Getty Pete Carroll loves the Nike Monarchs.
The Seattle Seahawks are already making difficult decisions as the team is releasing defensive end Carlos Dunlap, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Dunlap was set to have a $14 million cap hit, and it remains to be seen whether the Seahawks will be able to re-sign the pass rusher for less money. Dunlap took to Twitter minutes after news broke of his impending release.
“Still Grateful,” Dunlap noted on Twitter. “Thank You Seahawks and to the 12 ‘s! House in Cincy is officially listed now lol, and about to lower the price.”
The move is clearly about the Seahawks’ efforts to save money, but it is also about a promise the team made to Dunlap. According to The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell, the Seahawks told Dunlap they would allow him to shop around in free agency if they could not find a new deal to his liking.
“Dunlap, 32, was to be entering the final, non-guaranteed year of the contract the Seahawks inherited from the Bengals,” Bell detailed. “Seattle general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll agreed to let Dunlap shop in free agency this month if they and Dunlap could not agree on a re-worked contract at a better (for the Seahawks) cap charge than the $14 million.”
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The Seahawks Will Attempt to Re-Sign Dunlap at a Reduced Rate
Dunlap notched five sacks and 14 tackles in eight games with the Seahawks after Seattle pulled off a mid-season trade with Cincinnati. He quickly emerged as the Seahawks’ top pass rusher on a defensive line that struggled to get to the quarterback. ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported the Seahawks will still attempt to re-sign Dunlap at a reduced rate.
“The move clears $14.1 million in badly needed cap space but leaves the Seahawks without their most accomplished edge rusher and two-time Pro Bowl selection,” Henderson explained. “The team is expected to attempt to re-sign Dunlap at a discounted rate once he tests his market. Dunlap, who turned 32 in February, was scheduled to count $14.1 million against the cap in the final year of his contract, which had no remaining guaranteed money. That cap charge included a $3 million bonus he would have earned had he remained on Seattle’s roster by March 21.”
The Seahawks Save $14 Million in Cap Space With Dunlap’s Release
The one thing that works in the Seahawks’ favor is that other teams are also having to release key players as a result of a shrinking salary cap. This means not only do teams have less money to spend in free agency but there will be more available players for Dunlap to compete against on the open market.
“The bottom line is this – the Seahawks were not going to keep Carlos Dunlap on a $14.1 million cap hit for 2021,” Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith noted on Twitter. “That’s been known since the trade was made. But since extension talks never got off the ground, they needed to make move before $3 million roster bonus kicked in.”
At the end of the season, Dunlap emphasized he would like to return to Seattle, but it remains to be seen what his asking price will be for a new deal. Dunlap revised his contract as part of the trade to the Seahawks.
“I’d love to stay in Seattle as long as they’ll have me,” Dunlap noted in January, per ESPN. “It was very clear what I was coming here to do and what my timespan would be, so now it’s a conversation and I’m open and welcoming for it. You guys already know how grateful I am to be here. They’ve taken great care. I think it’s a great organization for vets, although I feel young and fresh like a young player as well. I feel like I’ve got a lot of ball left and I would like to finish it up with an organization like this.”
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