Kam Chancellor - Pro Football Rumors

West Notes: Chancellor, Bennett, L.A.

September 18th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

In last night’s game vs. the Chiefs, Broncos pass rusher Von Miller recorded his first sack of the 2015 season, making him the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks — Miller did it in just his 58th career regular season game (Twitter link).

Under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Miller looks primed for another big year, which makes Denver’s recent extension with Demaryius Thomas all the more important. By extending Thomas in July, the Broncos freed up their 2016 franchise tag to potentially use on Miller, if the two sides don’t reach a long-term extension. With his contract set to expire at season’s end, the 26-year-old looks like one of the most obvious franchise-tag candidates in the league for next offseason.

Here are a few more items from out of the league’s two West divisions:

Peter King of TheMMQB.com can’t see Seahawks GM John Schneider caving to Kam Chancellor, even if Seattle loses again in Week 2. King also thinks it’ll be a while before the club seriously consider trading its star safety, who is continuing his holdout.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett told reporters on Thursday that, while he’s also unhappy with his contract, his situation is different than Chancellor’s, since he can’t afford to roll the dice on a holdout with a wife and three kids to support. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, Bennett’s situation is also different because he has a more legitimate gripe about his contract, which was signed when he was still a part-time player. After he signed the deal, Bennett was elevated into more of a full-time role, which suggests he should be paid more.
Andy Dolich of CSNBayArea.com examines the possibility of an NFL team relocating to Los Angeles by breaking down demographics and the interest level of football fans in the L.A. market. Of course, the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers are all viewed as potential relocation candidates.

NFC Notes: Maxwell, Cousins, Seahawks

September 17th, 2015 at 6:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles’ secondary was a major weakness last year and the main step they took to improve it during the offseason was signing ex-Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell to a $63MM deal. Unfortunately for the Eagles and Maxwell, his debut in their 26-24 loss to Atlanta on Monday couldn’t have gone much worse. Maxwell, whom Falcons receivers roasted for 179 yards and 10 catches, was one of the primary reasons behind the Eagles’ defeat. Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Bill Davis remains confident in Maxwell’s abilities.

“He did not have a good game,” Davis said, according to Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s got to play better. He can play better. He will play better. He’s been a great football player in this league and will continue to be for us. He knows that, we know that. I’ve got nothing but confidence in him. He’s a hell of a competitor.”

A look at some of Philly’s NFC counterparts:

Kirk Cousins thinks he’s in a better position to develop properly now that he’s Washington‘s starting quarterback. “It’s a very beneficial role. I do feel different now in this role,” Cousins said, per Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. “It feels a little more stable. It caters to the ability to develop as a quarterback. This is a great opportunity for me, as I’ve said. I want to take full advantage of it and just keep building day after day.” The fourth-year man completed 21 of 31 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Washington’s 17-10 loss to Miami in Week 1.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett made a salient point regarding teammate Kam Chancellor‘s ongoing holdout. “I think you can’t have hard feelings because at the end of the day, the NFL they cut people every day,” Bennett said, according to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “Right now there is some guy who thinks he is going to play on Sunday who will be cut on Friday because the team feels like they need to save money. When teams do it it’s usually called business but when the players do it it’s usually called ungrateful.’’
The Rams worked out three cornerbacks – Josh Thomas, Melvin White and Robert McClain – earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweeted. They ended up signing White to their practice squad.

Nothing Brewing Between Seahawks, Kam Chancellor

September 16th, 2015 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite their Week 1 loss to the Rams, the Seahawks and Kam Chancellor are “no closer” to resolving the holdout, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Chancellor’s absence was clearly felt in the team’s season opener as the Rams beat Seattle 34-31, but they’ll try to get by without him once again when they face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

Chancellor reportedly wants to earn $9MM in 2016, while the Seahawks have offered to pay him $8.1MM, with no change in his 2015 payout. The safety also wants the team to waive all of the fines that he has accrued over the course of his holdout. Assuming that nothing gets done between now and Sunday, the total cost of Chancellor’s fines, lost wages, and missed compensation will reach a whopping $2.1MM+.

If Chancellor misses significant regular season action, it would be the first time since Carson Palmer sat out six games for the Bengals in 2011 that a player’s holdout has extended that far into the regular season. In Palmer’s case, he never returned to the field for Cincinnati, as the team ultimately traded him to the Raiders.

Chancellor recently told Dan Hellie of NFL Network that he has been willing to meet the Seahawks halfway and that the two sides are less than $1MM apart, but apparently there is still a ways to go between both sides. Of course, that $1MM gap that Chancellor speaks of probably doesn’t include the ~$2.1MM in lost compensation for which he’s seeking restitution.

Chancellor – who racked up 104 total tackles with seven pass deflections and one interception in 14 regular season games last season – is a key part of Seattle’s defense. However, the advanced metrics don’t portray him in quite as flattering a light. In 2014, he graded out as the 20th-best safety in the NFL according to the advanced metrics used by Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d). In the year prior, Chancellor came in as the 12th-best safety in the NFL.

