2 Weeks today (July 30th)

[NorthHawk]

Training Camp starts in 2 weeks for both Veterans and Rookies.
I can't wait to start talking Football instead of contracts, etc. but I expect it will come up from time to time anyway.

[RiverDog]

Training Camp starts in 2 weeks for both Veterans and Rookies.
I can't wait to start talking Football instead of contracts, etc. but I expect it will come up from time to time anyway.

Until he signs, the talk about Russell Wilson and his contract is only going to intensify as we approach the start of the regular season.

[NorthHawk]

I think his plan is to play the year out regardless of the offer.

[Hawktawk]

Watching all the 2014 season playoff games has me so stoked. I even enjoyed watching the Supebowl minus beer goggles. And yes Wilson plans on playing regardless of his contract situation. I cant imagine many other players at any position who would do that after making chump change to win a Lombardi and set numerous NFL and team records.

[Vegaseahawk]

i like the latest quips from both camps. definitely vanilla statements, but i can't help but feel a positive vibe in both PC & RW's comments regarding negotiation progress.

[Vegaseahawk]

I think his plan is to play the year out regardless of the offer.

What other options does he have, really?

[Hawktawk]

Wilson could hold out. Saying he wont and Im certain he will honor his word has actually cost him leverage in the short run. But I suspect if they make him play this season for the chump change 3rd string backup money he will never suit up for the Hawks after 2015 again T tag or not. Look at the teams who burn 3 or 4 first round picks a decade searching for that franchise guy. Do you really think there wouldn't be quite a few who would willingly surrender 2 first rounders and however much money it took to sign a proven superstar and media darling? I do.Schneider has his head up his arse on this one. Or if it really is Paul Allen holding this up then WTF! I doubt it

Its make it or break it the next 2 weeks.

[RiverDog]

Wilson could hold out. Saying he wont and Im certain he will honor his word has actually cost him leverage in the short run. But I suspect if they make him play this season for the chump change 3rd string backup money he will never suit up for the Hawks after 2015 again T tag or not. Look at the teams who burn 3 or 4 first round picks a decade searching for that franchise guy. Do you really think there wouldn't be quite a few who would willingly surrender 2 first rounders and however much money it took to sign a proven superstar and media darling? I do.Schneider has his head up his arse on this one. Or if it really is Paul Allen holding this up then WTF! I doubt it

Its make it or break it the next 2 weeks.

Of the options Russell has, holding out this season has to be the worst and least likely.

Russell could sign a new deal in the next couple of months, or he could play out his current contract and wait until 2016 to sign a new deal. He could not sign at all in 2016, in which case the Hawks would either have to slap a very expensive FT on him or let him hit the free market. If we slap the FT on him in 2016, it would give him a similar option in 2017. He also has a baseball option.

It's my sense that if something isn't done by the start of the regular season that we could be in for a very long, very frustrating wait.

[NorthHawk]

He recently said he isn't going to negotiate once Training Camp starts.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... rt-of-camp

That gives them less than 2 weeks now.
Maybe it's a pressure tactic, maybe he's just stating a fact - we don't know.

[c_hawkbob]

He recently said he isn't going to negotiate once Training Camp starts.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... rt-of-camp

That gives them less than 2 weeks now.
Maybe it's a pressure tactic, maybe he's just stating a fact - we don't know.

Russ has always said he won't negotiate past the start of training camp, that's why the start of training camp is when I start to worry. Frankly I'm surprised that it has taken this long for the media to start referring to it as the "deadline" everybody likes to say doesn't exist.

As for the rest of Rappaport's conjecture, it's exactly the risk I have seen as the team being willing to (in my opinion unnecessarily) expose itself to. It's worst case, but it could happen. Unless of course we sign him in the next couple weeks ...

[jshawaii22]

So, if we don't sign him in the next couple of weeks, we have the dreaded 2016 - Franchise Tag Deadline that we just went through with Dez and Thomas to wait for.

[c_hawkbob]

So, if we don't sign him in the next couple of weeks, we have the dreaded 2016 - Franchise Tag Deadline that we just went through with Dez and Thomas to wait for.

Exactly.