The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is fast approaching. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
Non-tendered:
Tendered:
The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is a little more than a week away. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
Tendered:
Non-tendered:
Tendered:
The NFL’s 2021 salary cap has been set at $182.5MM, marking the league’s first reduction in a decade. With that, the league has also ironed out the value of this year’s fifth-round option for 2018 first-round picks.
Here’s the full rundown, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter):
1. Baker Mayfield, Browns, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)
2. Saquon Barkley, Giants, RB — $7.217MM (1x Pro Bowl)
3. Sam Darnold, Jets, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)
4. Denzel Ward, Browns, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)
5. Bradley Chubb, Broncos, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)
6. Quenton Nelson, Colts, G — $13.754MM (2x Pro Bowl)
7. Josh Allen, Bills, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)
8. Roquan Smith, Bears, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)
9. Mike McGlinchey, 49ers, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)
10. Josh Rosen, Cardinals, QB*
11. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers, S (drafted by Dolphins) — $10.612MM (2x Pro Bowl)
12. Vita Vea, Buccaneers, DT — $7.638MM
13. Daron Payne, Washington, DT — $8.529MM (playing time)
14. Marcus Davenport, Saints, DE — $9.553MM
15. Kolton Miller, Raiders, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)
16. Tremaine Edmunds, Bills, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)
17. Derwin James, Chargers, S — $9.052MM (1x Pro Bowl)
18. Jaire Alexander, Packers, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)
19. Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys, LB — $9.145MM
20. Frank Ragnow, Lions, C — $12.657MM (1x Pro Bowl)
21. Billy Price, Bengals, C — $10.413MM
22. Rashaan Evans, Titans, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)
23. Isaiah Wynn, Patriots, OT — $10.413MM
24. D.J. Moore, Panthers, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)
25. Hayden Hurst, Falcons, TE (Drafted by Ravens) — $5.428MM
26. Calvin Ridley, Falcons, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)
27. Rashaad Penny, Seahawks, RB — $4.523MM
28., Steelers, S Terrell Edmunds — $6.753MM (playing time)
29. Taven Bryan, Jaguars, DT — $7.638MM
30. Mike Hughes, Vikings, CB — $12.643MM
31. Sony Michel, Patriots, RB — $4.523MM
32. Lamar Jackson, Ravens, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)
* Rosen was released from his original contract and, therefore, is not option-eligible
As a refresher, the fifth-year option year is now fully guaranteed. In the past, it was guaranteed for injury only. The values are also dependent on certain performance metrics:
Despite some whispers of a potential delay, the deadline for teams to place franchise tags on impending free agents was today at 5 p.m. CT. While a handful of players learned that they were slapped with the tag, a number of players naturally learned that they’ll be entering unrestricted free agency. We collected some of those notable players below:
As a reminder, here are the players who have reportedly been tagged over the past 48 hours:
The Seahawks are cutting Carlos Dunlap, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The move will save the Seahawks roughly $14MM in cap room and put the edge rusher on the open market. 
Dunlap, 32, was due a $3MM bonus on the fifth day of the league year with a total cap hit of $14.1MM in 2021. Pressed for flexibility, the Seahawks opted against keeping the three-time Pro Bowler.
The Seahawks swung a deal for Dunlap at last year’s deadline, sending offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a draft pick to the Bengals in exchange. Oddly enough, the Bengals released Finney just a few days ago. Dunlap managed five sacks, 14 tackles, and six TFL in his half season, but the numbers crunch forced the Seahawks to go in another direction.
Dunlap, an 11-year vet, has 87.5 career sacks to his credit. He may have to take a pay cut with his next deal, but there should still be a decent market for his services.
Following a season in which the Seahawks failed to reach the NFC championship game for a sixth straight year, Russell Wilson set about communicating his goals for what he views as the second half of his career with his camp. Those goals center around returning the Seahawks to a Super Bowl-caliber team. Wilson then brought those to Pete Carroll, per Albert Breer of SI.com, who notes the perennial Pro Bowl passer communicated he wants more say regarding the direction of the team.
Wilson also mentioned to Carroll he would like the Seahawks to make a genuine investment in a high-end offensive lineman, Breer adds. The Seahawks did trade for Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown in 2018, but he will turn 36 this year and is signed only through 2021. And they have not otherwise made big moves on their offensive front in recent years. Beyond guard Damien Lewis, the Seahawks could certainly use more help up front. One of Wilson’s goals — a new offensive philosophy — has come to pass, with Breer adding Wilson was “fully on board” with new OC Shane Waldron.
The Bears are taking their status as one of Russell Wilson‘s acceptable destinations seriously. They plan to prioritize making a run at the Seahawks quarterback, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes.