Here are a couple more Chancellor-related links:

With the salary cap having increased significantly over the past couple years, and on the rise going forward, multiple teams are worried that more players will follow Chancellor’s lead, taking a stand and demanding a raise, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio explains, that raises the stakes for the standoff between Chancellor and the Seahawks.
With many Seahawks fans taking the team’s side in the contract dispute and rushing to blame Chancellor for Seattle’s Week 1 loss, Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com comes to the safety’s defense, outlining several reasons why the holdout might be warranted.

NFC Notes: Jones, Chancellor, Bears

September 13th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

The Giants had talked with several teams about trading receiver James Jones prior to the veteran’s release, reports ESPN’s Ed Werder (via Twitter). The team was reportedtly eyeing conditional draft picks. The Packers were among the teams that spoke with New York, but they decided to wait for Jones’ release.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett didn’t want to attribute his team’s loss on Sunday to the absence of safety Kam Chancellor, who continues to hold out for a new contract. “Whenever you lose everyone is going to turn around saying this and that, Kam Chancellor this,” Bennett said (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Twitter), “but we were still in the game. Regardless of what the situation was we had more opportunities during the game.”
Despite dropping Sunday’s game to the Packers, several members of the Bears still took shots at their former coaching staff following the contest. “The mentality of this offense, which I’m proud of, is nobody had that stupid look on their face [when down 31-16] like before,” running back Matt Forte said (via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times on Twitter). “Before when something would happen, kind of saying that the game is lost already when there’s time left. We kept fighting.”
Offensive lineman Matt Slauson echoed that sentiment (via Potash). “Had this been the past, we would have packed it in,” he said. “That just goes to show the mentality this staff is instilling in us.” The guard noted that it was nice “to have a coordinator that actually trusts us to run, because we have the best back in the game.”

Kam Chancellor Updates: 9/13/15

September 13th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Rory Parks

Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor will watch his team’s season opener against the Rams today from afar, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests that there is potential for a compromise at some point in the near future. Here are a few notes on Chancellor’s situation, and we will update this post as necessary should there be any further developments in this saga today:

Rapoport tweets that Chancellor wants to earn $9MM in 2016, while the Seahawks have offered to pay him $8.1MM, with no change in his 2015 payout.
In a separate tweet, Rapoport adds that Chancellor wants the team to waive all of the fines that he has accrued over the course of his holdout. The Seahawks, though, have been unwilling to waive everything at this time. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com points out (via Twitter), between salary and bonus money, Chancellor could potentially lose $500,000 just by missing today’s game.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the best way for Chancellor to get his fines waived would be to allow the Seahawks to facilitate the resolution. League sources indicate that if Chancellor reports to the team and appears to be in good shape, a compromise could be reached in short order. However, although Seattle is open to waiving a substantial portion of the fines that Chancellor has accrued and to shifting some future money into next year’s contract, the team does not plan on dramatically sweetening his deal. After all, Chancellor is already the top-earning strong safety in the game.
Former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson, who currently works as an NFL Media analyst, says Chancellor wants to be paid for more than just his work as a strong safety. Per Robinson, “[Chancellor] does a lot of (head coach) Pete Carroll‘s dirty work. He talks to players who need talking to because again, Pete doesn’t accentuate the negative.” Robinson also says that Chancellor lines up fellow safety Earl Thomas on every play, which Thomas himself confirmed (via Connor Orr of NFL.com).

NFC Notes: 49ers, RGIII, Chancellor

September 12th, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers after they drafted him 10th overall in 2009. His time in San Francisco was somewhat underwhelming, given his production at Texas Tech and draft status, as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau just once and never racked up double-digit touchdowns in a season. Crabtree stayed in the Bay Area and signed with Oakland during the offseason, but he told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that the 49ers wanted him back. The feeling wasn’t mutual.

“A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” the 27-year-old said. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too — the Niners offered me more money than anybody did — but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”

Crabtree then took a shot at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, saying, “I needed a quarterback that can deliver the ball, and that was hungry like I was.”

NFC West Notes: Chancellor, Rams, 49ers

September 11th, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest regarding the NFC West:

There’s nothing new to report regarding star safety Kam Chancellor‘s holdout, according to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). “We all want Kam here,” said Carroll. Chancellor is poised to miss Seattle’s opener against St. Louis on Sunday.
Prior to signing with Oakland on Friday, outside linebacker Aldon Smith drew interest from a handful of teams. The Rams weren’t among his serious suitors, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). While the Rams discussed Smith internally, Thomas added that they never contacted the 25-year-old (via Twitter).
Speaking of Smith, his ex-teammates and coaches in San Francisco don’t harbor any ill will toward him after his tenure with the 49ers ended because of off-field issues. “I’m really happy for him. He’s a guy that I had great experience with,” said defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, according to Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News. Added linebacker Eli Harold, who is tasked with trying to replace Smith, “Everyone deserves a second chance. I’m happy for him.”
The 49ers’ Ahmad Brooks, another linebacker beset by off-field problems, will be a full go for the team’s opener against Minnesota on Monday. “I don’t expect any restrictions on Ahmad at all,” Mangini said, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Mangini also showered praise on Brooks, saying, “Ahmad has been a guy — throughout the spring and throughout camp — I’ve really been impressed with his work ethic, his toughness, his consistency, his approach in the classroom.”

