The Seattle Seahawks season came to an end this past Sunday after losing to the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Seattle battled back after going down 31 points in the first half but fell short in their attempted comeback. While Seattle will not be one of the two teams in the Super Bowl for the first time in three seasons, they are moving forward and getting ready for the 2016 season.
The Seahawks have been one of the best in the league in keeping talented players on their roster, but this offseason, it's likely that at least a few will be on their way out the door in Seattle. One of those players likely to leave is wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, who has stated that he is not willing to take a discount to stay in Seattle, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"I love my hometown, but I've put in too much hard work to give a discount," Kearse texted, via Adam Schefter's Facebook. "My number one priority is to take care of my family's future, so I will consider all opportunities." Kearse was second on the team in receiving yards with 49 catches for 685 yards and scored five touchdowns. The Seahawks wide out has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in Seattle after signing as an undrafted free agent.
Seattle used their third round pick on wide receiver Tyler Lockett in the 2015 NFL Draft, and the young receiver stepped up big in his first year in the league. The rookie receiver was second on the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and he will look to become a big playmaker in Seattle in the coming seasons. With Lockett developing into a top wide receiver in Seattle, the Seahawks will likely let Kearse walk as they won't be able to afford to keep everyone.
While Kearse is likely on his way out the door, Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin is willing to give Seattle a hometown discount, according to Schefter. "Pete (Carroll) and John (Schneider) asked me that when I met with them today. If it came to that, I would definitely come back. $3, $4, $5 million? I would definitely come back because I'm established here," said Irvin, via ESPN. "These are my brothers. I honestly can't even imagine myself playing with anybody else, being in a different meeting room, listening to different pregame speeches. It's just crazy to me. I would definitely come back if they matched or if it was a little less. I would definitely come back to Seattle."
Irvin was a first round draft pick by the Seahawks back in 2012, and he has recorded 22 sacks and been huge defensive playmaker since arriving in Seattle. The Seahawks linebacker recorded 5.5 sacks this season and had 38 combined tackles. It's unclear if Irvin will be back in Seattle, but it sounds like the talented linebacker is willing to take less to stay in Seattle. How much less remains the question, and that will also depend on the market around the league for him, as multiple teams will likely be interested in the Seahawks linebacker.
Irvin and Kearse are both unrestricted free agents this offseason, and on top of that, Seattle will need to figure out their future with running back Marshawn Lynch, as he is still under contract for the next two seasons. Some think Lynch could be released, as that would clear $6.5 million is salary-cap money, and what Seattle's front office will decide is unkown at this time.
The Seahawks have a ton of major player personnel decisions to make this offseason, and Seattle is very unlikely to have all three of these players return in 2016.
