Kearse (RFA) given 2nd round tender - $2.3 million

[randomation]

He makes some amazing catches but he also drops easy balls, like the pass that RW literally dropped in his lap on 3rd down that would have pretty much sealed the super bowl before the pats even started coming back.

 

[Ozzy]

Deserves to get paid:

[youtube]LOhAREao-vY[/youtube]

Deserves to get paid:

[youtube]fKOLqM-LnA0[/youtube]

Deserves to get paid:

[youtube]AKnzkF_QtX0[/youtube]

Anyone think a measly $2.3 million spit in the bucket is too much just, you know, STFU.

Did you seriously just handpick a couple of plays and then tell everyone to SU? Lol ok....

No one hates Kearse at all. I like him a lot as a #3/#4 type receiver. He is way too inconsistent to be an every down starter and it showed numerous times last year. The Seahawks are not going to pay him 2.3 million and will look to restructure the deal to make it worthwhile for the team and they really don't have a choice. I will be SHOCKED if he is starting next year though. They have to upgrade the position.

 

[Uncle Si]

I like Kearse. Dude has made some big plays for us. Also dropped that ball in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl which hurt alot.

My question though, is 2.3 million the right amount for a 3/4 receiver? Doesn't seem a terrible amount. Is the concern here that because he has been tendered 2nd round the Seahawks won't upgrade the position?

 

[sutz]

:snack:
Fans are funny like this.

1. I think this is definitely one of those "he's probably worth more to the Seahawks than other teams" deals. Now, if some other team does actually think he is worth that, the team gets a 2d Rd pick out of the deal. I could live with that. But if he stays, which seems likely, we have a guy still on the upswing in his career, who's familiar with the system and with our QB, and who has some fire in his belly.

2. I think people are a little overdoing the "that's too much money" thing. The cap just went up, and it looks like it will go up again next year. $2.3 mill is what pct of $143.8 mill? In fact, it's only about half of what the team rolled over from last year IIRC. You can check that, but I thought our rollover was about $5 mill. That means he's getting paid out of last year's cap.

Things like this make for lively back and forth among we fans, but it will probably all work out for the best. The FO makes a point of rewarding guys who buy in and produce, both things that Kearse seems to have done. You can complain all you want, but his drop rates are probably not any worse than one of the top 5 WR in team history, Darrell Jackson.

I like the move. It basically says to Kearse, if you find a team willing to compensate us and is willing to pay you more, thanks a lot and see you later. Otherwise, you can stay around and keep working and maybe you'll get a longer term deal. Right now, the team probably can't waste resources on Kearse until the situation with Marshawn, Russ, and Wags are settled.

 

[Ozzy]

I think its just the thought of running him out there as the #1 or #2 depending on how you classify Baldwin. He had a rough playoffs which probably clouds some judgement for sure. Again if he's the #3/4 next year Seattle will be in good shape.

 

[Ozzy]

If we get a 2nd round pick because another team jumps on Kearse I think the team would be ecstatic. They would take a second rounder for him every single time.

 

[sc85sis]

The price is the price. As others have mentioned, we either tender him or he potentially walks because he was signed as an undrafted free agent. He may be a #4 on another team, but on THIS team he's currently #2. We can't afford to let him walk. So yes, we'd all like the price to be less, but there's really no alternative right now.

 

[CEHawk]

Hmmm.. seems like a bit too much, IMO.

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/573844924447264768

I don't see anybody giving up a 2nd for Kearse so he will likely be back with the Hawks next year.

I hope he is bumped back to 4th WR and Baldwin to the slot. :|

2.5 million for a proven veteran receiver who has made probably 5 of the Seahawks top 10 plays of the last 3 years.

Anyone who doesn't support this just isn't thinking rationally.

Amen, glad to see a logical post!

 

[Ozzy]

You summed it up nicely. The Seahawks didn't really have a choice.

 

[BattleOfSeattle]

As another poster mentioned already, if we didn't place a 2nd round tender for Kearse, he could be signed by anyone else without compensation since he was a UDFA.

I doubt we'll actually pay $2.3 million for Kearse this season. Last year the Seahawks placed a 2nd round tender on SS Jeron Johnson, who was also a restricted free agent, to a similar amount. He then essentially accepted a paycut by signing a new 1 year deal for $1.35 million with Seattle. I expect something similar with Jermaine, but even if we don't, I wouldn't sweat over an extra $1 million for a good #3 or #4 wide receiver.

