If you can only sign two? Checking the temp of .NET

[Largent80]

I'm not saying Martin is the next coming of the DE Messiah, but as a rookie in a limited role he played quite well. remember, the Hawks gave up on Bennett and them got him back, it took him a few years to develop.

As far as the thread goes. Obviously RW and Wags are the leaders of both sides of the ball and as long as these owners are willing to give them armored cars filled as paychecks we may never truly see the teams of all great players again.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

It sucks what Dallas did with DeMarcus Lawrence, but it's not as if Jacob Martin (or whomever else you expect to take his place) will be any cheaper than Clark if they reach truly elite status.

Agreed. Anyone that steps up will get paid.

If Seattle isn't willing to pay this kind of money, they're basically ruling out second contracts for elite pass rushers permanently.

Essentially this is true. Although I'm looking around the league and you know what's harder to find than franchise QBs? Teams that pay market rate for franchise QBs that also carry elite pass rusher contracts. Really outside of a couple years ago (Eli Manning and Olivier Vernon which ... ewww), you don't see teams doing that.

I think you're touching on a theory that a lot of critics of this team have already wrestled with. The reality of a cap league means making choices. Teams can either pay QBs or pay defenses. Not both.

Look around at the top defensive pass rusher contract teams. They have either crap QBs or QBs on rookie deals. Every team has to scrimp at one of these two ends.

I don't think losing Clark is a good idea. But I'm narrowing my contribution to this thread on the confines of the OP's scenario.

Carroll wants to run the ball and have an elite defense. To do that he has to do one of two things:

1. Have a cheap defense that he rolls over constantly. Required in order to pay franchise QB
2. Have a cheap QB. Pay his defense.

More than anything, I want to see this team start to make choices that reflect this reality. Right now (actually for years now), this team has acted like it doesn't see this coming. It's frustrating. And even today, they grapple with what should be clearer long term choices.

I'd also throw in the end of the CBA wrinkle. That comes up in two years now. It's like Brexit for the NFL. This CBA will not survive in anything resembling it's current form and I fully expect there to be no NFL at all for a year after it's expired. There's a great unknown. Teams that don't have a lot of cap flexibility likely will be hit the worst.