Allen's Money

Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen has the money to put an impressive team on the football field. There's just that little problem of the NFL's salary cap. No matter how much money the owner has, or is willing to spend, teams can only spend $143.28 million on their football players. If a team is fortunate enough to have a franchise quarterback, he usually takes up a significant portion of that salary cap. For three years the Seahawks have been taking advantage of having their franchise quarterback playing under his little rookie contract. Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in his second season. He led them back to Super Bowl in his third season. He still had a season to go on that little rookie contract but was looking for a bigger contract. A much bigger contract. Wilson's little contract allowed his team to sign several cornerstone players to lucrative contract extensions. Eventually the Seahawks would have to pay their quarterback as well. The Seahawks knew it. Wilson knew it. Everyone knew it. And it happened last week. The Seahawks signed Russell Wilson to 4-year, $87.5 million extension. His average yearly salary is now just behind that of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Now, the Seahawks are on the same playing field of the rest of the elite teams in the league. The big dollars of the new contract also prompted Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to tweet:

Can't keep everyone

Wagner's rookie contract was coming to an end as well. As the quarterback of a terrific defense, the Seahawks had to keep him. They did. About 36 hours after Wilson's big deal Wagner signed a 4-year, $43 million. Maybe they can keep everyone. The Seahawks now have $100.38 million tied up in only ten players. Here are those players and their average salary per year:

Russell Wilson, QB    $17.82m
Richard Sherman, CB  14.0
Marshawn Lynch, RB   10.8
Bobby Wagner, LB       10.75
Earl Thomas, FS          10.0
Jimmy Graham, TE        9.0
Cliff Avril, DE                  7.13
Michael Bennett, DE      7.13
Kam Chancellor, SS      7.0
K.J. Wright, LB               6.75

Wilson and Wagner are signed through 2019. Sherman, Thomas, Avril, and Wright are signed through 2018. Lynch, Graham, and Chancellor are signed through 2017. It's unusual to see the majority of a team's highest-paid players on the defensive side of the ball but that's been the focus of this team. And obviously their strength. Despite being among the team's highest-paid players Michael Bennett and Kam Chancellor aren't happy with their current contracts. Chancellor is even staying away from training camp until his contract situation is addressed. Even the well-paid find reasons to grumble. It just seems a bit misguided if Chancellor is grumbling because a couple of his teammates are finally getting a salary more in line with their contributions. Chancellor and Bennett have to see that there's only a so much money to go around and that only a few players are getting most of that money. Chancellor and Bennett are a part of the few. It also looks like those few players are going to get most of Paul Allen's money for at least the next three seasons.

Can't keep everyone

Offensive tackle Russell Okung is on the last year of his rookie contract. He's the best lineman on the team and he'll be looking for a sizable piece of what's left of the Seahawks pie. Paul Allen can afford it but the NFL's salary cap might not let him pay it.