As safety Jamal Adams and tackle Duane Brown “hold-in” for the Seattle Seahawks amid contract disputes, quarterback Russell Wilson is apparently willing to offer some assistance.
Via Bob Condotta and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Wilson has told the Seahawks he is willing to restructure his contract to help facilitate new deals for Adams and Brown under the team’s salary cap.
The Seahawks currently have just under $8 million in cap space, via the NFLPA database.
Adams and Brown both reported to training camp for the Seahawks but have not been participating in practices. Instead of your typical holdout, these are de facto sit-ins. While Wilson wasn’t asked about Adams on Sunday, he did express how important he viewed Brown’s presence being for the team and that he wants to get his situation resolved.
“Not having Duane Brown out there is a pretty significant deal because I think he’s one of the best left tackles in the game, there’s no arguing it,” Wilson said. “I think he’s as good as it gets. There’s nobody more athletic, more talented than he is. Age is just a number. He looks like he’s 28-30 out there. He’s really exceptional. So smart and physical, understands the game, and I think people fear him, to be honest with you, when they’re rushing him and playing against him.
“So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown.”
Brown’s absence was exacerbated for the team’s mock game practice on Sunday by three others tackles being unable to take part due to injuries. Jamarco Jones (back spasms), Cedric Ogbuehi (biceps strain) and Tommy Champion (groin) all did not practice as sixth-round pick Stone Forsythe handled the left tackle spot in their combined absences.
Jones has been at left tackle in place of Brown for most of camp.
Wilson is set to earn $19 million in base salary this season for Seattle. If the Seahawks were to take Wilson up on his offer, they could convert up to $17.925 million of that into a signing bonus that would allow them to push cap cost across the three remaining years of his current contract.
The Seahawks have appeared willing to do a new contract for Adams, despite a current impasses in negotiations. However, head coach Pete Carroll has been less open about the chances of a deal for Brown.