Seattle Seahawks Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks “Not Happy” With Russell Wilson

February 11th, 2021 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

Russell Wilson is frustrated with the Seahawks. Apparently, the feeling is mutual. Seahawks officials are “not happy” with Wilson taking his grievances public, sources tell radio host Dan Patrick (Twitter link via Rob Staton of BBC Sports).

Earlier this week, Wilson went on Patrick’s show and expressed frustration with the Seahawks’ inability to protect him. Over the course of his career, Wilson has been sacked 394 times with 40+ sacks in each season since his rookie year.

“I’ve definitely been hit. I’ve been sacked almost 400 times. We got to get better,” Wilson said. “I got to find ways to get better, too. Just continue to try and find that. As we continue to go along the process and I think about my career wand what I want to be able to do, it always starts up front, offensively and defensively.”

The Seahawks gave Wilson a brand new deal less than two years ago. With an average annual value of $35MM/year, he’s the third-highest paid player in the NFL. So far, the Seahawks have rejected trade inquiries and, unlike the Texans, they’ve included their franchise quarterback in staffing decisions.

It’s still hard to imagine the Seahawks parting ways with Wilson but, given this year’s quarterback carousel, anything is possible.

Russell Wilson Addresses Trade Rumors, Offensive Line Issues

February 9th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

A report indicating Russell Wilson was dissatisfied with the Seahawks’ offensive line performance led to the quarterback essentially confirming such a stance. The superstar passer said Tuesday he is indeed “frustrated with getting hit too much,” via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter).

Wilson has been sacked 394 times in his career, having gone down more than 40 times in every season except his 2012 rookie campaign. He has taken at least 47 in each of the past three seasons. His 8.33% career sack rate is much higher than most of his peers. Wilson took five sacks in Seattle’s wild-card loss to the Rams, a game in which he completed just 11 of 27 passes.

While sacks are not all on teams’ offensive lines, the Seahawks have not opted to expend tremendous resources to fortify this position in recent years. In 2020, the team did well by drafting third-round guard Damien Lewis. But beyond he and 35-year-old left tackle Duane Brown, not much is solidified on Seattle’s front.

“I’ve definitely been hit. I’ve been sacked almost 400 times. We got to get better,” Wilson said, via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar (Twitter link). “I got to find ways to get better, too. Just continue to try and find that. As we continue to go along the process and I think about my career wand what I want to be able to do, it always starts up front, offensively and defensively.”

The Seahawks gave Wilson a second extension in April 2019, and his $35MM-per-year contract still ranks third in the league. The team has shut down any trade overtures and included Wilson in its search for a new offensive coordinator — a process that will led ex-Rams assistant Shane Waldron to Seattle. Armed with a no-trade clause, Wilson said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show he was not sure if he was available in a trade (video link) but believes the team has “definitely” gotten calls on him.

Wilson, whose “Go Hawks” phrase has become his signature interview-ender, reiterated his enthusiasm for playing in Seattle. But it certainly sounds like he and his camp are applying pressure on the team to make a bigger commitment to the offensive line going into its quarterback’s age-33 season.

“I love playing for the (Seahawks). I’ve loved it for years and lay it on the line every game, and I’m dedicated to that,” Wilson said, adding that “it’s frustrating” watching Super Bowls. “… If you ask me about the trust factor of it all, I’ve always put my trust in the Seahawks trying to do whatever it takes to win. Hopefully that will continue. That’s a key part. Part of that is how we go about the protection part of it and figuring those little things out like that.”

After going to two Super Bowls during Wilson’s rookie-contract years, the Seahawks have not been back to the NFC championship round since giving their quarterback his first extension in 2015. The team has parted ways with its Legion of Boom secondary, and Bobby Wagner is the only member of those Super Bowl defenses under contract in 2021. Wilson is under contract through the 2023 season.

