Tag: D.K. Metcalf

The Seahawks’ huge extension of DK Metcalf is confusing because of their terrible QB situation

A classic case of the chicken coming before the egg.

The Seahawks were supposed to be in for a rebuild for the long haul.

Once they traded away Russell Wilson — the inarguable best quarterback in franchise history — Seattle was supposed to set its sights on reloading to be good again … eventually. You don’t simply pick up the pieces and make a smooth move forward after trading a nine-time Pro Bowler.

About that: A rebuild might not be Pete Carroll’s plan, after all!

On Thursday night, despite apparent (nonexistent?) trade rumors from the offseason, the Seahawks gave D.K. Metcalf a lucrative contract extension. Scratch that. I’m underselling it. (Ahem) Seattle made the 24-year-old Metcalf one of the richest wide receivers in NFL history.

Holy heck. That’s a lot of money to buy candy.

For a frame of reference, in addition to his highest-ever WR signing bonus, Metcalf is now comfortably among the highest compensated compared to his peers. According to Over The Cap, Metcalf’s $58.2 million guaranteed is the seventh-highest among all active receivers. His annual average of $24 million is the sixth-highest, tied with Stefon Diggs.

But that glosses over a vital caveat: Because of his shorter three-year term, the Seahawks essentially guaranteed more than 80 percent of Metcalf’s new deal. That is second only to Cooper Kupp (93 percent), who, you know, is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and first triple crown winner in years.

Suffice to say, given the shorter overall length of Metcalf’s extension through 2025, the Seahawks not only think the former Second-Team All-Pro will make their lofty investment seem wise, but they almost definitely plan to win with him as a featured player. And soon!

This raises a question about the elephant in the room: Who is throwing the ball to Metcalf on this beautiful blue and green marble we call “Earth”?

Let’s review the Seahawks’ current depth chart of quarterbacks:

  • Drew Lock 
  • Geno Smith
  • Jacob Eason 

By my count, that’s one overhyped former second-round pick who is almost certainly more of a backup (Lock), another overhyped former second-round pick who has actually been a career backup (Smith), and, at this moment in time, a glorified scout-team quarterback (Eason). So, yeah. Seattle’s not exactly picking the sharpest shears in the shed here.

Now I understand Metcalf is a very talented playmaker who can make fireworks happen with the ball in his hands. There’s no denying that. But unless Carroll and GM John Schneider are going to conjure a magical trade for a star quarterback before the 2022 season starts: I don’t see how wise it was to make such an investment in a player extremely reliant on his quarterback play.

The earliest the Seahawks can even fathom getting a worthwhile passer is in next year’s draft. Which, they’ll probably get someone like C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young at this rate because it’s hard to envision a depleted roster winning more than a handful of games this fall. (Seriously: Name one Seahawks player sans Metcalf and his partner Tyler Lockett off the top of your head right now. That’s my challenge to you).

But, remember, you still have to get the worthwhile quarterback, which is easier said than done — Metcalf’s extension will likely line up with a quarterback’s rookie year. That would be 2023, where said rookie is bound to go through growing pains. The second year of his extension, in 2024, would ideally (hopefully?) see a second-year quarterback blossom while throwing to his 6-foot-4, 229-pound athletic freak of a target.

Once the final year of his deal comes around the bend, in 2025, Metcalf and Insert Quarterback are one of the NFL’s top duos. Or Metcalf, at 27, is starting to look to free agency in the spring of 2026 because he has no one reliable to throw the ball to him. And that’s not even accounting for the Seahawks constructing an entire roster worthy of contention simultaneously — a massive undertaking in itself.

Given the NFL’s broader history of a boom or bust nature in developing successful quarterbacks, which scenario feels more likely?

By giving Metcalf one of the biggest receiver deals in NFL history, the Seahawks are betting they will find a future star quarterback to pair with him in next April’s draft. It’s a risky proposition, which precedent says won’t work out well. Because when it comes to great quarterbacks and receivers: The chicken never comes before the egg.

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D.K. Metcalf extension puts Amari Cooper’s deal in perspective

With Metcalf locked up to a huge extension, how does his contract and production compare to the Browns newest #1 receiver:

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The Cleveland Browns have gone through their history seeking a true #1 receiver. The acquisition of Odell Beckham was supposed to do just that but the experience flamed out by the middle of 2021. Before that, Andre Rison, Dwayne Bowe and others were brought in through free agency with high hopes.

The Browns even failed to fill the role in the draft with a variety of players including first-rounders Braylon Edwards and Corey Coleman. Josh Gordon burst on the scene before failing to capitalize on his immense talent.

This offseason, Cleveland took advantage of the Dallas Cowboys need to cut salary by trading a fifth-round pick, along with swapping picks in the sixth round, to acquire Amari Cooper. After a wild offseason of highly paid receivers, adding Cooper is seen as the team’s best move of 2022.

The latest receiver to cash in this offseason is Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf. Still 24 years old, Metcalf cashed in with a three-year extension with $58.2 million guaranteed and a $30 million bonus.

