Hutchinson [SEA] transitioned... (1 Viewer)

[Jason Wood]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

 

[fridayfrenzy]

What are the reasons as to why Hutch would be transitioned as opposed to franchised?

Is the extra 400K worth another team having the ability to get him with a big contract offer?

Hutch being transtioned indicates to me that they must be close to an agreement and Hutch talking to other teams will allow him to get a better idea of his worth.

 

[Deranged Hermit]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

Doesn't the transition tag mean that Hutchinson can technically test the FA waters still? The only difference is that the team signing would have to give up picks to the Seahawks to get him.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

Doesn't the transition tag mean that Hutchinson can technically test the FA waters still? The only difference is that the team signing would have to give up picks to the Seahawks to get him.

Seattle can match the offer from another team as well. He would only go to another team if Seattle refused to offer Hutch what another team has.

 

[cstu]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

Doesn't the transition tag mean that Hutchinson can technically test the FA waters still? The only difference is that the team signing would have to give up picks to the Seahawks to get him.

Seattle can match the offer from another team as well. He would only go to another team if Seattle refused to offer Hutch what another team has.

Seems crazy to me. Someone is going to offer him huge money.

 

[DoctorDetroit]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

Doesn't the transition tag mean that Hutchinson can technically test the FA waters still? The only difference is that the team signing would have to give up picks to the Seahawks to get him.

Seattle can match the offer from another team as well. He would only go to another team if Seattle refused to offer Hutch what another team has.

Seems crazy to me. Someone is going to offer him huge money.

Well I think that history, the current cap, where teams are as far as cap numbers, and who would be able to sign him to a longterm deal was considered to the point of bleeding. ESPN wrote this:

The Seattle Seahawks saved a little less than $600,000 of cap room by making Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson a transition player instead of a franchise player, but they may have an extra month or so of uncertainty.

In a little bit of a surprise, the Seahawks didn't franchise Hutchinson. Part of the reason was the three holdouts they endured with Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones. The Seahawks franchised him three times but he held out until the start of the regular season.

Franchise players have guaranteed contracts but there are normally limited negotiations. Teams have until March 17 to get a long-term deal without the team losing the franchise tag, but normally, few deals get done. By transitioning him, he's allowed to negotiate with any other team; the Seahawks have the right to match any offer; and the one-year tender isn't guaranteed.

The transition tender is $6.391 million as opposed to the franchise number of $6.983 million.

Hutchinson's agent, Tom Condon, can try to come back with an offer that might be hard for the Seahawks to match. Hutchinson was thought to be one of the best free agents hitting the market.

The Seahawks will continue negotiating with him, but Hutchinson expects to make more than $6 million a year. The only guard to have earned such a lucrative pact was Dallas' Larry Allen.

The last part is most important. I don't think any team is going to pen him to a five year 30 million dollar deal with a lot of guaranteed money. The Hawks then get him back for a year if they don't pen him, they re-sign Alexander, and are still able to have room to get more defense and a #2 WR. I think this is a smart move because I don't see the Seahawks losing him to a high spender. If someone wants to overspend they get compensated and Seattle still retains cap flexibility. It's a risk, but to me it is likely an intellegent one given the variables.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

I think this tag also buys time for the Hawks and Hutch until the CBA is figured out. Kinda hard to sign a player right now with the CBA up in the air.

 

[cstu]

OG Steve Hutchinson was transition tagged today and will be paid $6.39 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/202...Hutchinson.html

OT Jeff Backus was franchised today and will be paid $6.98 million this season [if he's not signed to a long-term extension].

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/13944054.htm

Doesn't the transition tag mean that Hutchinson can technically test the FA waters still? The only difference is that the team signing would have to give up picks to the Seahawks to get him.

Seattle can match the offer from another team as well. He would only go to another team if Seattle refused to offer Hutch what another team has.

Seems crazy to me. Someone is going to offer him huge money.

Well I think that history, the current cap, where teams are as far as cap numbers, and who would be able to sign him to a longterm deal was considered to the point of bleeding. ESPN wrote this:

The Seattle Seahawks saved a little less than $600,000 of cap room by making Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson a transition player instead of a franchise player, but they may have an extra month or so of uncertainty.

In a little bit of a surprise, the Seahawks didn't franchise Hutchinson. Part of the reason was the three holdouts they endured with Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones. The Seahawks franchised him three times but he held out until the start of the regular season.

Franchise players have guaranteed contracts but there are normally limited negotiations. Teams have until March 17 to get a long-term deal without the team losing the franchise tag, but normally, few deals get done. By transitioning him, he's allowed to negotiate with any other team; the Seahawks have the right to match any offer; and the one-year tender isn't guaranteed.

The transition tender is $6.391 million as opposed to the franchise number of $6.983 million.

Hutchinson's agent, Tom Condon, can try to come back with an offer that might be hard for the Seahawks to match. Hutchinson was thought to be one of the best free agents hitting the market.

The Seahawks will continue negotiating with him, but Hutchinson expects to make more than $6 million a year. The only guard to have earned such a lucrative pact was Dallas' Larry Allen.

The last part is most important. I don't think any team is going to pen him to a five year 30 million dollar deal with a lot of guaranteed money. The Hawks then get him back for a year if they don't pen him, they re-sign Alexander, and are still able to have room to get more defense and a #2 WR. I think this is a smart move because I don't see the Seahawks losing him to a high spender. If someone wants to overspend they get compensated and Seattle still retains cap flexibility. It's a risk, but to me it is likely an intellegent one given the variables.

A 5 year/$30M deal with $12M guaranteed is certainly possible. Even with the bonus spread over just 4 years, that's only $3M a year plus whatever arrangement can be made on the salary ($1M, $2M, $4M, $5M, $6M) for the rest. That would give a team only a $4M cap number for 2006 and $5M for 2007..