Russell Wilson Had Input On OC Hire, Wasn’t Happy With Earlier Candidates

February 9th, 2021 at 2:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Russell Wilson raised a lot of eyebrows with his comments on The Dan Patrick Show earlier where he said he didn’t like getting hit as often as he has been, and that he’d like to be more involved in personnel decisions. There was also a sourced report that Wilson has grown frustrated with the Seahawks’ inability to build an offensive line around him.

While Wilson certainly didn’t do anything to tamp down the recent speculation on Patrick’s show, it does sound like he had the input he’s seeking on at least one big recent decision. Wilson was “involved in the hire” of Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter video link). Interestingly, it sounds like Wilson may not have initially been happy with the search, which was known to be wide-ranging.

Rapoport says there were “some choices kind of midway through he wasn’t pleased with,” which will be fun to speculate about. It’s impossible to say for sure who Wilson was concerned about, but there were some controversial big names thrown out in the initial search after the firing of Brian Schottenheimer.

Polarizing figures like Adam Gase reportedly spoke with Seattle brass about the OC opening. In the end though, it sounds like Wilson got his guy in the former Sean McVay protege. That would seem to indicate the Seahawks are intent on keeping Wilson content, and have no intention of going the Texans/Deshaun Watson route of freezing out.

Of course, Rapsheet points out that all this comes against the backdrop of the recent report that teams had inquired about trading for Wilson. While he emphasizes those trade advances were rebuffed by Seattle, Rapoport also adds that it’s “noteworthy” that teams “thought there might be something there, that maybe they could get him.” We’ll continue to monitor the situation.

Russell Wilson Frustrated With Seahawks?

February 9th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is frustrated with the team’s inability to construct a solid offensive line, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The eight-time Pro Bowler has been sacked nearly 400 times across nine seasons, making Wilson’s camp nervous about his health, longevity, and potential to win moving forward in Seattle.

The Seahawks have been receiving calls on Wilson lately, but they’ve turned down every suitor so far. If Wilson is truly unhappy with team brass, that could potentially spark some activity. And, for what it’s worth, the Seahawks have at least pondered the possibility before. In 2018, the Browns approached the Seahawks and daangled either the No. 1 or No. 4 overall pick. Internally, the Seahawks reasoned that they would need both picks to consider such a blockbuster.

Wilson, 33 in November, managed 40 passing touchdowns last year en route to Pro Bowl selection No. 8. Still, Wilson wants to be more involved in the team’s roster construction.

“It think it helps to be involved more,” Wilson told The Dan Patrick Show this week (Twitter link). “I think that dialogue should happen more often.”

Meanwhile, the Seahawks will have to weigh their affinity for Wilson against an impending numbers crunch. His four-year, $140MM extension signed in 2019 furnished him with an average annual salary of $35MM. There’s only two years to go on that deal, and, barring a severe drop in the cap, Wilson is probably on course for a raise.

Seahawks Cut OL Chance Warmack

February 8th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the season wraps up the Seahawks are doing some housecleaning, and one veteran whose name will ring some bells is getting the boot from the offseason roster. Seattle has released offensive lineman Chance Warmack, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Warmack is a notable name as the tenth overall pick of the 2013 draft. He was a full-time starter his first few years in the league at right guard with the Titans, but never lived up to his draft status and flamed out quickly in Tennessee. His fifth-year option was declined, and he missed most of the 2016 season with an injury. He was with the Eagles from 2017-18 mostly as a reserve, but started a few games.

He spent 2019 out of football before signing with the Seahawks in a comeback bid back in March. Then he became one of the first players in the league to opt-out due to COVID-19 back in July, and now he’s been cut before his contract had a chance to toll to 2021. Still only 29, he won’t generate a ton of interest on the open market.

That being said he isn’t necessarily done in Seattle, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com is told Warmack does want to play next season and a source told him the Seahawks want to bring him in for a workout to see how he looks physically after all the time away (Twitter link).

Seahawks’ Russell Wilson Drawing Trade Interest

February 7th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

A “couple of teams” have inquired on Russell Wilson, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. However, the Seahawks have turned those suitors away, because they have no interest in trading their franchise quarterback.

