5 takeaways from Doug Baldwin's new contract with Seahawks

Photo: Bob Leverone, Associated Press Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin has gone from being...

Perhaps more than any of the Seahawks' contract extensions offered over the past few offseasons, Tuesday's four-year, $46 million deal for wide receiver Doug Baldwin is indicative of Seattle's rise to the pinnacle of the NFL.

Before the 2015 season, many outside of the Emerald City viewed Baldwin as a complementary player in the Seahawks' run-heavy scheme. Perhaps he had deserved better than ESPN's Cris Carter's "appetizer" crack ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII, but fans and pundits around the country likely associated him with emotional outbursts as much as on-field production.

That suited Baldwin, who used the slights as fuel to fire a sense of under-appreciation that came natural to the undrafted rookie and whose play was elevated -- as opposed to weighed down -- by the enormous, ever-present chip on his shoulder.

Related: Seahawks, Doug Baldwin agree to contract extension

The perception of Baldwin changed last year, when he put up career highs in receptions and yards, tied for the league lead with 14 receiving touchdowns and came up with a handful of unbelievable highlights.

And while the fact that his new contract puts him squarely among the 10 best-paid receivers in the league raised some eyebrows, there's now a consensus that he's established himself as a bona fide upper echelon NFL player -- just like the once-discounted Seahawks are now counted among the league's premier franchises.

Related: Doug Baldwin, teammates react to contract extension with Seahawks

So what can we learn from Baldwin's new deal with the Seahawks? Check out the gallery below for our takeaways.

Production matters

Through his first four seasons, Baldwin averaged 49 receptions for 689 yards and 4 touchdowns per year. Those are respectable numbers, particularly given the limited options for receivers in Seattle's run-heavy offense, but they're nowhere near what you would expect for a top-10 wideout in today's NFL.

That all changed in 2015, of course, when Baldwin's final eight games put him among the game's elite players at his position. During the second half of the season, Baldwin registered 47 catches on 63 targets for 724 yards and a whopping 12 touchdowns as the Seahawks gave opponents a hint of what their offense might look like without Marshawn Lynch.

Schneider and Carroll undoubtedly wanted Baldwin back after his first extension expired, but his breakout performance in 2015 underscored just how important he might be to Seattle's attack moving forward. His new deal reflects that. less Production matters

Through his first four seasons, Baldwin averaged 49 receptions for 689 yards and 4 touchdowns per year. Those are respectable numbers, particularly given the limited options for receivers in ... more Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close 5 takeaways from Doug Baldwin's new contract with Seahawks 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

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