MVN - Most Valuable Network

Owners Opt Out of Labor Deal

Today at the spring owners meetings, things kicked off quickly when the owners unanimously voted to terminate the current CBA agreement early. In the short term, all this will do is influence contract negotiations. However, while 08′ and 09′ remain covered, this opens the door for 2010 to be an uncapped year and then possible labor unrest.

This doesn’t have anything to do specifically with the Seahawks, but it is an important issue for the entire NFL. Expect the next year to filled with lots of posturing by both sides, but in the end, I expect a deal to get done before 2010. The parties involved aren’t fools. They have created several safeguards that will bring both sides to the negotiating table sooner rather than later. While the term “uncapped year” makes it sound like a financial windfall for players, it could actually be the reverse. Lets take a look.

First off, there are really only a few owners who have shown the willingness to operate will little financial constraint. Dan Synder and Jerry Jones are the two that come to mind. What often gets glossed over is that with an uncapped year, the minimum spending amount disappears too. Far more teams have shown that if given the chance, they will be more than willing to put a lesser product on the field to save money and turn a profit. Tampa Bay was 40 million!!! under the cap this year. They looked around like they would be big players in free agency, but overall spent very little. Mike Brown, owner of the Bengals, will be the name kicked around a lot when this is talked about. He is notoriously thrifty, and would probably be happy to field a low payroll team over a winning team if given the chance. I know Bengal fans feel he already is. The point is that an uncapped year will likely be a cash windfall for a few, but a financial squeeze for mid level guys. This is something the union should be aware of. Read the rest of this entry »

Is The Seahawks Superbowl Window Closing?

Most of those who follow the NFL subscribe to what can only be called the “Superbowl Window Theory”. The premise of this theory is that because of turnover, competitive balance, and parity, a team usually has a very small window in which to win the big one. There has been a lot of talk amongst Seahawk fans about their Superbowl window. Ever since 2005, the talking heads of the national media have been trying to slam it shut. Is this the year that one of upstart teams of the NFC West who are picked to win year after year, finally ends up on top? We will find out, but in my opinion the Seahawks seem to be getting stronger and even harder to beat. John Clayton labeled them the most improved team in the division on Friday. So I ask the question…When will the window shut?

If you take a look at the Seahawks since 2005, there has been an extraordinary amount of turnover. The team looks dramatically different these days. But maybe, this is for the best. If you looked at the Seahawks after that season, it was clear that they were going to go through a transition. The last two years may have been the rest of the NFC West’s best shot to take the top spot. It would appear the Seahawks have reloaded their core with a mix of draft picks and free agents and are now a younger, more balanced team.

Lets start with the offensive line. This unit was arguably one of the best offensive lines ever. No matter what, the line was going to change. Last year allowed two important cogs of the future to get valuable starting experience. Sims and Spencer struggled at times, but they will be better for it. With those two and Sean Locklear, this team has created some young core players that will make the transition to the next left tackle much easier. Walter Jones is one of two key pieces yet to be replaced. The best part is that they have at least a couple of years to find their next left tackle and get him ready. By then, the other members of this line will be savvy vets Read the rest of this entry »

Engram Skips Workouts

The big story of the day is that Bobby Engram is skipping the voluntary workouts this week because he is unhappy about his contract. Bobby was the Seahawks most reliable wide receiver last year, hauling in 94 catches. Despite this, he is only the third highest paid receiver on the team, behind Deion Branch and Nate Burleson. He is scheduled to make 1.7 million in the final year of his deal.

Bobby has put the Seahawks and Seahawk fans in an interesting dilemma. Bobby wants to be paid for his past performance. The Seahawks make decisions based on future potential. At 35, Bobby has a limited amount of time left, and thus his future value is in doubt. However, he does have a high present value. The Seahawks are breaking in young wide receivers already because of Deion Branch’s ACL injury. Without Bobby, the wide receiver unit becomes a huge question mark. Bobby is using this leverage to maximize his earnings in the twilight of his career.

From Bobby’s perspective it is understandable. It is also reasonable for the Seahawks to hesitate at extending him or giving him new money. Paying for past production was a disaster with Shaun Alexander. There is also a school of thought that Bobby should be a bit more appreciative. The Seahawks extended his contract after 06′, a season where Bobby missed significant time with a thyroid condition.

As a fan, I wish that situations like this could be avoided. Especially on a championship caliber team in Mike Holmgren’s last season. However, for the players, football is a business. Bobby has been a team guy in Seattle for many years. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that what he is asking for is fair. Unless there is more to the story, hopefully both parties will come to a compromise soon. 2008 looks so promising, lets hope Bobby can be a big part of it.

Get Me Somma That

Just a quick short one to let all you men out there know what’s up. For anyone who is interested, SeaGal auditions will be live tonight on Seahawks.com @ 5:00 PST. Be there.