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Marshawn Lynch

NFC Links: Ingram, Durant, Barron

October 30th, 2014 at 8:21pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Panthers and Saints face off on Thursday Night Football, let’s check out some interesting notes from around the NFC…

  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport expects Mark Ingram to hit free agency at the end of the season (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Joel Corry of the National Football Post says that the Saints shouldn’t be blamed for not picking up the running back’s fifth year option worth more than $5.2MM (Twitter link).
  • Cowboys linebacker Justin Durant underwent season-ending surgery today, and Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com writes that the 29-year-old’s future in Dallas is uncertain. “I’ll just leave that up to people in front offices to decide, let my agent handle everything that comes with free agency,” Durant said. “I just play.”
  • Mark Barron wasn’t expecting to be traded earlier this week, and the Rams newest safety admitted that he missed the phone call informing him of the move. “I was definitely in shock,” Barron said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I had no idea that any of it was going on. I was most definitely shocked but I am excited about the situation [in St. Louis]. I had no idea I was even available for a trade.”
  • Recently acquired fullback Will Tukuafu is excited about his opportunity with the Seahawks, but the 30-year-old sounds even more excited about blocking for Marshawn Lynch. “I love his style of play,” said Tukuafu (via Terry Blount of ESPN.com). “I’ve been on defense against him. He’s like his nickname — Beastmode. He’s a beast. To be able to block for a guy like that is a blessing. This is real similar to the offense we had at the 49ers. I’m ready to go.”

King On Lynch, Fairley, Martin, Pats

October 27th, 2014 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s check out some of the highlights from Peter King’s weekly MMQB column..

  • King agrees with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and feels that this is the end for Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. However, he doesn’t see him getting moved by Tuesday’s deadline unless the Seahawks are blown away by an offer. Even a team desperate for a running back isn’t going to give the Seahawks anything like the third-round pick that they would need to start considering a deal, King opines. Lynch is set to earn $6.5MM in 2015 but Seattle might cut him loose instead.
  • The Lions initially believed that defensive tackle Nick Fairley hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in London on Sunday, but King is now hearing that the injury is bad. Fairley’s MRI results should be in later today.
  • King notes that on NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast, Mike Florio noted that the Patriots could be in the market for Buccaneers running back Doug Martin. Martin is in the midst of a down year and injured his ankle yesterday.
  • John Brown was the Cardinals‘ hero on Sunday and that may have surprised some, but not Cardinals GM Steve Keim. When Keim traded the No. 20 pick in the draft to New Orleans for the Nos. 27 and 91, he was hoping and praying Brown would fall to him at No. 91. Brown, who doesn’t have a big program pedigree, was available, and it would appear that the Cards made one heck of a selection.

Sunday Roundup: Lynch, Broncos, 49ers

October 26th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks traded Percy Harvin amid rumors that his presence had created a rift in the locker room, and now no one expects Marshawn Lynch to return to Seattle next year, including Lynch himself, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that Lynch has grown increasingly “salty” over his contract and his role in the Seahawks’ offense, and Seattle is simply tired of contending with his persistent discontent. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Lynch communicates minimally, if at all, with head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ management.

Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the time is now for Russell Wilson to lead his team through this shroud of controversy and distraction, and as far as the on-field ramifications of Lynch’s potential departure, Rapoport tweets that he expects Seattle to take a running back early in next year’s draft. Mortensen writes that the Seahawks may have made Lynch available via trade this year, but the trickle-down effect from fullback Derrick Coleman‘s recent injury has taken that option off the table.

Now for some more notes from around the league:

  • Brian McIntyre tweets that, if the Seahawks do, in fact, release Lynch in 2015, they will have saved $17.5MM in cash and $12.7MM in cap space with the departures of Lynch and Harvin.
  • Our Luke Adams wrote several days ago that the Broncos do not anticipate reaching a contract extension with either of their top pending free agents, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the offers Denver made to the Thomases remain on the table, but it appears nothing will happen until the offseason. Klis goes on to note that the contract situations of both players are quite different, and he describes what it might take for Denver to retain both (spoiler: a lot of money).
  • Rapoport tweets that the 49ers could get Aldon Smith back as early as Monday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that, with the impending returns of Smith, NaVorro Bowman, and Glenn Dorsey, San Francisco could be looking to deal a defensive player or two from the back end of its depth chart to create roster space for those players.
  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers, after making little effort to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in the offseason, are still looking for a reliable complement for Antonio Brown.
  • Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel wonders if the Packers will make a trade to address their weakness at inside linebacker.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that, if the Jets part ways with head coach Rex Ryan, the Falcons would be the perfect landing spot for him.
  • Joel Corry of National Football Post takes a deeper look at Gerald McCoy’s new deal with the Buccaneers.

 

Percy Harvin Notes: Buccaneers, Bengals, Browns

October 18th, 2014 at 3:09pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets were not the only team reached out to by the Seahawks about Percy Harvin‘s availability leading up to this weekend’s trade. The Buccaneers, Browns, and Bengals were all contacted about the possibility of a deal, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). All three of those teams have various levels of need at the position, but what they do have in common is a chunk of cap space that Harvin could have fit into.

