DJ Fluker released

[c_hawkbob]

A little less of an overload in the OLine room now. Saves us $2M salary less a $500k dead cap hit.

[RiverDog]

A little less of an overload in the OLine room now. Saves us $2M salary less a $500k dead cap hit.

An opportunity for our new 3rd round draft pick.

[RiverDog]

A classy statement from Fluker:

"Dear 12's;

I was released by the Seahawks today. A couple of things. I am not upset, or hurt. This is a business and one that I've been in for awhile. I want to thank John and Pete for their thoughtful calls.

Be safe, be kind, and I love y'all.

Thank you, Seattle."

[jshawaii22]

PFT reporting Britt is next. Seahawks looking for 12m in cap savings this week. Hmmmm.....

[Agent 86]

Following link has 3 consecutive stories if you scroll down about Clowney, Britt, and Fluker.

https://www.rotoworld.com/football/nfl/player-news/headlines/9632051

[c_hawkbob]

I like Britt, but cutting him nets us over $5M, and he is coming off an ACL.

[RiverDog]

Britt's been cut, too. We'll save $8.5M on our cap.

The Seahawks released Britt on Sunday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports. Aaron J. Fentress of The Athletic leaked the news earlier Sunday, noting the move will free up $8.5 million on the team's salary cap.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/footb ... -seahawks/

[c_hawkbob]

Britt's been cut, too. We'll save $8.5M on our cap.

The Seahawks released Britt on Sunday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports. Aaron J. Fentress of The Athletic leaked the news earlier Sunday, noting the move will free up $8.5 million on the team's salary cap.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/footb ... -seahawks/

That doesn't take into account the $3M in dead cap space though.

[c_hawkbob]

My bad, I wasn't taking into account bonuses and options that would have made his salary count $11M before the cap hit.

[trents]

I think this is setting things up to allow the Hawks to make Clowney an offer he'll take.

[jshawaii22]

I hope that the team uses that cap space to pay the added cost in a trade for a veteran. We need another Duane Brown level starter (at least) and hopefully get much better options to replace center and right tackle. With 3 new starters across the offensive line, having only other teams toss-aways or rookies doesn't seem logical, especially without an offseason to work in the new players. I'll admit I don't know much about all those FA signings, but does anyone think that Jones, Posic or Joey Hunt can be a NFL full-time starter?

[govandals]

Bummer to see Fluker let go. I liked his play more than most. Many said he was a great locker room guy, and you could see he really enjoyed playing the game.

[trents]

Actually, I was pretty surprised they let him go. I didn't see that one coming. Britt didn't surprise me because he's still rehabbing from a significant injury and although serviceable, he was never an upper echelon caliber center. On the other hand, Fluker was a better than average guard and very good as a run blocker. How was Fluker's contract structured. Getting rid of Britt and Fluker cleared less than 4 mil from the salary cap, I understand and that doesn't seem like much.

[RiverDog]

I think this is setting things up to allow the Hawks to make Clowney an offer he'll take.

Either Clowney or Griffen.

What I think might have happened is that Clowney hesitated so long that we had to act and start bringing in other players while they were still available and we wouldn't know which, if any, players we could release to clear cap space until after the draft. So we quit negotiating with Clowney, brought in players like Irvin and Mayowa, draft Damien Lewis, whom we must really like, and it allows us to pencil in Finney at center and release both Britt and Fluker.

Now we can start talking again with one or both of those players as we have a better idea of our cap situation and roster needs.

[govandals]

I read last night Seattle now has 20-23 mil in cap space. Don't know if this is before or after the draft class is signed. Either way, it's enough for Clowney and maybe another piece or two.

I think Clowney waits it out and goes to whoever throws the most gtd dollars at him. His talk of not wanting to go to a "sorry" team is BS. He'll go to the highest bidder. He may not sign until July/August. At some point PCJS need to sign him or just move on. EG is waiting in the wings, let just sign him and be done with it.

They will also bring in a vet DT. They have to, they are paper thing at the position. They have brought in McDaniel, Woods, Tom Johnson from Minn, flirted with Suh and Danny Shelton in the past. Mebane or Snacks Harrison would be fine. I'm sure there are others still available.

I could see another vet RB and WR as well. They were linked to Crowell at the start of free agency.

[NorthHawk]

It wouldn't surprise me if we signed Griffen. He's had better success at rushing the QB
than Clowney, but that might be a function of being on a better DL. He could also mentor
both of their DL draft picks on proper pass rushing techniques better than Clowney.

[RiverDog]

I read last night Seattle now has 20-23 mil in cap space. Don't know if this is before or after the draft class is signed. Either way, it's enough for Clowney and maybe another piece or two.

I think Clowney waits it out and goes to whoever throws the most gtd dollars at him. His talk of not wanting to go to a "sorry" team is BS. He'll go to the highest bidder. He may not sign until July/August. At some point PCJS need to sign him or just move on. EG is waiting in the wings, let just sign him and be done with it.

