The Seahawks have reportedly made an offer to one of their main potential free agents. Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN reports:
Also, according to Brock Huard, the #Seahawks have made a "very strong" offer to Red Bryant, which he has yet to accept.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) February 21, 2012
Huard is fairly well connected in this city, especially in the NFL, so I don't doubt his information. Brock also wrote on the subject over at the 710ESPN blog and noted on Bryant:
Bryant has a very intriguing story to spin, one with 22 games of evidence and footage showcasing his run-stuffing capabilities while anchoring a top 10 rush defense. Conversely, the big man from Galveston, Texas has two more sacks than I do in his NFL career. I can't help but remember an old defensive line coach in Indy, John Teerlinck, who had a very large sign displayed prominently in his meeting room that read "$acks= $$."
Bryant will be 28 in 2012 and recovered from a torn ACL in 2010, yet fits perfectly into the five technique role in Carroll's defensive scheme. Beyond the Xs and Os, Bryant in many ways became the intimidating and over-powering face of an immovable front seven in 2011. A deal like Brandon Mebane signed a season ago (five years/$25 million with $9 million guaranteed) makes sense. Like Mebane, this will more than likely be Bryant's biggest shot at a major payday and his body of work calls for a multi-million-dollar guarantee.
Though the Hawks would hate to lose him, I don't see them drastically over-paying. In fact, like Mebane last offseason, if the Hawks can't finalize a deal before March 13 other suitors will come calling. And when they do, Bryant will have to make a decision between the marriage of fit and scheme he has in Seattle or the opportunity for a little bigger payday and uncertainty elsewhere.
I think Huard makes some great points in his piece - particularly on the 'marriage of scheme and fit'. Bryant has no assurances that he'd be as effective in another role or scheme - he was virtually invisible prior to moving to the outside when Pete Carroll came in. Now, Bryant's lack of pass rush at the defensive end position makes him less likely to get top-dollar - the Seahawks likely know this, but they also know that he may possibly get bigger offers from other teams that are looking for a 3-4 end or a similar 5-technique DE for their 4-3 defense.
I'm with most Seahawks fans in that I would love to see Bryant back, but at the right price.
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