Earl Thomas Taking Most Reps At Hawks Practice
- Earl Thomas was taking “nearly every rep” during Seahawks practice sessions today, an excellent sign as the veteran safety recovers from a broken leg, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The news surrounding Thomas and his rehabilitation has been nearly all positive since his December injury, as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said Thomas was “way ahead of schedule” in March before indicating earlier this month that Thomas will be ready for the 2017 season opener. Seattle has added reinforcements in the defensive backfield this offseason, so the club should be well-prepared if Thomas is forced to miss any time. In addition to making a value signing in Bradley McDougald, the Seahawks used a third-round pick to draft Michigan safety Delano Hill.
Seahawks Sign Marcus Cromartie, Cut Troymaine Pope
Marcus Cromartie signed with the Bills in April, but his stay in Buffalo concluded after barely a month. But the Seahawks made the decision to add the defensive back today, signing Cromartie and safety Jordan Simone, the team announced.
In doing so, Seattle cut running back Troymaine Pope and rookie UDFA wideout Speedy Noil. Pope was part of what’s become a deep cadre of running backs. Other cuts at that position will be coming in the ensuing summer months.
Cromartie caught on with the Bills in early April but was waived after the draft. The Seahawks are listing Cromartie as a safety here, so the 6-foot-1 cornerback might be in line for an official position switch. Cromartie has served as a depth player during his three-year career, playing in 21 games (with one start) for the 49ers from 2014-16. The 26-year-old defender was originally a UDFA out of Wisconsin.
Pope signed with the Seahawks last year as a UDFA, and after a stint with the Jets, returned to the team during the season. The Seahawks extended Pope an ERFA tender, which he signed in April. Pope earned a promotion from the Hawks’ practice squad in November but went on IR in December. Eddie Lacy joining the Seahawks adds to a roster housing Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins and recent waiver claim Mike Davis.
An Arizona State product, Simone was a Seahawks tryout player earlier this month. Noil caught on with the team in May after a successful tryout.
No Deal Imminent Between Seahawks, Colin Kaepernick
As the rumors continue to connect Colin Kaepernick to his only known suitor this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) no deal is imminent between the parties yet.
That said, Rapoport reports last week’s Seahawks summit was not a courtesy visit for Kaepernick. The interest is real, but no agreement is close at this point.
Kaepernick made the trip to Seattle on May 24, preceding an Austin Davis trek to the Pacific Northwest. ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend that the majority of the NFL personnel he spoke to believe this union will happen. But for now, the 29-year-old former Super Bowl starter remains without a team as he enters what would be his seventh NFL season.
A few NFC teams that elected to move toward different backup quarterback options reportedly did not consider Kaepernick for those positions. The Cowboys went with Kellen Moore, who has five game appearances in five years, and the Buccaneers signed Ryan Fitzpatrick. Giants owner John Mara told TheMMQB.com’s Jenny Vrentas he received more letters about the then-49er’s national anthem protest than he has about any other issue. The Giants, who were not connected to Kaepernick this offseason, ended up selecting Davis Webb in the third round.
Seattle’s situation makes sense for the passer, with Russell Wilson‘s skill set somewhat aligning with Kaepernick’s and the team housing unseasoned backups. But as the team prepares to begin OTAs on Tuesday, Trevone Boykin and Jake Heaps are Wilson’s only understudies under contract. Of that duo, only Boykin has appeared in a game. The former TCU star attempted 18 passes as a rookie but has been arrested twice this year after encountering previous legal issues before 2017.
Beyond Kaepernick, Davis, Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill and Christian Ponder reside as notable UFA quarterbacks the Seahawks could consider. Pete Carroll also said RG3 is not out of the question in an interview earlier this month, but the team is believed to prefer Kaepernick over him.
Extension Candidate: Kam Chancellor
Major changes could soon be on the way for Seattle’s star-studded secondary, a staple during the team’s run of five straight double-digit win seasons and an integral part of its 13-3, Super Bowl-winning 2013 campaign.