Yea, players often times throw out this "I want to play for a contender" line in an effort to counter the perception that pro athletes care more about their paychecks than being part of a successful team. M favorite example is Alex Rodriguez, who claimed he wanted to play for a contender then signed an unGodly obscene contract with a cellar dweller. I'm not sure if that fits Clowney or not.

Going into the draft, we supposedly had $12.3M of cap space. By cutting Fluker and Britt, we're saving $10.5M, which if my numbers are correct, would put us at $22.8M. We have to pay the 7 draft picks out of that, too, but there should be enough room to bring back Clowney for about the same deal we reportedly had on the table earlier.

[NorthHawk]

We will probably also cut 7 or so OL that are currently on the roster. Depending on the guaranteed
amount, it should free up more Cap space. As well they have to keep about $5m in Cap space
to sign players to fill holes created by injuries during the season.

[idhawkman]

I liked Fluker a lot two years ago but either he was injured or fell off a bit last year. Maybe it was Hunt's line calls. I don't know what it was but in many games last year Fluke just disappeared IMO. Now we have a whole right side of the line to replace. At least it isn't RW's blind side that is in question going into the season but let's face it, RW can't escape the rush like he used to. He can avoid some of it but he won't be able to do what he did in '15 or '16 and that may cost us big time. Who is RW's backup? Scary times in the NW.

[RiverDog]

I liked Fluker a lot two years ago but either he was injured or fell off a bit last year. Maybe it was Hunt's line calls. I don't know what it was but in many games last year Fluke just disappeared IMO. Now we have a whole right side of the line to replace. At least it isn't RW's blind side that is in question going into the season but let's face it, RW can't escape the rush like he used to. He can avoid some of it but he won't be able to do what he did in '15 or '16 and that may cost us big time. Who is RW's backup? Scary times in the NW.

Fluker's been a very good run blocker but he's always had his problems in pass protection so I don't think we can blame his all problems on Hunt. The OG we drafted, Damien Lewis, is reportedly a very good pass blocker, so maybe we will see an upgrade at that position. Even with Britt and Fluker gone, we're going to have a lot of competition in the trenches this season.

Good question about Russell's backup, but that's not a huge concern. Just think about New England: They didn't draft a QB and they haven't shown any interest in the two major FA QB's, Newton and Winston. If you're a Pats fan, would you be comfortable going into the season with Jarrett Stidham as your penciled in starter?

[trents]

I think it would be very difficult from an ego standpoint for someone who has been a starting QB for years and still in prime years to accept the role of backup. I think teams know that and so are reluctant to sign that kind of FA.

[NorthHawk]

Winston is in a backup role.
I wonder if Cam Newton thinks he should garner 1st round draft choice/starter salary and that's putting some teams off.

[jshawaii22]

Winston is in a backup role.
I wonder if Cam Newton thinks he should garner 1st round draft choice/starter salary and that's putting some teams off.

Like Colin Kaepernick tried to do? How'd that go for him?

[RiverDog]

Winston is in a backup role.
I wonder if Cam Newton thinks he should garner 1st round draft choice/starter salary and that's putting some teams off.

Like Colin Kaepernick tried to do? How'd that go for him?

Ha! Good analogy.

That's one of the so-called mysteries of the offseason, why Belichick hasn't thrown himself at Cam Newton's feet.

[trents]

Explain to me how this works. Fluker was just "released" according to the press. Was his contract up for renewal?

[jshawaii22]

He had signed an extension last year for 2 years. He played last year and now the team released him a few days ago, making him an unrestricted free agent and Baltimore signed him to a deal today. i think his injuries and age convinced JS to go with younger (and cheaper) players... hence the 3rd round draft pick -- the new right guard from LSU.

from Wikipedia:
On March 20, 2018, Fluker was signed by the Seattle Seahawks. He played in 10 games, starting nine at right guard.

On March 14, 2019, Fluker signed a two-year, $9 million contract extension with the Seahawks.[34] Fluker was released by the Seahawks on April 27, 2020

[RiverDog]

Explain to me how this works. Fluker was just "released" according to the press. Was his contract up for renewal?

Teams aren't necessarily obligated to allow players to fulfil the terms of their contracts. That's why guaranteed money is so important to players, because if the team decides they no longer want their services, they still have to pay them.

There are exceptions, such as some players may have negotiated no cut clauses and players still have to pass a physical. I think Britt was released because he didn't pass his physical.

[NorthHawk]

It's also where "Dead Cap" space comes into play.
It's money still being paid to players no longer on the team.
I don't know what money, if any is involved with cutting Fluker, but in some cases teams keep
players because the cost is more than the value of replacement.

