The Seattle Seahawks ended their season on a bad note after falling to the New England Patriots in the 2015 Super Bowl. As the dust settles on the loss, the Seahawks are already being considered the favorites to win Super Bowl 50 in 2016, but before that can happen, they have a lot of changes that could be taking place this offseason. With defensive coordinator Dan Quinn off to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, the focus sets on Russell Wilson's pending contract and the future of Marshawn Lynch as a result.
Head coach Pete Carroll is very confident the Seahawks will keep their roster in place while being able to give everyone their deserved money. Wilson will be first up as his contract will likely dictate what other moves the Seahawks make this offseason. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks are ready to make Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL. A contract could be in the ballpark of $135 million. Jay Cutler currently is getting $126 million from the Bears while Aaron Rodgers is making $110 million along with $55 million in guaranteed money and $33 million in signing bonuses. Wilson will get more.
The quarterback's contract should not handcuff the Seahawks too badly thanks to the trade of Percy Harvin and smart contracts to players like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. That helped set up Seattle for a smart future to remain contenders and locking in Wilson is just the next step. Figuring out Lynch's future is also on the priority list which could be happening as early as mid-week.
Rapoport is also reporting that the Seahawks and Lynch will meet this week to determine the running back's future with the franchise as trade rumors run wild. Many believed Seattle was ready to part ways with the running back, but that might not be the case. According to Rapoport, the Seahawks have offered Lynch a new contract that should keep him in Seattle for the rest of his career. The deal is reportedly worth someone around $10 million which is $5 million more than he was scheduled to make in the last year of his contract.
Lynch's future had been a big topic of discussion as it was assumed the running back would get traded or released to make room for other deals. However, the running back's agent Doug Hendrickson told the media that Lynch was expected to retire a Seahawk. The contract offer is certainly a big turnaround considering it was assumed Lynch would be out in 2015, but there is no denying the importance of Beast Mode in Seattle.