During an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday night, Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin said that he wanted to sign a long-term deal with the team but that he was preparing to play out the year under the restricted free agent tender of $2.18 million the Seahawks extended to him early in the offseason.
According to reports on Thursday, though, those preparations are likely to wind up being all for naught. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports that the two sides “have gotten closer” in negotiations recently and that a deal could be struck soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network followed up by reporting that he’s heard the same about the status of talks in Seattle and that the deal is “very close” to done and could be completed on Thursday.
Per Rapoport, the deal is expected to run for around three years although there’s no word on any financial parameters that are being discussed. Baldwin has proven to be a solid complementary piece in the Seahawks’ receiving corps, catching 130 passes over three seasons since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011, which should keep his salaries in a fairly modest range in any longer deal.
That would work out well for the Seahawks, who have already extended safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman on lucrative deals and will have to work out a similar extension for quarterback Russell Wilson in the not too distant future.