APHaving a starting quarterback — much less a star — on a cheap rookie contract gives a team incredible flexibility to keep other good parts around him.
The Seahawks used that Friday.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Seahawks have signed defensive end Cliff Avril to a new four-year extension, worth $28.5 million with $16 million guaranteed.
When the details emerge, we’ll see the actual amount that’s guaranteed at signing, as opposed to the initial numbers which serve to make agents look good at their jobs.
Avril landed in Seattle two years ago after turning down a three-year, $30 million offer from the Lions, so this helps take some of the sting out.
The 28-year-old Avril is still a productive pass-rusher for the Seahawks, who have a window to get some guys under contract before the inevitable deal for quarterback Russell Wilson (and with the cash bump created by trading Percy Harvin).
Linebacker K.J. Wright also cashed in yesterday, as the Seahawks continue to build around the side of the ball that won them a Super Bowl.
Where’s this money coming from, you say? Two words: Percy. Harvin.
And yes, they’ll have enough to get Wilson and Wagner signed too. Probably (definitely) goodbye to Maxwell though… 😦
Seattle’s keeping the band together. Sherman, Chancellor, Thomas, Bennett, Avril, Wright all signed over multiple years. All that’s left is to resign Wagner, then some little guy named Wilson.
GO HAWKS!
Yeah, there’s no way they can keep the core of the defense together long term. No way. Not going to happen.
Wagner is next people. Boo-Yah!!!!
The Hawks D just isn’t fair to the rest of the league. *Runs away crying
Cue up some irrational Seattle hate… Seattle’s front office is locking up some star players. Avril and Wright are benefiting from Harvin and Tate being gone. I didn’t see the Seahawks keeping either one at this point last season. But now there’s some extra cap space. Now keep Lynch for one more season!
awww yissss… this defense is going to be around a while. that makes avril, bennett, wright, sherman, thomas and chancellor that are all locked up for at least the next 3 seasons. you can bet bobby wagner gets his by this time next year as well.
Avril, Wright, Thomas, Sherman, Chancellor, Bennett all locked up long term. Hoping Maxwell will get a new deal and guaranteed Wagner gets one. This D will be dominant for years to come.
Ah, the side benefits of dumping Percy Harvin on the Jets.
The scary thing, NFL, is that the Seahawks have plenty of cap space left to deals with Wagner, Maxwell, Wilson and… wait for it… Ndomakong Suh if they want to,
There’s room for Maxwell with restructuring. For instance extending guys like Mebane and Okung can clear cap space.
Get Wagner and Wilson locked up and the core is together for a few more years. Love it.
NFC West QB’s must love this!!!
Go Hawks!
As a Lions fan all I can say is congrats Cliff! I’m happy for your success. If you were still in Detroit our d-line would be terrifying.
Can you imagine Suh crashing the middle with this group?? Seattle would set the league record for fewest points allowed!……
this GM is smart…..Earl Thomas, Sherman, Russ Wilson…and many others..wow…
Wilson and Thomas should have been eagles! 😦
The Seahawks were projected to have $33.8M under the cap next year before the Avril and Wright extensions. Even with those signings there is still plenty left to sign Wilson and Wagner and probably Maxwell also if they want to keep him. John Schneider is doing a brilliant job of managing the cap.
This guy should have been the SB MVP, in my opinion. He wrecked Orlando Franklin’s day. When Manning had time to throw, he was actually effective. The problem was (as a Broncos fan) that he rarely had that time to throw thanks to Avril.
I’m interested to see how the Wilson deal will go down. Not that the Seahawks broke the bank with the ext given to Avril. That seems like a good signing. But with contracts already going to Baldwin, Sherman, Thomas (enter any I may have forgot here) what will the offer given to Wilson look like? Similar to that Kaepernick received? Cutler, perhaps? I’m sure this chaps Marshawn a little, though. He is the engine that makes the offense dangerous.
Great Signings. Guys love it here, and want to stay. Also, compare the QB position’s for every team in the NFC West. Who looks the best going forward? Good luck Arizona, SF, STL.
OK great news..now just sign Russ and wags And the core is set. Pete continues to stack the roster up and sign the guys who are in! Go hawks!!
I hope Alvin Bailey comes through. Okung has 9 mil against the cap and is faultering. If that happens, Wilson, Wagner next – trade Mebane, cut Williams and sign Suh.
Hawks!!!!!
Wagner is the key to the defense … He is the must sign player.
Wilson is good but the way the Seahawks are built any average QB can replace Wilson.
Just look at teams like the Falcons, Bears even the Saints when you spent the majority of the salary cap money on the offense your defense suffers and we all know defense wins championships.
Seahawks front office and Pistol Pete putting on a clinic on how its done.
They need Maxwell since no qb’s like to test Sherman…besides running the underneath routes, Maxwell locks the other side down. I hope they get his done, no way he walks
Over the hill…
Bust
Wishful thinking from this long time (1979) Seahawks fan. Sign Wags, Wilson, and Maxwell to deals that might leave a little room for Suh. I hate to say it, but when Okung went down last game, Bailey stopped the pressure from Wilson’s left side. Not that Bailey is the answer, but I believe he may have exposed Okung. If that’s the case, I could see Carrol and Schneider doing the unthinkable (because that’s what they do) and releasing Okung at the end of the season. Picking up a LT in the draft and creating the space necessary for a Suh deal. I know he’s got a temper, but imagine this D-line with him on board. Like I said, just a dreamer. GO HAWKS!!!