Wilson’s agent listed the Bears, Cowboys, Raiders and Saints as the teams for whom he would agree to waive his no-trade clause. The Seahawks passer has made it clear he is not happy with the present state of affairs in Seattle. For the first time, envisioning the nine-year veteran quarterbacking another team does not seem foolish.
As of now, the Seahawks do not want to trade Wilson, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. It would tag Seattle with a record $39MM in dead money to make such a trade, assuming a deal commenced before June 1. Wilson has not officially requested a trade, but the way this developing saga has played out, that news would not be especially surprising. Of course, it would take a monster offer to pry Wilson from the team that drafted him.
Chicago still has Nick Foles under contract, and the journeyman QB may still loom as a fallback option for a Bears team that has featured a need at quarterback for much of the past 30 years. The Bears were involved in the Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford sweepstakes, being tied more closely to the former. But no offer emerged, and Wentz is now a Colt. Chicago has not been closely connected to Deshaun Watson, though it would seem the team would love to be involved in those sweepstakes.
Wilson would carry far more trade value than either Stafford or Wentz, and with the Bears not having a viable QB1 to include in a trade and holding the No. 20 overall pick, presenting an offer the Seahawks would entertain will be difficult. Other options for the Bears include signing a stopgap-type QB to fill free agent Mitchell Trubisky‘s spot or drafting one in the first round, Biggs adds. Though, it is possible the team would need to trade up to land one of the top five QBs in this year’s draft pool.
Josh Gordon officially won’t be returning to the NFL with the Seahawks. Seattle has released the embattled wide receiver, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.
It’s an expected move, especially after we heard last week that Gordon was planning on playing in the startup Fan Controlled Football League that’s affiliated with his close friend Johnny Manziel. Gordon is still only 29 and could theoretically always return to the NFL one day, but clearly Seattle doesn’t have any intention of waiting around any longer. Back in January, the league rescinded Gordon’s reinstatement and he’s now suspended indefinitely again.
Gordon appeared on the verge of taking the field for a while, and was activated to the roster by the Seahawks in December, but ultimately his personal issues got in the way once again. Of course, he never ended up playing in a game for Seattle in 2020. He played in six games with the Patriots and five with the Seahawks in 2019.
The team appeared committed to developing him into a new weapon for Russell Wilson at a low price, but it never worked out and included plenty of hiccups along the way. Never say never with Gordon, but it appears likely at this point that he’s played his final NFL down. It feels like a lifetime ago that he had his 1,646 yard and nine touchdown season with Cleveland back in 2013.
DeShawn Shead will make the transition to the coaching side. The former Seahawks cornerback will be part of the team’s 2021 coaching staff.
The Seahawks announced their former starting corner will work as a defensive assistant. Shead, as could be expected, will primarily coach Seattle’s defensive backs.
A former UDFA success story, Shead saw his playing career turn after he suffered an ACL tear in the Seahawks’ 2016 divisional-round game against the Falcons. He was not able to recapture his previous form, spending time on the workout circuit after his six-year Seahawks run concluded following the 2017 season. Shead, 31, has not played since the 2018 season.
Shead worked as a reserve for both of Seattle’s Super Bowl squads and moved into the starting lineup in 2015. Prior to his injury, the Portland State product operated as a full-time starter opposite Richard Sherman in 2016. Shead finished his playing career by suiting up for 12 games with the 2018 Lions.
One of the reasons for the trade rumors swirling around Seahawks QB Russell Wilson — and perhaps the primary reason — is Wilson’s relationship with head coach Pete Carroll, which appears to be strained. Apparently, his relationship with Carroll’s sons hasn’t been much better.
According to a tweet from The Athletic, Wilson believes Carroll and his sons, Nolan and Brennan, answer to no one (Nolan serves as the team’s WRs coach, and Brennan had been working as the run game coordinator before accepting a position at the University of Arizona). And, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson is 100% correct.
Former owner Paul Allen “stayed deep in the background” when he was alive, and his sister, Jody Allen, has largely done the same since she inherited the team. Some league sources believe the Seahawks are essentially run by the Allens’ parent company, Vulcan Inc., which in turn defers to the head coach as the club’s de facto CEO. So while Jody Allen could intervene in light of the Wilson trade rumblings, her track record suggests that she will not do so, and that Pete Carroll will ultimately be the one to decide whether to deal Wilson.
While Wilson himself has said he does not expect to be dealt, Florio believes the 32-year-old will ultimately request a trade either this year or next. If QB and HC do not mend fences soon, it’s easy to envision such a scenario.
Now for more from the Emerald City: