







There has been a distinct lack of chatter regarding the future of Russell Okung as it pertains to the Seahawks roster. We hear almost daily about the "Will he/Wont he?" chances of Russell Wilson signing a new mega-deal this spring that could revolutionize the future of top end contract negotiations. We hear almost as often about the calls for Seahawk brass to get Bobby Wagner inked to a long-term contract that keeps the Smiling Ninja Turtle in blue and blue for a long time. But what about the other Russ? You know, the guy that is tasked with preventing the franchise QB from getting whiplashed by an unseen wrecking machine wearing a different uniform color scheme on every offensive series?

Russell Okung is entering the last year of a seemingly endless rookie contract that he signed in 2010 as part of the last privileged rookie class that Tommy Boy'd into the NFL as guys that hadn't played a snap in the league, but were paid as if they were just waiting to immortalized by a call from Canton, OH any day now. We as Seahawks fans are lucky Russ was not unmotivated by the early money dump, as he has proven over the years to be hard-working, physically gifted, good at what he does when healthy and a fantastic human being off the field. Ahh, but that part about "When healthy". It's a sticking point for many fans and a point of emphasis with the organization when it comes to future deals with home-grown talents. Should we be clamoring for a contract extension with the left tackle that has never played all 16 games in a regular season? I mean, Zach Miller is no longer a member of this team, and it's not due to his play- it's because he can't stay on the field. Considering the cost of a good left tackle, one must question whether the risk of injury is worth the investment. To me, it's an easy question to answer. But is it to the Seahawks?

To decide whether to keep Okung or not, one must only think of the alternative world where someone else mans the left tackle spot. Do you trust Garry Gilliam or Alvin Bailey or some draft pick like Ty Sambrailo to have to deal with the likes of Aldon Smith and (gulp) Robert Quinn? I don't. I prefer to have Russ' 36" arms fending off Calais the Giant twice a year, if not thrice. With this team about to financially commit to a QB in a way never seen before in the history of the league, it makes very little sense to leave his blind-side protection to someone that may not be able to handle the job. That's why it's time to start banging the drum for a contract extension for Russell Okung. Now. You don't let 36" arms and slick feet with Pro Bowl ability get to the free market. And no, the franchise tag would not be a wise investment considering the amount of cap space it would gobble up in a year when a lot of the big contracts on defense begin to balloon. This matter needs addressed this year and the sooner, the better. So, what would a fair extension for both sides look like? Glad you asked.

The team has leverage, actually. The leverage being despite the enormity of Russ' rookie deal, this, the final year of it will see Okung pocket "only" $5M- 200K from a workout bonus and $4.8M in salary to be paid in installments beginning in September. A new deal with the satisfaction that comes from immediately-paid signing bonuses can look awfully nice to a player. Or anyone, for that matter. Would Russell be interested in an $8M check, paid out right the fuck now? Would the team be interested in clearing a little cap space this year? Yeah? Then let's do this! Here's how...

The first thing I want to do is tear up this final year of Okung's contract. Between the 4.8 salary, the .2 workout bonus and the 2.28 prorated signing bonus, his current cap number is $7.28M. Remember that. Tearing up the current agreement forces us to carry over only the $2.28M prorated bonus into any new deal. So how can we structure a deal that includes the carryover yet still reduces his 2015 cap cost? With another prorated signing bonus, of course!

The next thing to do is determine Okung's place in the tackle pecking order. Is he as good and reliable as Joe Thomas or Tyron Smith? No. Is he as crummy as Sam Baker or Eric Fisher? No. As good as Clady or Trent Williams? I'll say no. Worse than Dunlap or Bushrod? No. Is it fair to include him in a group with Brandon Albert, Duane Brown and Eugene Monroe? Yes, I believe it is. The APY for those three are 9.4M, 8.9 and 7.5, respectively. So we have the range with which to fit Okung.

I have decided on a contract that is 4 yrs/$35M (8.75 APY), with $15M guaranteed, including a $8M signing bonus. While a 5-year deal is entirely possible, Seattle seems to prefer to extend out to four years, so that's what we'll do here. As you know the devil is in the details, so we must craft the contract in a way that is amicable to both sides. Fortunately, this can be done. The breakdown of the contract looks like this:

Year 1.....$1M Base salary, $2M prorated signing bonus, $2.28 carryover from previous contract = $5.28 CAP Year 2.....$6M Base salary, $2M prorated signing bonus = $8M CAP Year 3.....$7M Base salary, $2M prorated signing bonus, $1M roster bonus, $1M per game bonus = $11M CAP Year 4.....$9M Base salary, $2M prorated signing bonus, $1M roster bonus, $1M per game bonus = $13M CAP

Guaranteed money includes the $8M signing bonus, $1M base salary in '15 and the $6M salary in '16.

Why is it good for the player? Russ gets a $8M check wired to his account from a "Paul Allen" and pockets $9M in 2015 as opposed to $5M. He also gets the security of a guaranteed contract in 2016, bringing his lifetime earnings to around $65M through 2016.

Why is it good for the team? Seattle saves a cool $2M in cap space in 2015, which could be the difference in getting a Wisniewski or a Guion to join the fray or at least create the room needed to extend Wilson/Wagner this year. They also lock up a talented left tackle and show the locker room that they will take care of their own, while simultaneously allowing the ever-expanding salary cap to withstand the incremental increases in Okung's cap costs.

So what about those contract details? The roster bonus and per-game bonus in yrs 3 and 4 provide the player with incentive to stay healthy and the team with the flexibility to move on if unfortunate circumstances continue to debilitate Okung's body. In year 3, the team has a decision to make- keep Okung at a $11M cap cost or cut ties, accrue $4M in dead money and save $7M in cap dollars. That could go either way and Russell's availability to play in '15 and '16 will decide it for the team. Year 4 is likely to see the player either be asked to take a pay cut or be released with minimal dead money damage, unless he plays lights out all three years and finds the health that has eluded him so far.

So there you have it- a contract extension for a top 8-to-12 left tackle that is pleasing to both player and team. Just lay off the gas station fish, ok Russ?

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