It’s no surprise that the Seahawks have rejected calls on the future Hall of Famer. The quarterback carousel has caused Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff to trade places, and others could be on the move in the coming weeks, but Wilson is staying put. There could be other options for the ambitious teams seeking Seattle’s star still, including Eagles QB Carson Wentz and Raiders signal caller Derek Carr.

Clubs have put out feelers on Wilson in the past, but those talks didn’t get too far. One of those conversations took place in 2018, when the Browns considered swapping the No. 1 or No. 4 overall pick for him. Wilson was only 29 at the time, yet he was long established as one of the game’s top QBs. To even consider moving him, the Seahawks would have wanted an offer including both picks.

Wilson, 33 in November, set a new personal watermark with 40 passing touchdowns last year en route to yet another Pro Bowl selection. He also registered 4,212 passing yards in 2020 — seven shy of a new career high.

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Offer RB Marshawn Lynch “Huge” Extension

February 1st, 2021 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Marshawn Lynch was certainly unpredictable during his playing career. So, when it was reported six years ago today that the Seahawks had offered the running back a lucrative contract extension, not many were sure how the negotiations would unfold. Honestly, most fans and pundits were focused on Seattle’s Super Bowl matchup with New England scheduled for later that night.

Before we discuss how the story ultimately ended, let’s go back to February 1st, 2015. Lynch was coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl season, finishing with 1,673 all-purpose yards and a career-high 17 rushing/receiving touchdowns. He continued that performance in the postseason, including Super Bowl XLIX, when he ran for 102 yards and one touchdown. Of course, Lynch famously got snubbed when the Seahawks were within yards of a game-winning touchdown (and we all know how that game ended).

While the season may have ended in disappointment, there was no denying that Lynch was a key member of the Seahawks offense. With the veteran running back set to make only $5MM in 2015, Seattle’s front office understood that their star deserved a raise. So, they offered their running back an extension, and the terms started to leak out on this date six years ago. The new deal would pay Lynch $10MM in 2015 alone, and the “huge” extension was expected to keep Lynch in Seattle for the rest of his career.

Ultimately, Lynch signed that extension with Seattle in March of 2015, but it didn’t provide the long-term security that many expected, as the new deal was worth $24MM over two years. Unfortunately, Lynch was never really the same after inking his new contract. He was limited to only 417 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2015, and sports hernia surgery knocked him out of the lineup for the second half of the season. Lynch eventually made his return in the Divisional Round, a game the Seahawks ultimately lost to the Panthers.

A few weeks later, Lynch shocked the NFL by announcing his retirement. Of course, considering that aforementioned unpredictably, it didn’t take long for rumors to start popping up about a potential comeback. Ultimately, he returned to his hometown Raiders for the 2017 season, a deal that required the Seahawks to participate in a trade (considering they still held his rights). Lynch spent two seasons in Oakland, and he once against announced his retirement following the 2018 campaign.

Of course, that wasn’t the end for Beast Mode. With the Seahawks dealing with injuries to their running back corps, Lynch rejoined his former team late in the 2019 season. The veteran ended up playing in one regular season game and two postseason contests, and his three playoff touchdowns ultimately elevated him to fourth on the all-time list for postseason rushing touchdowns. Lynch seemingly learned from his previous retirements, as he kept the door opened for a potential return in 2020. As recently as December, the 34-year-old hinted that he’d still be willing to return to the league. However, he ended up sitting out the 2020 season.

We’ll probably never know the terms of the extension that was reported six years ago today, so it’s uncertain if either the Seahawks or Lynch ended up winning the negotiations. However, one thing is definitely certain: when news broke of an extension offer on this day six years ago, few would have guessed how the rest of Lynch’s career would unfold.