How do they still got money??? Man they know what they’re doing
This is how you run a team! (and i’m a 49 ers fan…)
Thanks Cliff. You just made it a helluva lot easier for us to resign JPP
Excellent move as it was widely rumored that Avril would leave in free agency. I expect they will re-sign Beast Mode, also. The Hawks know what they have got going. They are keeping the core together while shopping for a few special pieces to add to the roster. So far, it is working.
Love my HAWKS! Been fan and season ticket holder since 1999 when I moved to WA. GO HAWKS!
Glad you like Avril, and thanks for Golden Tate! Everyone seems to have come out better for those moves.
Awesome. People like to say that when they sign Wilson they won’t be able to keep their core together, but they’ve got the cap room for these key guys even taking into account signing Wilson long term. The Seahawks are in good shape to keep their core guys and stay good for at least a few years to come now.
I also like the timing. Happy employees are more productive employees and the Seahawks need all the production they can get going into the stretch run here.
PFF has him at 4th in QB pressures. Just letting everyone know before some dumb dumb comes around and says “I don’t get it he only has 4.5 sacks”. We all know that guy, you know, the one who doesn’t really understand that their is more to evaluation than sacks and interceptions etc.
Go Hawks!
When Wilson gets his 20million per…how’s Suh gonna be signed???…he taking 6 million per year???…
Thank you, Cliff. We love you in Seatown,
Playing against the Seahawk’s Defense is like going to a zoo with no cages… Great news to lock up the core for a few more years!!
GO HAWKS!!!
Best front office in the game.
Woohoo!
Hola sheet! Schneider is a freakin’ genius.
before the last few deals they had 33 million under the cap for 2015.
This is the main reason that as a Pats fan I think there is a possibility of this type of situation taking place in Foxboro. If Jimmy Garoppolo can grasp the offense enough to run the show next year. Belicheck will consider making the switch. The Patriots have a lot of young talent along with Revis to sign, and as it as been well stated in the sports media. There is great value in having a good QB on the roster starting with a rookie contract. It leaves a lot of money to spend on the rest of the roster. Mr. Kraft and B.B. always have a eye on the future, it’s why they’ve been successful for so long.
Interesting how things seem to be working out….Hawks are doing very well in the front office and it seems to be translating to the field……The loss of Harvin was a surprise but doesn’t seem to be a bad move, given the need to keep the core team together. Now; lets take the next big step and secure a playoff spot and the division lead, this weekend……Go Hawks!
Every time the hawks sign another key player to a long contract extension we hear how they have no more room…we heard it as far back as Sherman.
The facts are that the Hawks will keep those who produce and let those who will not or cannot produce go (see Harvin).
At the time I thought that was the craziest move I had ever heard of….7 wins later I am inclined to believe in the Hawks FO and the knowledge they have of the team’s chemistry.
Got to do something in the draft about that O-line though, and a big time receiver would be nice too.
I wasn’t sure of they would keep Maxwell, but he has played very well in the slot for the Hawks as well as above avg on the outside. He is versatile. I can see them letting Lane walk and keeping Maxie and that kid they got from the Colts.
I’m a huge fan of this guy. He was one of the few outliers in free agency that helped create a Super Bowl winner.
Free agency might be the most overrated time In the NFL calendar, , But this was One of the best purchases in free agency history based on the preponderance of failures in recent past times and the fact that the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl winners.
I have a feeling RW is going to be signed long term with a high guaranteed salary but low against the cap. This can be done because most of these large contracts (see Kap and Smoking J Cutler) hit hard against the cap but have low guarantees due to being incentive/production based. In other words you could pay RW 14mil with an escalator per year guaranteed versus 22mil a yr incentive based. They believe in RW as we all do here in the PNW and they may just give him the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history, and it would be CAP friendly. A win win all the way! GO HAWKS!!
tonebones says:
Dec 19, 2014 4:04 PM
What kind of odds could you have gotten if you bet the Cardinals would have so many injuries to their defense, be on their third QB (all cast-offs), and be in the position they’re in now? If Steve Keim isn’t Executive Of The Year, something is seriously wrong. This year is no fluke. The Cards are going to be good for a long time as long as Keim is running things. It’s funny. All those years we blamed the Bidwells. Guess what? The Bidwells are still there.
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REally? AZ is already 11 million over the cap for next season.
Before you claim Seattle is in cap hell Seattle was 33 million under the cap before the last few contracts.
It’s hilarious how all of a sudden a bunch of you are calling for your team to sign Suh when so many of you hated him so bad not that long ago.
Glad we didn’t overpay for Avril last time and that you are overpaying for him now.
Ansah is much better.
Schneider can finish the job by drafting some better offensive linemen and a true #1 receiver.
I do not want Suh at all, not even a little. We won’t have money for him anyone
If I had to take a pay cut to leave Detroit I would not feel any “sting”
I love the ignorant people who trash talk Detroit. They are obviously uniformed about the fact that some of the suburbs of Detroit are amongst the wealthiest communities in the country. I mean do you really think Avril was living in a burnt out house in the ghetto in Detroit?
Now if you want to talk trash about actual football did you know that we beat Seattle last time we played you and with a win on Sunday were in the playoffs?
I’ve literally never heard a Seahawks fan “trash-talk” Detroit. Most Seahawks fans I know feel a certain kinship with the Lions because they’ve been the underdog for so long.
It’s awesome that Detroit will be in the playoffs. I’m looking forward to seeing the two teams play. It’ll be a good game, for sure. I don’t think any Seahawks are too worried though based on some previous regular season loss. If you think that, you might be in for a rather unpleasant experience when you discover that the Seahawks ALWAYS show up to play, and that they’re hardly the pushovers you think they are.