Cornerback Richard Sherman and the safety tandem of Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have consistently been the best players in Seattle’s famed Legion of Boom defensive backfield throughout the club’s half-decade of excellence, but the futures of each have either come into question recently or will over the next year. Sherman has been the subject of trade rumors of late and is reportedly at the center of a rift with key members of the organization; Thomas considered retirement after a broken tibia ended his season last December; and Chancellor is scheduled to become a free agent in a little under 10 months.
With both Sherman and Thomas signed through 2018, determining what to do with Chancellor will be general manager John Schneider‘s most pressing matter leading up to next offseason. The strong safety is set to wrap up a four-year, $28MM contract – a deal that led to earlier disharmony between him and the Seahawks. Chancellor, seeking a raise back in 2015, held out through the summer and didn’t return to the team until Week 3 of the season. That came after the Seahawks refused to upgrade Chancellor’s contract and even went so far as to dock him upward of $1MM for the time he missed.
Whatever ill will may have existed between the two sides faded, though, as Chancellor actually expressed happiness with his situation last June. Chancellor then went on to rack up 85 tackles and two interceptions over 12 games in an injury-shortened season, and though he went without a Pro Bowl nod for the first time since 2012, he did rank as Pro Football Focus’ third-best safety among 90 qualifiers. Since then, head coach Pete Carroll has suggested that the Seahawks would like to extend Chancellor, and Schneider seemed to imply the same in an interview with KJR-AM in Seattle earlier this month.
“We have several guys that we will get to,” said Schneider (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). “We want to be able to take care of our team and he’s obviously a huge part of that.”
If the two sides do discuss an extension, the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro will seek elite money relative to his position. Chancellor, who already paces all strong safeties in cap hit (~$8.04MM) and base salary ($6.8MM), saw a similarly aged star at his position – the Dolphins’ Reshad Jones – cash in earlier this offseason. Jones, despite having missed 10 games in 2016, landed a four-year, $48MM extension with just under $20MM fully guaranteed in March.
Both Chancellor and Jones were fifth-round picks in the 2010 draft, and they’ve turned into top-caliber defensive backs with similar traditional numbers since becoming starters as NFL sophomores. Dating back to 2011, Chancellor has started in all 84 appearances, averaged 6.87 tackles per game, and totaled 12 interceptions and seven forced fumbles. Jones has started in all 78 outings over the same span, piling up fewer tackles (5.54 per game) but notching more picks (15) and returning three for touchdowns. The Dolphin also has a clear edge in sacks (eight to one), but he has forced five fewer fumbles (three).
Whether Chancellor is better than Jones is up for debate. It’s inarguable, though, that Chancellor is a premier safety who has a case for a Jones-type payday. However, forking over that type of cash to a player on the cusp of his 30s – one who hasn’t played a full season since 2013 – might give the Seahawks pause. With Sherman and Thomas also nearing their 30s and potentially their own trips to the open market, Schneider is going to have to decide soon which (if any) to commit to for the long haul. It seems unrealistic to expect all three to remain in Seattle on huge contracts as they continue to age, which means the clock is likely ticking on the team’s iconic secondary.
Seahawks Notes: Sherman, Prosise
- Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has reportedly been disgruntled since their February 2015 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, and Peter King of The MMQB places some of the blame for that on Pete Carroll. The head coach has created too loose an atmosphere, suggests King; in spite of that, though, King doesn’t expect any drama this year from Sherman, as he’ll have plenty of eyes on him from both the team and the media on the heels of a contentious 2016 and a trade rumor-filled offseason.
- One of Sherman’s Seahawks teammates, second-year runner C.J. Prosise, has a chance to emerge as one of the NFL’s best pass-catching backs this year, posits Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. With fellow RBs Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls in the fold, carries will be difficult to come by for Prosise, but he could break out as a 60-catch type for a team whose backs hauled in 75 passes last season, writes Kapadia. Only three RBs – Arizona’s David Johnson, Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell and New England’s James White – racked up 60 or more receptions in 2016. Prosise, who missed 10 games as a third-round rookie, finished with 17 grabs on 19 targets and posted a lofty yards-per-catch average for a back (12.2).
Colin Kaepernick To Seahawks “Likely To Happen?”