Seahawks Hire Andy Dickerson As Run Game Coordinator

February 1st, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks hired Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Shane Waldron to be their new OC after firing Brian Schottenheimer, and Waldron wasn’t the only one they poached from Sean McVay. Waldron is taking Andy Dickerson with him to be the run game coordinator in Seattle, the team announced. Dickerson had spent the past nine seasons as an assistant offensive line coach with the Rams.

Matt Rhule To Control Panthers’ Roster

January 30th, 2021 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers ended their expansive GM search by hiring longtime Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer. While this will be a key jump for the veteran personnel man, he will transition from one organization where the head coach has considerable power to another.

Matt Rhule confirmed he will have control of Carolina’s roster, though the second-year HC indicated Fitterer will obviously have tremendous responsibilities in this area as well.

“I think in terms of on the contract, a lot of those things probably rest with me,” Rhule said, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “But that’s not something I’m real interested in. I think it’s kind of a formality. Scott’s here to run the personnel. He’s here to build the roster. He’s here to establish the draft process. I think some things are written into the contract, but I think we’re going to work collaboratively and work together.”

Fitterer likened this situation as a Seahawks-esque partnership, where Pete Carroll and John Schneider work in tandem. Though Carroll maintains final say, which led to the Lions considering a Schneider pursuit earlier this year.

“In the beginning, Pete was really in charge. But through no egos and the collaboration and the trust and the deep conversations they’ve had, Pete has opened up, and it’s really a partnership. It’s really a marriage between the two, and I’ve never seen an argument between them,” Fitterer said.

“They can challenge each other; they can have discussions. But in the end, they’ve always been in lockstep, and I think that’s important for a GM and a coach to have. That’s what I think it’s going to be like here. Matt’s been great so far, and it’s only going to grow from here.”

Panthers owner David Tepper indicated he sought an experienced exec who could help Rhule while he acclimates to the NFL. Fitterer having worked with Carroll as he transitioned back to the pro game was a factor in the hire as well, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. The Panthers gave Rhule a seven-year, $63MM deal in 2020, so it certainly makes sense they will entrust him with their biggest decisions.

Fitterer stopped short of committing to Teddy Bridgewater as the Panthers’ 2021 starter, though the new GM was not specific regarding many players. Fitterer did say he sought a quarterback “who could win with the game on the line in the fourth quarter,” and as ESPN.com’s David Newton points out, Bridgewater was 0-8 in games in which he had a go-ahead or game-tying drive chance on the final possession.

The Panthers are set to make a run at Deshaun Watson, if the Texans make him available. They also have the No. 7 overall pick, putting them in position to draft Bridgewater’s eventual successor.

Trade-downs may well be coming to the Panthers soon. The Seahawks have consistently used their late-first-round draft perches to move down and accumulate capital. Fitterer said a line of demarcation between drafts’ top-tier and second-tier prospects usually falls around picks 16-18 and that there are not major talent disparities between players who fall between Nos. 25-40 on respective big boards (Twitter link via Person). This approach, which will not apply this year considering the Panthers pick seventh, will come not long after the franchise went five drafts (2013-17) without ever trading down under Dave Gettleman.

K.J. Wright Discusses Seattle Status

January 29th, 2021 at 6:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time in three years, K.J. Wright is a free agent. The longest-tenured Seahawks player has already signed three contracts with the franchise that drafted him. He is eager to ink a fourth.

Wright, 31, does not sound interested in a hometown discount, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The Seahawks have paired Wright and Bobby Wagner for nine seasons and used both as sub-package linebackers for most of the 2020 slate. But Seattle drafting Jordyn Brooks in last year’s first round could complicate a Wright return. Pro Football Focus rated Wright as its No. 8 overall ‘backer this past season.

The Seahawks were not planning to part ways with OC Brian Schottenheimer, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes an end-of-season meeting — in which Carroll reinforced his preference to focus on the run game — helped lead to the team changing play-callers. The Seahawks deviated in the season’s first half from Carroll’s run-centric vision but reverted more toward their usual setup down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how Seattle’s offense looks under new OC Shane Waldron, who spent five years in Washington and Los Angeles working under Sean McVay.

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