The Kam Chancellor holdout in Seattle has left the Seahawks pretty thin on the backend of their defense, especially considering All Pro free safety Earl Thomas is still working his way back into the lineup from offseason surgery. Chancellor is a tone setter who plays a very specific role and provides a very unique impact from the strong safety position for the Hawks. His presence won't be easily replaced, and the best thing for both sides is to figure out some kind of compromise to see him return to the fold as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that won't be easy to do, and while the ramifications of Chancellor's absence have, thus far, manifested themselves solely on the defensive side of the ball, it seems his holdout may wind up having an effect on the offense and specifically the team's ability to sign free agent running back Fred Jackson as well, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Per Cole, the Seahawks would "very much like" to sign Jackson, the running back cut in a surprise move by the Buffalo Bills on Monday and said to have paid a visit to the Seahawks this week. The 34-year-old Jackson is no longer the player he once was, but he's a versatile back with good pass-catching ability and experience sharing the load. He also has a longstanding relationship with current Hawks ballcarrier Marshawn Lynch. With Christine Michael failing to live up to the hype of yet another training camp and Robert Turbin dealing with a severe high ankle sprain, Jackson's addition to the Seattle backfield would make ample sense.
Unfortunately, it seems that Seahawks GM John Schneider remains in something of a "holding pattern" until the Chancellor situation is dealt with. Per Cole, the likeliest outcome is Schneider handing Chancellor another guaranteed year, but even that seems mostly to be speculative. They could do something like what the Pittsburgh Steelers did for Antonio Brown - moving money from a later season into 2015.
After the team already handed long-term extensions to quarterback Russell Wilson, linebacker Bobby Wagner and beefed up Lynch's contract, they're now facing a salary cap crunch that has been highlighted by their inability to deal with the Chancellor holdout swiftly. Of course, at the time of signing, Chancellor's current deal was record-setting for a strong safety and despite his ample and integral production, he plays a position that is not normally as well-paid as he currently is. Still, he seems determined to see his deal addressed and there's no denying that the Seattle defense won't be as fearsome without him in the lineup.
Where Jackson is concerned, it seems the team may wait until after Week One to make the signing official, assuming, of course, that Jackson is willing to sit tight until then.