Here are some other notes concerning the Harvin trade:

  • Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan might be a player’s coach, but Harvin’s reputation will be tough to shake in a new city. He has had problems at every stop in his career, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk questions whether his tenure with the Jets will be any different. He surmises that the thinking in league circles is that the team will not bring him back at $10MM in 2015.
  • As record of Harvin’s many transgressions keeps growing, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has compiled a list of some of his most egregious missteps.
  • Although Harvin may have been a problem in the locker room, there are still a section of players who are not happy to see him go. Marshawn Lynch is one of those players, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, and his unhappiness might cause more problems in the locker room. Lynch reportedly almost did not get on the team bus after learning about the trade, reports Mehta (via Twitter).

West Notes: MJD, Lynch, 49ers, Schaub

August 1st, 2014 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew thinks it’s “hilarious” that some people don’t think he has what it takes to carry the load in the Raiders’ offense. “I know what I have left,” Jones-Drew said according to Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury-News. “I know the work I put in this offseason to get to where I need to get to be able to play at a high level. I stopped worrying about what people were saying.” More out of the AFC and NFC West..

  • Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch wanted $5MM more than he got out of his reworked deal this week, a source tells Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Ultimately, however, he took the deal that was first offered to him back in May when he first expressed dissatisfaction with his contract.
  • After placing tight end Anthony McCoy on injured reserve yesterday, the Seahawks brought in former Pats, Buccaneers, and Chiefs tight end Steve Maneri for a workout, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 6’6″, 275 pound tight end saw four games of action last season for the Bears.
  • The 49ers are taking some risks by tabling contract extension talks with Jim Harbaugh until after the 2014 season, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Williamson understands San Francisco’s desire to avoid additional distractions during the season, but fears that teams will start trolling around Harbaugh in an attempt to pry him away next offseason.
  • After taking a good amount of criticism for a down season with the Texans, quarterback Matt Schaub is eager for a fresh start with the Raiders, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The 33-year-old took a $3MM pay cut to help facilitate the trade that brought him to Oakland.

Lynch, Seahawks Agree To New Deal

July 31st, 2014 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks have agreed to a new deal that will pay him $6MM with a $500K signing bonus, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. Lynch stayed home at the start of training camp but reported to the team today, which signaled that a new deal was probably in place. Ultimately, the new pact doesn’t give Lynch any additional money, but it does provide him with more financial certainty than he had before.

The new deal marks a bump up in base salary for Lynch. Under Lynch’s previous contract, he was due a $5MM base salary this year, plus $500K in per-game roster bonuses and another $500K in incentives if he had hit 1,500 yards. Now, Lynch gets a base salary of $6MM, meaning that the $1MM in incentives is effectively guaranteed, plus giving him his $500K check scheduled to be paid in 2015 and giving it to him now instead. In total, Beast Mode will make $6.5MM in 2014. Also of note is that the Seahawks also agreed not to enforce the fines that they were entitled to dock him from the work he has already missed. Lynch was subject to fines of up to $30K for each day of camp he missed.NFL: Super Bowl XLVIII-Seattle Seahawks Parade

Lynch, 28, finished the 2013 season with 1,257 yards, giving him his third straight 1,000-yard season. He also registered 14 total touchdowns, a career-high. While Lynch didn’t play a big role in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl romp over the Broncos, he has been an integral part of the team for the past three seasons and change, and was seeking a raise heading into the third year of his four-year contract. The average annual value of that pact placed Lynch among the league’s top five highest-paid running backs, but in terms of base salaries, the 2014 ($5MM) and 2015 ($5.5MM) figures were more modest, as well as a step down from his 2013 salary ($7MM).
Having just signed Lynch to an extension two years ago, the Seahawks refused to rework his deal, with GM John Schneider repeatedly pointing to a blueprint that the club had put in place years ago — that plan allowed the team to reward Lynch with his previous extension, but didn’t afford the flexibility for another raise, particularly as other key contributors like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Michael Bennett signed extensions of their own.

With Lynch set to report this week, the NFL’s lone holdout at the moment is guard Alex Boone of the 49ers. While several reports had indicated the Seahawks were unlikely to relent on Lynch, the same can’t be said of the Niners and Boone, so it will be interesting to see which side caves first in that situation, or whether a compromise can be reached.

Luke Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marshawn Lynch Reports To Seahawks

July 31st, 2014 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

4:20pm: The Seahawks have confirmed that Lynch had indeed reported to camp, ending his holdout, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

2:07pm: After remaining absent from training camp for a little over a week, Marshawn Lynch will end his holdout and report to the Seahawks within the next 24 hours, sources tell Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter (via Twitter), Lynch won’t get a new deal or a raise from Seattle, but the team is expected to make some financial concessions on his contract.Marshawn Lynch

Lynch, 28, finished the 2013 season with 1,257 yards, giving him his third straight 1,000-yard season. He also registered 14 total touchdowns, a career-high. While Lynch didn’t play a big role in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl romp over the Broncos, he has been an integral part of the team for the past three seasons and change, and was seeking a raise heading into the third year of his four-year contract. The average annual value of that pact placed Lynch among the league’s top five highest-paid running backs, but in terms of base salaries, the 2014 ($5MM) and 2015 ($5.5MM) figures were more modest, as well as a step down from his 2013 salary ($7MM).