The Seahawks became the first team to meet with Colin Kaepernick this offseason about a potential roster spot, and the latest coming out of the league is pointing the former 49ers starter to the Pacific Northwest.
Many around the NFL expect this union to commence, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reporting (video link) the perception among the several sources he’s spoken with believe the Kaepernick-to-Seattle proposition is “likely to happen.”
The polarizing 29-year-old quarterback met with the Seahawks on Wednesday, doing so after Pete Carroll confirmed the team had interest in upgrading its backup quarterback post. Furthermore, Fowler hears the Seahawks may be the only true suitor for Kaepernick, with other teams not believed to be in the market for a backup quarterback.
Multiple teams ruled out Kaepernick, with the Cowboys and Buccaneers going with the likes of Kellen Moore and Ryan Fitzpatrick as their respective No. 2 signal-callers.
Fowler also reports that salary might be an issue here. A source involved in the quarterback market this offseason told Fowler he believed the Seahawks were only looking to pay the veteran minimum for a backup. Kaepernick profiling as an accomplished quarterback, albeit one who hasn’t been as consistent as he was when the Seahawks-49ers rivalry was at its apex during the early 2010s, leads Fowler to believe the Seahawks could give him a bit more money to spruce up the offer. But the team is not believed to be ready to make Russell Wilson‘s understudy one of the higher-paid backups in the league.
Excluding special-circumstances cases like the Bears’ situation and Brock Osweiler‘s Browns contract, the backup quarterback market tops out at Nick Foles‘ $5.5MM-AAV deal. Matt Schaub re-signed with the Falcons for $4.5MM per year, and Chad Henne makes $3.5MM annually with the Jaguars. Kaepernick obviously has a higher present pedigree than those passers, but with the Seahawks not believed to be negotiating against anyone, that doesn’t do much for the former second-round pick’s leverage.
The Seahawks would represent a logical fit due to Wilson and Kaepernick’s rushing skills and the team’s lack of quality behind its starter. Only Trevone Boykin and Jake Heaps, both ex-UDFAs, sit behind Wilson on the Seahawks’ depth chart. And Boykin was arrested twice earlier this year. The team also worked out Austin Davis this week.
Seattle has $9.49MM in cap space.
Jets Shopped Sheldon Richardson To Bucs, Colts, Seahawks
The Jets are still attempting to shop defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, and though they’ve offered him to clubs such as the Buccaneers, Colts, and Seahawks, Gang Green has yet to find a taker, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
New York has been accepting offers for Richardson since at least the 2016 trade deadline, when both the Broncos and Cowboys expressed interest in the 26-year-old. Last month, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that while the Jets want to move Richardson, they won’t simply give him away. The likelihood of a trade could be around 50/50, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News recently reported New York’s price for its talented pass rusher has dropped.
Richardson certainly has his warts, which could contribute to a limited trade market. For one, he wasn’t all that effective last season, as Richardson managed only 1.5 sacks in 15 games (though he still graded out as the NFL’s No. 31 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus). Richardson also comes with off-field question marks, as he has a substance abuse suspension in his past, and has dealt with commitment and tardiness issues.
Additionally, Richardson is only under contract for one more season. In 2017, Richardson will earn $8.069MM under the terms of his fifth-year option before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
Richard Sherman Holding Grudges Against Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll?
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported Thursday that Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has been holding a grudge against both quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Pete Caroll since the team’s devastating Super Bowl XLIX loss to the Patriots in 2015. But Sherman and defensive end Michael Bennett insist that’s not true (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “It’s just a bunch of nonsense from ‘anonymous’ sources. Can never put much gravity of things like that,” said Sherman, who, according to Wickersham, “allowed himself to imagine playing for the Cowboys” when Seattle placed him on the trade block earlier this spring. Bennett, meanwhile, dismissed the article as “trash” and “all gossip.”
