Two seasons after holding out for a new contract, Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor finally saw his dream made manifest when the team signed him to a three year, $36 million contract extension.
Chancellor was entering the final year of the five year deal he signed back in 2013. If you’re doing some quick math, that means that Chancellor was holding out for a new deal just two years after signing his old one. The Seahawks didn’t budge, even when Chancellor held out all through the preseason and two games into the regular season, setting a precedent that will pay off for them in future player negotiations.
Megatron caught it.
Megatron's going IN!Except… @Kam_Chancellor had other plans. 🤜🏈 https://t.co/hJhpmpcPAk
— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2017
A guy getting an extension in the final year of his contract is pretty common if the team plans on keeping him around. Chancellor, if he hit the streets as a free agent, would command top dollar so there were plenty of reasons to get this deal done early for the Seahawks. There were also plenty of reasons they didn’t negotiate with Chancellor back in 2015. Namely three years of reasons.
“I love this team,” Chancellor said. “They gave me the first opportunity, the only opportunity, and I would love to retire here.”
Chancellor is just the latest piece of the Seahawks’ defensive puzzle the team has under a long term contract. Defensive end Michael Bennett, cornerback Richard Sherman and fellow safety Earl Thomas are all inked for the next few seasons.
Chancellor got the deal done in spite of a few injury issues over the last two seasons. Though he missed the first two games of 2015 with his hold out, he missed three more when he was banged up. Chancellor missed four games last season, but still amassed 81 tackles, one forced fumble, eight passes defended and two interceptions.
Ryan Clady turns in his apron and his flair
Pro Bowl left tackle Ryan Clady announced he was officially retiring after a nine-year career. Clady finished up last season on injured reserve with a shoulder problem after signing with the New York Jets in the off-season.
I'm excited about what life holds for me going forward. pic.twitter.com/7D1cglA8eG
— Ryan Clady (@RyanClady) August 1, 2017
Clady was currently a free agent and even took visits with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks before finally deciding to call it a career. Clady was an elite tackle in his time with the Denver Broncos, helping the team reach a Super Bowls. Clady didn’t suit up for the Super Bowl win in 2015 as he was on injured reserve with an ACL tear. He was a day one starter at left tackle and gave up just half a sack his rookie season.
“A great player for the Broncos for many years, as dominant as there was an LT in pass pro,” Clady’s former boss John Elway, the Broncos general manager, said on Twitter. “Congrats on an outstanding career, Ryan!”
It’s safe to say the injuries were finally too much for Clady, which is a shame. If he could have gotten fully healthy, he might have had three or four more good years in him.
Bad news for Los Angeles teams
Both the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers took a huge injury hit over the last day and a half. First, for the Rams it’s as bad as they feared as defensive tackle Dominique Easley will be lost for the entire 2017 after tearing his ACL in Tuesday’s practice.
Easley, who resurrected his career with the Rams, was going to benefit from being in Wade Phillips’ system, especially with Aaron Donald next to him and a healthy Robert Quin and Connor Barwin on the outside. Now, he has a season long rehab job ahead of him.
Last season Easley recorded 35 tackles, two forced fumbles, one pass defense and 3.5 sacks in his first year with Los Angeles after getting cut from the New England Patriots. The Pats drafted Easley in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Florida.
Not good. #Rams DL Dominique Easley has torn another ACL, according to his MRI results. His season is over before it began. Tough blow.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 2, 2017
For the Chargers, the offensive line they spent so much draft capital building took a huge hit when rookie offensive guard Forrest Lamp was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee after going down with an injury. He too will miss all season and if rookie first round pick Mike Williams gets more bad news on his back, the Chargers could be without both their first and second round picks this year.
The Chargers took Lamp high in the second round at pick No. 38 out of Western Kentucky.
Fuller goes down in Houston
Will Fuller emerged as the Houston Texans No. 2 wide receiver last season. After breaking his collar bone during Wednesday’s practice, he won’t get a chance to repeat his performance for at least a while.
There’s no official timetable for Fuller’s return, he’ll likely be out for at least six weeks. That puts his earliest possible return at Week Three of the regular season. For an offense that sputtered plenty last season and will likely start Tom Savage at quarterback for at least a month, it was a blow.
Texans' WR Will Fuller broke his collarbone today during practice, sources tell @sarahbarshop and me. Out indefinitely.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2017
Last season Fuller caught 47 passes for 635 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans drafted Fuller in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame.
With Fuller shelved, the opportunity for Jaelen Strong and Braxton Miller emerges as the No. 2 wide receiver for the team, at least in the preseason. Strong was a third round pick out of Arizona State in 2015. Last year he started two games, played in eight and caught 14 passes for 131 yards before going down with an injury.
Miller, of course, played quarterback for years at Ohio State before converting to wide receiver his senior year. He too was picked in the third round, this time in the 2016 draft. Last year he caught 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Other NFL News
The New York Jets have listed running back Matt Forte as day to day with a hamstring injury. Last year, his first with the Jets, Forte rushed 218 times for 813 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He caught 30 passes for 263 yards and a score.
Tyron Smith, the All-Universe left tackle of the Dallas Cowboys, has missed practice the last two days with soreness in his back.
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