 

[chris98251]

Hmm how much did we pay Harvin for half a game during the season and a half of play in the Super Bowl? I think any complaining about Kearse should be regulated to how he has contributed not just as a receiver, but a blocker and on Special teams as well as a emergency guy for returns.

 

[timmat]

I don't know if he is or isn't worth the money. He's had some consistency issues. He's an odd one to pinpoint, as I can't recall another non-marquee (for lack of a better term) receiver with SO many signature catches:

- TD in 4th quarter to help win Panthers game in 2013
- 4th down TD in 2013 NFC Championship game
- Incredible catch and run TD in Super Bowl XLVIII (which would get much more publicity had the game not been such a blowout)
- One-handed TD catch in 2014 divisional game vs. Panthers
- Game-ending TD catch in 2014 NFC Championship game (after a rough game up to that point)
- Insane juggling catch in 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLIX

My only point is, man - this dude has some huge, difficult catches on his resume.

 

[scutterhawk]

Hmmm.. seems like a bit too much, IMO.

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/573844924447264768

I don't see anybody giving up a 2nd for Kearse so he will likely be back with the Hawks next year.

I hope he is bumped back to 4th WR and Baldwin to the slot. :|

2.5 million for a proven veteran receiver who has made probably 5 of the Seahawks top 10 plays of the last 3 years.

Anyone who doesn't support this just isn't thinking rationally.

You are 100% correct, as some of those catches were sensational.
I like the hell out of this move by the Hawks, just shows that John Schneider has his head screwed on straight, and the so called "Travesty" would have been to let him get away.
His continuity with Russell Wilson is a big factor, and not getting the consideration it deserves here by a few.

 

[Ozzy]

Let's put things in perspective shall we? $2.3M for Kearse isn't as horrible as people say. Yes, he may be inconsistent at times, but he WILL pull off a big play that is needed more often than not. We lose nothing on this deal, nothing. He is, with this deal, ranked 45 on top paid receivers in the NFL per WR Salaries which isn't horrible if you look at the actual rankings of those above, and below him. Can we get better than him, sure. Do we keep him for depth at a relatively low price tag with the possibility of cutting him during TC, of course. Win/win overall with little to no downside.

I don't think anyone's complaining about the tender amount, I think a lot of us are ready to have a WR corp that no longer needs Kearse on it because the cupboards are bare.

Austin was complaining about the amount.

Not necessarily. I seriously doubt they pay him that much money. It will be renegotiated Imo. I'm complaining about the idea of him being our #1 next year. It's not good enough and we need to do better.

 

[kearly]

Ok explain to me why you think Kearse is worth it. Are you happy with his play this past year? Ready for him to be the #1 this year? I'm all ears, sell me on Kearse.....

He led the team in receiving yards last postseason, and was 2nd on the team in the regular season. In his last 6 playoff games he's slightly outproduced Doug Baldwin (yards, TDs).

He's pretty much had almost every huge catch the Seahawks have had in the postseason in this era. Had Lynch ran it in from the 1 yard line we'd all be talking about how legendary Kearse is for his miracle catch two plays before. Then you had the catch in the NFCCG to win it, and the catch in the previous NFCCG that put Seattle up for good. Kearse drops some (his drop rate is right around league average, FYI), and sometimes those drops take unlucky bounces, but he's already the most clutch WR the Seahawks have ever had in the playoffs. Ever.

In a better WR corps, both Baldwin and Kearse would be expendable. But right now Baldwin is one of the few WRs we can count on to get separation, and Kearse is the one guy we can count on to deliver on the deep throws. Our other weapons are mediocre at best on deep targets, with the exception of Luke Willson who's hands are much worse than Kearse's.

I'm not here to tell you Kearse is a great receiver, but he has a very particular skillset that is of crucial importance to our offense, and Seattle has struggled to find a player that can replace that deep ball skillset. Keeping him around at $2.3 million given the dropoff on deep targets is a massive no-brainer.

If you think $2.3 million for one year is too much to pay for a quality starter who fits a crucial role on the team and has an incredible history of clutch catches, I don't know what to say. That's a bargain price where the Danny Amendolas of the league command almost $6 million a year in open FA. $2.3 million is what you pay a high end backup, and Kearse is that at minimum.

And as others have said, there is a chance the FO could do to Kearse what they did to Jeron Johnson last offseason and slap him with the 2nd round tender only to pay him a bit less a couple months later after negotiating. I kind of think they won't risk it though. If they lost Kearse somehow this offseason that would backfire in their face pretty badly.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

Fantastic news. Love me some Chop Chop.

