade him to another team that will oblige.
For now, the Cowboys project to start Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath at safety.
Earl Thomas Not Reporting To Seahawks
As expected, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas is not reporting to training camp as he continues to demand either a contract extension or a trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Although the Seahawks don’t seem inclined to extend Thomas’ contract at this time, that doesn’t mean Seattle isn’t interested in a long-term deal down the road, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). The 29-year-old defensive back only has one more season left on his current contract, so the idea of waiting for a fresh pact likely doesn’t hold any appeal.
However, Seattle would prefer that Thomas report to camp before any negotiations take place, a strategy that was used when the Seahawks dealt with fellow safety Kam Chancellor‘s contract last August. The Cowboys, notably, have been viewed as Thomas’ most likely landing spot if he is dealt, and Dallas has discussed acquiring the All-Pro safety in recent months.
Thomas is signed through 2018, when he’ll earn a base salary of $8.5MM and count for $10.4MM on Seattle’s salary cap. That salary is courtesy of a four-year, $40MM extension which Thomas signed in 2014, a deal which now makes him the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid safety in terms of annual value.
Cowboys Still Interested In Earl Thomas?
The discussions between the Cowboys and Seahawks about the price for Earl Thomas did not cease after the draft, with ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson reporting (via Twitter) the teams have discussed the safety in the months since.
Dallas and Seattle hit a wall when talking a Thomas trade on Day 2 of the draft, when the Cowboys used their second-round pick on Connor Williams instead of trading it to the Seahawks in a package for Thomas.
It’s unclear precisely what the Seahawks are asking for to send their top defender to the Cowboys, but Anderson notes it remains a “really high price.” Thomas is entering the final year of his contract and wants either an extension — likely one that would make him the league’s highest-paid safety — or a trade. The Cowboys have been by far the team most connected to the Texas native regarding a trade.
The 29-year-old All-Pro defender has not given any indication he will end his holdout soon.
The Seahawks have somewhat promising expectations 2017 third-rounder Delano Hill can team with Bradley McDougald, in the event of a Thomas trade, and form a solid safety tandem. But the Seahawks would inch closer to a full-scale rebuild by parting with Thomas after an offseason that’s seen four Super Bowl-era defenders exit.
Jerry Jones said after the draft the Cowboys were interested in upgrading at safety, following a weekend that did not include a safety pick. But nothing’s transpired on that front, and training camp is fast approaching. Jeff Heath and 2017 sixth-rounder Xavier Woods remain penciled in as Dallas’ back-line starters. Byron Jones has worked as a cornerback throughout the offseason.