The latest from the NFC East…
- In an interview with 105.1 FM in New York on Thursday, now-Bears wide receiver Victor Cruz implied that the Giants didn’t involve him in their offense more last year because they knew they’d release him in the offseason (per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). “Halfway through the year, you’re like, ‘OK, I’m balling,’ and then the other half I’m not getting the ball,” he said. “And you’re just like, ‘What’s going on?’ It was like, ‘OK, I see what’s happening. They don’t want me here anymore.’” Continued Cruz, who caught 39 of 72 targets in 2016: “If I played well, they owed me a ton of money that next year. So it was like, ‘let’s get Cruz off the books.'” Unsurprisingly, head coach Ben McAdoo refuted Cruz’s claims, telling reporters that “there is no accuracy” to the wideout’s theory (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today).
- Cutting receiver Nelson Agholor would cost the Eagles more money than they’d save ($4.68MM versus $2.56MM), but his roster spot nonetheless looks to be in jeopardy, writes Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com. Philadelphia signed two proven receivers in March, Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, to join Jordan Matthews, which could further marginalize Agholor. A first-round pick just two years ago, Agholor caught only 59 of 114 targets and three touchdowns from 2015-16.
- It continues to look as though Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins will move to right tackle after functioning as a left guard during his first two seasons. Collins has lined up solely at right tackle during organized team activities this week and will likely continue to do so leading up to the season, according to Kate Hairopoulos and Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. The position opened up in Dallas when starter Doug Free retired earlier this offseason, and if Collins fills it, either Jonathan Cooper or Emmett Cleary could take over at left guard, per Hairopoulos and George.
Seahawks Sign Malik McDowell
The Seahawks have signed second-round pick Malik McDowell, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). McDowell was the first pick in this year’s draft for Seattle, which moved down from No. 26 overall to No. 35 in a series of trades before landing the ex-Michigan State defensive tackle. He’ll receive a four-year contract worth approximately $6.96MM, including $3.2MM signing bonus.
The 6-foot-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 the previous two seasons. McDowell’s new head coach, Seattle’s Pete Carroll, revealed earlier this month that he won’t just play D-tackle with the Seahawks. Rather, they’ll also McDowell as a Michael Bennett-esque defensive end. Moving to end could benefit McDowell and help him realize his All-Pro potential, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted entering the draft.
McDowell is the eighth member of the Seahawks’ 11-player draft class to sign his rookie contract. Second-round offensive lineman Ethan Pocic, third-round cornerback Shaquill Griffin and third-round safety Delano Hill remain without deals.
Richard Sherman Wanted Cowboys Trade?
The Richard Sherman trade talk didn’t result in a trade this offseason, but things got serious enough for Sherman to daydream about where he might land. When things were bubbling earlier this year, Sherman told friends that he “allowed himself to imagine playing for the Cowboys,” Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com writes. 
We have no indication that there were ever talks between the Cowboys and Seahawks, but Sherman would have been a logical fit for Dallas on a football level. The Cowboys’ secondary was picked apart in free agency this year as cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr left along with safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. Cowboys did draft three cornerbacks to help replenish that group, but a similar approach didn’t do a whole lot for the Panthers last year. The addition of Sherman would give them a bonafide CB1 alongside Orlando Scandrick and immediately cement them as one of the best overall defenses in the league.
Of course, there would have been many barriers to a potential trade. For starters, the Cowboys were very tight against the cap this offseason, which is what caused them to lose talented members of the secondary in the first place. Even now, Dallas has just ~$3.5MM in cap space, according to Over The Cap. Even when considering that the Cowboys wouldn’t be responsible for Sherman’s $2.2MM prorated bonus, he’d still carry a hefty $11.431MM cap charge for 2017.
In addition to making room for Sherman under the cap, the Cowboys would have also had to part with a significant amount of draft capital in order to acquire him. At one point, the Seahawks’ asking price was reportedly a first-round pick in the 2017 and a conditional mid-rounder in 2018. That ask, understandably, was too rich for anyone’s blood.
A trade sending Sherman to Dallas was probably never going to happen, but the fact that he was picturing himself in a Cowboys jersey tells us that the trade talk was indeed serious. And, if Sherman and the Seahawks are unable to mend fences, his affinity for the Cowboys is something to keep in mind for next offseason. If Sherman declines, the Seahawks could release him and save $11MM while carrying just $2MM in dead money. If he continues to play like a top cornerback but is still at odds with the team, the Cowboys may have the cap flexibility to get something done.