 

[kearly]

To me, this move isn't about liking it or not liking it. If Seattle had Mike Evans and Brandon Marshall on the roster, I'd be just fine with saving some cash and letting Kearse walk. But instead, we have a roster that is sorely lacking a dependable, clutch deep threat outside of Kearse. To me this isn't even a discussion, Seattle HAS to make this move. They HAVE to.

And if all goes well, the team will find a replacement for Kearse and will have the luxury of having this debate NEXT offseason. But until those moves are made or until Seattle finds that elusive deep ball stud, Kearse is a must keep. If Seattle had a crystal ball and they knew which players they'd be able to sign/trade for next week or draft in April/May, then they'd consider letting Kearse go. But they can't see the future, so they absolutely have to make this move.

For this reason, I think Devin Smith will be very high on Seattle's 2015 draft board. Smith would make Kearse expendable for sure. Smith is basically a much better version of Kearse. Very similar skillsets.

 

[StoneCold]

To me, this move isn't about liking it or not liking it. If Seattle had Mike Evans and Brandon Marshall on the roster, I'd be just fine with saving some cash and letting Kearse walk. But instead, we have a roster that is sorely lacking a dependable, clutch deep threat outside of Kearse. To me this isn't even a discussion, Seattle HAS to make this move. They HAVE to.

And if all goes well, the team will find a replacement for Kearse and will have the luxury of having this debate NEXT offseason. But until those moves are made or until Seattle finds that elusive deep ball stud, Kearse is a must keep. If Seattle had a crystal ball and they knew which players they'd be able to sign/trade for next week or draft in April/May, then they'd consider letting Kearse go. But they can't see the future, so they absolutely have to make this move.

For this reason, I think Devin Smith will be very high on Seattle's 2015 draft board. Smith would make Kearse expendable for sure. Smith is basically a much better version of Kearse. Very similar skillsets.

What would Kearse have to improve on to make him as valuable as Devin Smith? Is it speed, better hands, better route running? What do you think the likely hood he will be able to improve in any of these areas? Not asking to be snarky, truly wondering what Kearses upside could be. Or has he reached the pinnacle of what he's capable of?

SC

 

[Ziggyy108]

If we give Marshawn the ball and win the Super Bowl then Kearse is cemented as an absolute legend in Seattle.

 

[Ozzy]

Ok explain to me why you think Kearse is worth it. Are you happy with his play this past year? Ready for him to be the #1 this year? I'm all ears, sell me on Kearse.....

He led the team in receiving yards last postseason, and was 2nd on the team in the regular season. In his last 6 playoff games he's slightly outproduced Doug Baldwin (yards, TDs).

He's pretty much had almost every huge catch the Seahawks have had in the postseason in this era. Had Lynch ran it in from the 1 yard line we'd all be talking about how legendary Kearse is for his miracle catch two plays before. Then you had the catch in the NFCCG to win it, and the catch in the previous NFCCG that put Seattle up for good. Kearse drops some (his drop rate is right around league average, FYI), and sometimes those drops take unlucky bounces, but he's already the most clutch WR the Seahawks have ever had in the playoffs. Ever.

In a better WR corps, both Baldwin and Kearse would be expendable. But right now Baldwin is one of the few WRs we can count on to get separation, and Kearse is the one guy we can count on to deliver on the deep throws. Our other weapons are mediocre at best on deep targets, with the exception of Luke Willson who's hands are much worse than Kearse's.

I'm not here to tell you Kearse is a great receiver, but he has a very particular skillset that is of crucial importance to our offense, and Seattle has struggled to find a player that can replace that deep ball skillset. Keeping him around at $2.3 million given the dropoff on deep targets is a massive no-brainer.

If you think $2.3 million for one year is too much to pay for a quality starter who fits a crucial role on the team and has an incredible history of clutch catches, I don't know what to say. That's a bargain price where the Danny Amendolas of the league command almost $6 million a year in open FA. $2.3 million is what you pay a high end backup, and Kearse is that at minimum.

And as others have said, there is a chance the FO could do to Kearse what they did to Jeron Johnson last offseason and slap him with the 2nd round tender only to pay him a bit less a couple months later after negotiating. I kind of think they won't risk it though. If they lost Kearse somehow this offseason that would backfire in their face pretty badly.

We disagree on quality starter. His drops are at crucial moments and he's inconsistent when he needs to step up. If you think Kearse is a quality starter where do you rank him league wide against other #1's? I'm not sure he would start on many other teams to be honest. I love him as a #3/4 and I'm guessing that's what the team ideally sees him as well and they will try to upgrade the position. But you're right, they can't afford to lose him. They also know there is almost little chance of that happening at that tender