Seahawks DC Discusses Chancellor Holdout

September 11th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks’ regular season opener against the Rams is just two days away, and safety Kam Chancellor still hasn’t reported to the team, as he continues his holdout. However, despite the fact that Chancellor will miss the club’s Week 1 game, Seattle defensive coordinator Kris Richard is optimistic about the situation, believing both sides are working hard to get the star defender back on the field.

“We stay in contact and really we’re all encouraged by it,” Richard said, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. “We want him here. He wants to be here and right now both sides are working. Both sides are working. Everybody cares. Everybody wants the right thing. Everybody wants him here. … Ultimately, we’re encouraged by it. He’s involved. He’s with us. He’s still here. He’s taken his stand and we’re just waiting to get him back.”

If Chancellor misses significant regular season action, it would be the first time since Carson Palmer sat out six games for the Bengals in 2011 that a player’s holdout has extended that far into the regular season. In Palmer’s case, he never returned to the field for Cincinnati, as the team ultimately traded him to the Raiders. However, Richard doesn’t seem to believe that outcome is likely for Chancellor, suggesting he’d be surprised if the safety missed a big portion of the season.

“It’s because we know how much this game, this team means to him,” Richard said. “Right now he’s taking a stand where he’s taken it. There’s ultimate support on both sides. The closeness. The real relationships. Who we are. Who he is. That will not change.”

For his part, Chancellor also discussed his holdout earlier this week, suggesting that he has been open to reaching a compromise with the team, and insisting he’s not seeking a raise — he just wants money from later in his contract moved up by a year.

Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor Discusses Holdout

September 9th, 2015 at 6:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Kam Chancellor told Dan Hellie of NFL Network (Twitter links) that he has been willing to meet the Seahawks halfway and that the two sides are less than $1MM apart at this point. The safety added that he’s not looking for more money — rather, he simply wants money to be moved from 2017 to 2016.

At this time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter links), the two sides aren’t close on a new deal, though that can change rather quickly. As has been the case for weeks now, the Seahawks are very concerned about setting a bad precedent by re-working Chancellor’s deal.

The 27-year-old is in the midst of a four-year, $28MM deal that runs through 2017 and is holding out to ensure the highest level of compensation as he enters what should be the most productive years of his career. In 2018, he’ll be entering his age-30 season and his payout could be fairly limited at that point.

Chancellor – who racked up 104 total tackles with seven pass deflections and one interception in 14 regular season games last season – is a key part of Seattle’s defense and he’s even more critical to the team this year with Earl Thomas potentially sidelined to start the year. However, the advanced metrics don’t portray him in quite as flattering a light. In 2014, he graded out as the 20th-best safety in the NFL according to the advanced metrics used by Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d). In the year prior, Chancellor came in as the 12th-best safety in the NFL.

In tonight’s Community Tailgate, we asked PFR readers to weigh in on how they think things will play out between Seattle and Chancellor.

Community Tailgate: Kam Chancellor’s Holdout

September 9th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL season nearly underway, we’ll have a whole new series of topics to discuss in the coming weeks, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those topics. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Speaking to reporters today, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that star safety Kam Chancellor is continuing his holdout and has yet to report to the team. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, that means Carroll and his club expect to take the field in Week 1 without Chancellor in the secondary.

“He’s not here right now, so he’s not playing,” Carroll said. “That’s that.”

When Chancellor, who wants the Seahawks to rework his contract, began his holdout earlier in the summer, many observers were skeptical that he would stay away from the team this long. For the most part, players who hold out eventually relent before the possibility of missing game checks becomes a reality. Conversely, many teams are willing to at least temporarily placate their players by moving some salary around and giving them a little extra money up front — the Seahawks did that with Marshawn Lynch a year ago.

In this case though, neither side appears willing to budge. Chancellor just signed his contract two years ago, and it runs through the 2017 season, so the Seahawks are understandably hesitant to set a precedent by giving their star safety a raise already. On the other hand, Chancellor is one of the leaders of one of the league’s best defenses, and will earn base salaries of just $4.55MM in 2015 and $5.1MM in 2016. Given the lack of longevity for most NFL players’ careers, it’s hard to blame the 27-year-old for wanting to maximize his earnings while he can.

With Chancellor poised to miss the Seahawks’ first game of the year, he’d become the first player who signed a contract under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement to miss game action due to a holdout, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Rapoport notes (via Twitter) that Carson Palmer was the last player to extend a holdout into the regular season, sitting out the first six games of the 2011 season before the Bengals traded him to the Raiders.

How do you see this situation playing out now that Chancellor is on the verge of missing the Seahawks’ opener? Will he or the Seahawks eventually give in? Will he be traded? Or will the stand-off drag on throughout the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!