A quick comparison of Cooper’s last three seasons with Metcalf’s is interesting:

Given the two profiles of the two receivers, it is not surprising to see Metcalf is more explosive with almost 1.5 yards more per reception and eight more touchdowns. Cooper checks in with more receptions and a higher per-game average yardage.

While Cleveland restructured Cooper’s contract when he arrived, the base remained the same with him under contract for three more years with a total of $60 million left on his deal. Based on the terms released, Metcalf will earn over $75 million over the next four years with just $4 million made this year on the last year of his rookie contract.

While four years older than Metcalf, Cooper has had similar production since the Seahawks receiver entered the league. Starting next year, Metcalf will average around $4 million more a year than Cooper while hoping Geno Smith, Drew Lock or someone else can help him produce the same way Russell Wilson did.

While Metcalf is more explosive, it will be interesting to see how Cooper’s numbers compare to him over the next few seasons. For now, Metcalf’s huge extension helps put Cooper’s contract into perspective a little more.

D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks both got a fair deal with new contract

For now, both sides got a fair deal.

It was never really a question of if, but when the Seattle Seahawks would give D.K. Metcalf a lucrative contract extension. There were trade rumors this offseason, as is the case when practically any elite player is entering the final year of his current contract. The scenario of No. 14 being dealt to another team or eventually leaving in free agency never seemed remotely like a real possibility, though.

Today Seattle made it official, extending their star wideout to the tune of a three-year contract worth a total of $72 million. Metcalf makes out with $58.2 million guaranteed, including a $30 million signing bonus – a new high for his position.

Reports about Metcalf’s new deal estimated that he’d be making somewhere in the range of $25 million per year. In the end, that was pretty close. Metcalf’s annual average is just short of that at $24 million – tying Stefon Diggs for the sixth-best among wide receivers.

Given his age and ability, there’s a real chance that this contract will look like a bargain for the Seahawks in a couple years’ time. For now, both sides got a fair deal. Metcalf is appropriately paid like the top-10 talent he is at his position, while his team didn’t overreach into the rare air of deals for Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, who’s making a league-high (among wide receivers) $30 million per year with the Dolphins.

Metcalf probably could have earned more if he’d refused the offer and waited to sign after this coming season. However, the length of the deal gives him another chance for a big pay-day while he’s still relatively young. In three years, Metcalf will only be 27 years old. Hopefully by then the Seahawks will have found another Pro-Bowl-caliber franchise quarterback to pair him with so all parties can truly cash in on his prodigious talent.

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Why D.K. Metcalf is worth every bit of his new contract extension

The Seahawks just gave D.K. Metcalf a monster new contract, and here’s why Metcalf is worth every bit of it.

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The 2022 Seattle Seahawks are facing all kinds of questions as they come into the new season — primarily at quarterback in the Russell Wilson era — but a similarly prominent question for head coach Pete Carroll as training camp got underway this week was the status of receiver D.K. Metcalf. The 2019 second-round pick was heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and he had been “holding in” through the first couple days of camp – i.e., showing up, but taking no reps.

“We’re working, and I don’t have any update for you, but we are working,” Carroll said Wednesday.

Well, now we know. On Thursday, the Seahawks signed Metcalf to a three-year, $72 million contract extension with $58.2 million guaranteed, and a $30 million signing bonus — per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the largest signing bonus ever given to a receiver.

It’s something the Seahawks had to do in the post-Russell Wilson era, where Geno Smith and Drew Lock are fighting it out to see who can “replace” Wilson. Receiver talent will be at an all-time premium, even given Carroll’s preferences for a balanced offense, and there are few more premium athletic talents than Metcalf. When you have a 6-foot-4, 235-pound receiver who can run a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, you’re dealing with a rare individual.

Moreover, Metcalf’s athleticism and speed have shown up more and more on the field as he’s expanded his route palette. Since his rookie season, Metcalf ranks 10th in targets among all NFL receivers (358), 17th in receptions (216), third in yards per reception (14.7), eighth in yards per target (8.9), and tied for fourth with Cooper Kupp in receiving touchdowns (29). Imagine what he could do in a pass-first offense…

Maybe we’ll get that chance down the road, because Metcalf will have another turn at free agency when he’s 27 years old.

What has made Metcalf so important to Seattle’s route-running is not his specific route excellence, though he has improved in that regard, and he’s always been better at it than a lot of people have given him credit for.

Why Seahawks’ DK Metcalf is a better route runner than you think

In June, Seahawks passing game coordinator Sanjay Lal was very specific regarding how good Metcalf is when it’s time to be exact with his routes.

“I’ve told people he’s the best receiver I’ve ever been around that took the techniques from practice into the game,” Lal said. “If we ran a stutter-hinge versus Patrick Peterson, how it looked and walked through, how it looked in an individual period, how it looked in team is exactly how it looked against Arizona. You can look at the tape. I’ve actually made cut-ups of, here’s how he did it here, and here’s how it looked in the game.”

Here’s how it looked when the Seahawks faced the Vikings in Week 3 of the 2021 season. The stutter-hinge is a route where Metcalf pushes a vertical look, gives the cornerback a double move, and then, looks to come back at the end of the route to present a favorable picture to the quarterback.