Having just signed Lynch to an extension two years ago, the Seahawks were steadfast in their refusal to rework his deal, with GM John Schneider repeatedly pointing to a blueprint that the club had put in place years ago — that plan allowed the team to reward Lynch with his previous extension, but didn’t afford the flexibility for another raise, particularly as other key contributors like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Michael Bennett signed extensions of their own.

Lynch was subject to fines of up to $30K for each day of camp he missed, and the Seahawks could also have pursued a portion of his signing bonus. With the running back set to report, it seems unlikely that those fines will be assessed, so perhaps those are the “financial concessions” mentioned by Schefter. It’s also possible that the team could insert some additional incentives into the last two years of Lynch’s deal, which wouldn’t necessarily increase his cap number for now, but could give him the opportunity to earn some bonus money.

With Lynch set to report this week, the NFL’s lone holdout at the moment is guard Alex Boone of the 49ers. While several reports had indicated the Seahawks were unlikely to relent on Lynch, the same can’t be said of the Niners and Boone, so it will be interesting to see which side caves first in that situation, or whether a compromise can be reached.

When Lynch officially reports to training camp, the Seahawks will have to remove him from their reserve (did not report) list, which will mean cutting someone on the 90-man roster to clear a spot for the standout running back.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seahawks GM Talks Lynch, Offseason, FAs

July 29th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter today, Seahawks general manager John Schneider spoke to John Clayton, and the primary topic of discussion was Marshawn Lynch‘s holdout. Schneider addressed Lynch’s situation, as well as explaining why the team has yet to relent and rework the running back’s deal, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times provides the quotes from the Seattle GM. Here are a few highlights:

On whether he’s becoming concerned about Lynch’s absence:

“You know, no. Everybody loves Beast Mode. We love him and respect the guy. I think what he’s done in this community, for this franchise, is outstanding. It’s one of those deals where you can never get inside somebody’s head. We’re just going with our plan, and I know it’s cliché-ish, but next man up. We’ve had a plan in place here for a number of years, and we can’t veer from that plan for one person because it’s the ultimate team sport.”

On what the Seahawks’ plan constitutes:

“Tough decisions. You make models two and three years out, and you have to stick to that and know that there’s going to be tough decisions along the way. We had to let guys like Red Bryant go, Chris Clemons, we weren’t able to sign Breno [Giacomini], Golden Tate. You have to be able to make those decisions along the way knowing you’ll be able to re-sign Michael Bennett and maybe there’s a free agent that comes in and fits in your bracket. It’s just one of those deals where you have to keep going about your business, and you can’t veer off of that.”

On the contracts the Seahawks were able to sign this offseason, including extensions for Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas:

“Going into the offseason we knew we were going to have guys, and we still have a number of guys that we’d like to get done headed toward next year that are going to be free agents. Now, you can’t keep all your guys. We know that. That’s the landscape that we live in in the National Football League. But we feel blessed that we’re able to get Earl done, get Sherm done, re-sign Michael, Doug Baldwin. The guys that we’re going to next, they know. We just have to be true to our word and keep trying to work those deals.”

Contract Details: Nelson, Reynolds, White

July 29th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With a number of veteran free agents signing deals recently, and others being extended, the latest contract details have been a little more complicated than the usual minimum salary contracts we’d seen over the last few weeks. With that in mind, here’s a roundup of a few of the latest specific figures to surface:

Earlier updates:

  • Details of Roddy White‘s extension with the Falcons have emerged, and, unsurprisingly, the deal doesn’t look quite as lucrative as initially reported. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (all Twitter links), White’s new four-year contract has a base value of $23MM, which means there’s $18MM in new money on the three-year extension. The pact also features a $7.55MM signing bonus and $8.5MM in escalators which could push the overall value to as high as $31.5MM. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap has all the details in chart form.
  • We heard last week that Tyson Clabo‘s new two-year deal with the Texans is worth $2.4MM, and now Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the breakdown of the specifics (via Twitter). Per Wilson, the contract includes annual base salaries of $900K, a $200K signing bonus, roster bonuses worth up to $80K ($5K per game) in 2014, and roster bonuses worth up to $320K ($20K per game) in 2015.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) clarifies that the Seahawks can now recover up to 15% of the prorated portion of Marshawn Lynch‘s signing bonus, rather than the entire thing. That means the team could go after $225K of the bonus, rather than $900K.
  • The 49ers can do the same thing with Alex Boone‘s contract, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group details. 15% of Boone’s prorated signing bonus works out to $51K.

Corry On Marshawn Lynch

July 28th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Rory Parks

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.
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