The Five Worst Seattle Seahawks Contracts in 2016

RB-

(2016 Cap hit = $11,500,000 in 1

st

of a 2-year extension)

Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne (24) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, this is not based on an indictment of the player. Well, mostly it isn’t, anyway. Everyone knows 24 is the heartbeat of the offense. His teammates say as much, publicly. Now that’s all well and good, but frankly, Marshawn’s tread has worn down to the point where you can see all of Abe’s head on the coin. That uber-physical style of ball carrying only lasts so long in this league, and you know it. He is still every bit as tough and every bit a clubhouse pillar as ever, but the returns on the field no longer match the contract and that gap will only widen with each subsequent head-on collision.

This is not to say I am advocating his release. Lynch is – especially for THIS team and THIS coaching staff – a walking symbol of Seahawk football. I would compare it to what Ray Lewis was to Baltimore, even toward the end of his career when he just wasn’t Ray Lewis anymore. Marshawn, despite the team unfriendly contract at this point, has earned the right to decide his fate in 2016. He may give the team an out and retire. He may not. If he decides to continue his career and wants to play in Seattle, I believe he’s one of the very select few that should not be subject to a pay cut or release. However, if Lynch decides to play here in 2016, then his contract becomes undoubtedly one of the poorer values on the team from strictly a value viewpoint.