The next example Lal brought up was a 19-yard reception against the Patriots in Week 2 of the 2020 season, when Metcalf was facing Stephon Gilmore at a time when Gilmore was arguably the NFL’s best cornerback.

Lal didn’t mention this vicious whip route that left Peterson, a future Hall of Famer, out of the picture, but it’s worth reviewing.

“The Stephon Gilmore ‘V’ route, [the] pylon route that he caught, we’ve got walkthrough reps of him running it exactly like that,” Lal said of the Gilmore play. “He had to get a yard inside the hash. He had to get his eyes back for a count, otherwise Stephon would not undercut him. It’s very rare for a receiver under duress, under the lights to go do that in a game and he did it perfectly.

“You watch the clip, as soon as he touches the hash, his eyes come back inside, Steph goes underneath, and he puts his foot in the ground and goes over the top. Had it been one yard off, that play wouldn’t have worked. Even with all that precision, it was still a bang, bang play downfield. So he’s the best I’ve seen at that.”

Of course, there are other times when Metcalf just bodies the poor defender facing him, and that’s where the size/speed equation becomes quite unfavorable for the other side.

Back to the route stuff, though — here, Metcalf puts Jalen Ramsey in the blender with a preposterous pivot-and-up. Good luck with THAT.

And, he’s already proven to be a more than able target for Smith, who replaced Wilson for a time last season due to injury. This 84-yard touchdown against the Saints’ top-tier defense on a quick throw from Smith was basically Metcalf saying to cornerback Marshon Lattimore: “I’m D.K. Metcalf, and you’re not.”

Safety Marcus Williams tried to help from single-high, but that was not going to happen, either.

Turns out, Lattimore didn’t appreciate Metcalf’s physical style.

Metcalf’s new deal puts him in the elite category among receivers, which is exactly where he belongs.

Russell Wilson congratulates D.K. Metcalf on new deal: ‘You deserve it all, bro’

Wilson just went on Twitter to congratulate his former teammate on his big payday.

After Russell Wilson was traded to the Broncos, D.K. Metcalf became the best player on the Seahawks’ roster, hands down. Today, he got paid like it.

Metcalf is signing a three-year contract extension with Seattle worth a reported $72 million total, incuding over $58 million in guaranteed money. It makes him one of the highest-paid players in the game at his position and sets him up to cash in again just a few years down the line while he’s still in his prime.

Wilson just went on Twitter to congratulate his former teammate on his big payday, saying he deserves it all.

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Seahawks signing WR D.K. Metcalf to 3-year, $72 million contract extension

Metcalf’s new contract includes $58.2 million in guarantees.

The Seahawks are signing wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to a three-year deal worth $72 million, according to a report by Adam Schefter. Jordan Schultz was the first to report the news. Metcalf’s new contract includes $58.2 million in guarantees and a $30 million signing bonus.

Metcalf is entering his fourth season in the NFL. In 49 career games he has totaled 216 catches, 3,170 yards and 29 touchdowns.

In terms of annual money, Metcalf’s new deal makes him one of the highest-paid players at his position. His averge of $24 million per year ties him with Stefon Diggs of the Bills for the sixth-highest mark among wide receivers.

Metcalf had been “holding in” at training camp over the last two days, a popular new move among players looking for a new contract without getting fined for missing practice. He had also skipped mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason for the same reason after attending voluntary OTAs.

One of the finest athletes in the sport, Metcalf was recently ranked the 10th best receiver in the league by ESPN.

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Who is holding in? Tracking the players not practicing as training camp opens

Tracking the NFL players who are “holding in” at the start of training camp as they wait for new contracts.

With the start of training camps across the league, there are always reminders that at its core, the NFL is a business.

Meaning some players are not reporting for the start of camps due to their contract status. Or, given the terms of the current CBA, they are “holding in.” Reporting to training camp, but not practicing as they try and negotiate a new contract with their teams.

Whether it is a veteran looking for a long-term extension or a younger player seeking that lucrative second deal, a few players have chosen to “hold in” at the start of training camp. Here is a running list of what players are doing just that.

Seahawks 2022 training camp: Takeaways from the first day of practice

The Seattle Seahawks have completed their first day of 2022 training camp.

The Seattle Seahawks have completed their first day of 2022 training camp.

Here are seven takeaways from their first practice and Pete Carroll’s press conference afterwards.

Seahawks have 7 players on PFF’s top-300 fantasy football list

The Seattle Seahawks had seven players make the cut.

Nathan Jahnke at Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 300 fantasy football players in the league for the 2022 season.

The Seattle Seahawks had seven players make the cut. Here’s who they are and where they ranked on the list.

Seahawks rebuffed trade offers for D.K. Metcalf, in talks on new contract

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the team and Metcalf are “in talks” on a new contract.

Every day the Seahawks don’t extend their star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf his price will go up. Fortunately, we finally have a bit of good news on this front.

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the team and Metcalf are “in talks” on a new contract.

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