[Agent 86]

According to Spotrac, here are the cap implications for the players we released of "significance" for 2020:

Britt - $2,916,668
Dickson - $866,668
G. Jennings - $533,199
Fluker - $500,000
Darboh - $176,572
T. Thompson - $168,001
N. Bellore - $150,000

There are 8 more players on the list, all with cap implications of under $100,000. In total, looks like there is $5,421,465 in dead cap space for 2020 for the Seahawks if I understand that correctly, which is 2.72% of the salary cap. Seahawks have $20,997,184 left in cap space as of today.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/cap/

[trents]

It's also where "Dead Cap" space comes into play.
It's money still being paid to players no longer on the team.
I don't know what money, if any is involved with cutting Fluker, but in some cases teams keep
players because the cost is more than the value of replacement.

So your are saying Fluker didn't have a guaranteed money contract?

[c_hawkbob]

Dead cap is the remaining guaranteed portion of a players contract when he is released. So if a team saves $8.5M by cutting a player with $11M left on his contract that's $2.5M dead cap (usually deferred bonus money still owed the player).

[jshawaii22]

So your are saying Fluker didn't have a guaranteed money contract?

He had $500,000.00 in "dead cap" money, so that would of been a signing bonus. The rest of his contract was not guaranteed, so when the team cut him, only the dead cap $$$ come into play.

[trents]

NFL contract structuring is so complex it takes an three accountants, two attorneys and a used car salesman to figure it out.

[obiken]

NFL contract structuring is so complex it takes an three accountants, two attorneys and a used car salesman to figure it out.

Thats no joke. Only a few guys on this board can keep up with the Cap, and I am not one of them!

[RiverDog]

NFL contract structuring is so complex it takes an three accountants, two attorneys and a used car salesman to figure it out.

Thats no joke. Only a few guys on this board can keep up with the Cap, and I am not one of them!

I'm not, either. I pay passing interest to financial/cap issues. But I do know that they all make a lot more money than I ever did.

[trents]

I remember Packer great running back Jim Taylor relate a conversation he had with Vince Lombardi who not only was the head coach but apparently also the general manager. Taylor had a good year and his contract was up for renewal. He went to Lombardi's office and spouted off his stats with regard to how many yards, touchdowns, etc. he had accumulated in the past year. He told Lombardi, "Coach, I think I should be making more money." Lombardi looked him in the eye and said, "Maybe you're right. Your're welcome to check that possibility out with another team."

Things were much simpler in those days.

[mykc14]

According to Spotrac, here are the cap implications for the players we released of "significance" for 2020:

Britt - $2,916,668
Dickson - $866,668
G. Jennings - $533,199
Fluker - $500,000
Darboh - $176,572
T. Thompson - $168,001
N. Bellore - $150,000

There are 8 more players on the list, all with cap implications of under $100,000. In total, looks like there is $5,421,465 in dead cap space for 2020 for the Seahawks if I understand that correctly, which is 2.72% of the salary cap. Seahawks have $20,997,184 left in cap space as of today.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/cap/

That doesn’t include Bruce Irvin’s numbers, for some reason his contract hasn’t become official yet, but I remember reading that it is around 3.5 million, but I don’t know for sure.

[Agent 86]

That doesn’t include Bruce Irvin’s numbers, for some reason his contract hasn’t become official yet, but I remember reading that it is around 3.5 million, but I don’t know for sure.

Nice catch myck14, you are right I didn't notice that. It also doesn't include Khalil McKenzie's contract. The rest of the "unsigned" players on the list were all the drafted players.

[mykc14]

Nice catch myck14, you are right I didn't notice that. It also doesn't include Khalil McKenzie's contract. The rest of the "unsigned" players on the list were all the drafted players.

Yeah, I’m hoping he’s signed to the minimum so he might not be in the top 51 highest paid so he won’t count against the cap. Irvin on the other hand is pretty interesting because it’s been a week and I still haven’t seen any concrete details on his contract. Either way ware still in good position to add a guy like Clowney.

[RiverDog]

I remember Packer great running back Jim Taylor relate a conversation he had with Vince Lombardi who not only was the head coach but apparently also the general manager. Taylor had a good year and his contract was up for renewal. He went to Lombardi's office and spouted off his stats with regard to how many yards, touchdowns, etc. he had accumulated in the past year. He told Lombardi, "Coach, I think I should be making more money." Lombardi looked him in the eye and said, "Maybe you're right. Your're welcome to check that possibility out with another team."

Things were much simpler in those days.

Here's another Lombardi story. A man representing himself as the agent for Forrest Gregg walked into Lombardi's office and introduced himself to the receptionist and asked to speak with Lombardi. "Have a seat, I'll call Coach Lombardi and tell him you're here." The man sat down in the outer office and picked up a magazine while the receptionist phoned Lombardi in the room just behind her.

About 45 minutes later, the receptionist's phone rang. After a brief conversation, she hung up and told the man waiting in the room "I'm sorry. Forrest Gregg has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers."