We learned several days ago that the Seahawks do not intend–at the moment, anyway–to give holdout Marshawn Lynch a new contract. Instead, they are willing to reconfigure Lynch’s current deal, but they do not want to give him any additional money. After all, Lynch has two years remaining on his current contract, and the team does not want to set a bad precedent for future negotiations with other players.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry recently discussed Lynch’s situation on KJR-AM, and some of that discussion was passed along by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Corry reiterated that the Seahawks are especially concerned about setting a precedent as a soft touch and as a team that is quick to rework its existing contracts.
- He ultimately believes, however, that Lynch’s holdout will not be especially successful for him. Corry noted that former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew held out last season and ultimately reported to the team in September with nothing to show for his efforts other than a number of fines that Jacksonville later reduced. Corry believes Lynch is bound for the same type of frustration.
- Corry adds that Lynch’s situation is not comparable to that of Jamaal Charles — Charles recently signed an extension with the Chiefs, but was actually underpaid, and plays on a team without a viable alternative at running back.
- As a way to make peace with Lynch without setting a negative precedent by giving him additional money, Corry suggested that Seattle could convert some of his roster bonuses into base salary, or the team could guarantee part of Lynch’s 2015 salary and pro-rate it over two years. Or, since Sidney Rice‘s retirement freed up $500K, the Seahawks could simply find a way to give that money to Lynch.
- However, Corry believes that no such alternative is likely to be taken anytime soon, as the Seahawks want to demonstrate that they are willing to take a hardline stance in negotiations, even with key contributors like Lynch.
- Finally, Corry concludes that the holdout will likely not be resolved before mid-to-late August, as potential injuries to the other running backs on the roster, or the performance of those backs, could alter the leverage of one of the parties involved.