Feel free to use this as an open thread for free agency. If anything significant occurs involving the Seahawks, I’ll publish a new article.

I suspect, however, that their priority will be to re-sign the likes of D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy and let the market come to them.

As a prelude to the market opening, I wanted to discuss Seattle’s recent decision making. Can they be accused of short-term planning?

It goes back to the 2017 season. Perhaps out of desperation and not wanting an era of football to be defined by an interception on the one yard line — and in a chase for redemption — they were very aggressive.

The end was coming. They could probably sense it. There had been talk about Richard Sherman’s future and a possible trade. Within a year a reset was going to be required. So why not have one last real go for a Championship? Luke Joeckel was given $7m to try and help fix a bad O-line. Eddie Lacy was given $4m to try and provide a solution at running back. They pursued and nearly signed T.J. Lang to a big contract.

This was all just the start.

What followed was almost a desperate attempt to capitalize on an opportunity.

They traded for Sheldon Richardson, giving up a second round pick on a one-year rental purely because their top pick Malik McDowell was out indefinitely. Then they traded second and third round picks to Houston for Duane Brown to try and secure the left tackle spot when starter George Fant hurt his knee.

The Brown move has paid off because he was re-signed. Richardson was not — for no compensation. It was practically the most expensive one year rental imaginable. When you spend a first round pick, as Seattle did on Percy Harvin and Jimmy Graham, they either have time to run on their deals or they’re extended. Neither happened with Richardson. And he walked, for free.

You wouldn’t be wrong in criticizing or praising the moves. After all, there’s nothing worse than a Championship caliber team drifting. The Packers wasted years of Aaron Rodgers because they sat on their hands, only winning one Championship as a consequence. Seattle was bold and ambitious. Also, reckless. They placed themselves in a market as aggressive buyers and bought at a high price.

This was arguably understandable short-termism. Merely a team wishing to give itself the best possible chance of success.

What has followed though, is a lot more contentious.

Why did the Seahawks keep hold of Earl Thomas, while knowing full well 2018 would be his last season with the team? Clearly they didn’t want to ‘sell low’. However, the market determines a players value. If the offers were only in the second or third round range, was it not better to get something rather than nothing for a player you had no intention of keeping?

They stuck to their guns and played out the contract. He’ll walk for free and if they sign any free agents over the next two weeks, the chances are they’ll get zero compensation for a player who will be coveted on the market.

Did they keep Thomas because it benefited them in 2018? Probably. But that’s short-termism. Why not get a pick, even a mid-rounder, and add someone who can be part of your roster for years to come?

Is that hindsight or fair comment?

The Frank Clark situation is a little bit different. Clearly they want to keep him — which is the big difference between Clark and Thomas. Yet how likely is a deal?

Presumably Clark and the Seahawks are not close on a new contract. That’s why Jay Glazer is dropping rumors about the Bills and why Clark’s agent is texting Ian Rapoport to announce live on the NFL Network that Clark won’t sign his tag or turn up to training camp.

With Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner also unsigned beyond 2019 (plus Jarran Reed), the chances of a second tag for Clark are slim. So right now, as things stand, he will walk in 12 months for only the outside chance of a third round comp pick in two years time.

So either the parties are close and just need to work through the process (still possible, let’s acknowledge that) or there’s a difference between the two parties severe enough for the battle to enter the realms of the media. If it’s the latter, they need to seriously think about getting the best offer for Clark.

Keeping him in 2019 might help the team this year. Aren’t they better off trying to get value now, however, before adding young talent that could be with the team for 4-5 years at a cheaper cost?

Is it not time to start preempting inevitable departures (if that’s what Clark is) and make some deals? Even if, sometimes, you don’t get amazing value?

I hate using the Patriots as an example because they are unique and masters of their own philosophy. Loads of teams try and fail to mimic them. But this is a team very prepared to ‘only’ get a second round pick for Chandler Jones and a third round pick for Jamie Collins. They also received generous first round picks for Deion Branch and Richard Seymour. The market is what the market is.

For two years the Seahawks have had weak draft stock. A year ago they had to trade down because they had #18 and nothing until round four. This year they need to trade down because they have four total picks. They don’t have the draft stock to replenish but they keep losing talent for zero (Thomas, Sherman, Paul & Sheldon Richardson, Graham) or very little (Bennett) compensation.

The salary cap era of football is developing all the time. Currently, we’re seeing players demanding more as the cap rises and being willing to roll the dice with multiple tags. Players are less inclined to ‘do deals’ to stay with a certain team. The teams and owners are described as capitalist thugs trying to keep players from getting what they’re due — and yet the cap rise isn’t necessarily keeping up with the massive rise in cost for quarterbacks, defensive linemen, receivers and offensive linemen. Even if you want to re-sign players — it’s difficult.

Cap challenges are harder than ever. Being willing to churn, while retaining an increasingly smaller core, appears to be the key to consistent success. That and good drafting.

Nobody wants to see popular players like Frank Clark leave. But it might be time for the Seahawks to plan to ‘win forever’ not just the next season. They need to start getting value for players who move on.

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