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Vikes Sign Hutch To Offer Sheet

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http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

 

HUTCHINSON SIGNS "MONSTER" OFFER SHEET IN MINNY

 

A league source tells us that the Minnesota Vikings have signed Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson to a "monster" offer sheet.

 

The Seahawks placed the transition tag on Hutchinson, giving them the right to match any offers made by another team. They'll have seven days to decide. If they choose not to match, they receive no compensation.

 

Our guess is that the Vikings crafted an offer aimed at dissuading the Seahawks from matching, perhaps with a huge 2006 roster bonus due a day or two after the deal is signed.

 

If Hutchinson lands in Minnesota, he'll land between perennial Pro Bowler Matt Birk and budding Pro Bowler Bryant McKinnie.

 

ETA: Updated below

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Seattle has plenty of wiggle room under the cap. Depending on how crazy the offer is, I think there is an excellent chance they match.

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It's probably similar to the front loaded deal the Bears offered tait a couple years back where the Chiefs would have had to have taken a 14 Mill cap hit to keep him.

 

If it is a "monster", I doubt the seahawks can match with the recent huge deals they have made. (Jones, Hass, Alexander)

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I read different things, but Seattle is typically thought to be 16 to 17 million under the cap. They saved some decent bucks by cutting Andre Dyson and Jamie Sharper. But they can't match 14 mill as a cap hit right now, if that was the type of contract offered. I know they expected to pay 6 million or so for Hutchinson, but I don't know how high they would go.

 

I am curious about the offer. I guess we will hear details soon enough.

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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5405186

 

Vikings sign Hutchinson to massive offer sheet

Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com

Posted: 36 minutes ago

The Minnesota Vikings' shopping spree is kicking into a higher gear.

FOXSports.com has learned that the Vikings have signed Seahawks Pro Bowl offensive guard Steve Hutchinson to an offer sheet for a whopping $49 million over seven years. The deal also includes $16 million in guaranteed money, huge money for a guard, and a very high cap number in the first year. The reason for the cap number is to prevent the Seahawks from matching the offer.

Seattle tagged Hutchinson with the "transition" tag and thus have the right to match any offer. At the time they transitioned him instead of franchising him, the Seahawks probably believed they could match any offer. They still may decide to match the deal, which would give them the most expensive side to an offensive line in league history. Hutchinson teamed with Walter Jones to make up the best blocking side in football as well.

 

In recent days, many of Hutchinson's teammates have known there would be a strong possibility that he would be leaving for Minnesota via free agency. He flew to Minneapolis late Saturday and agreed to terms Sunday afternoon.

 

Seattle now must decide to match the offer or let him go.

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Nice play by the Vikings... Seabags are going to lose one of the BEST linemen in the league - IMO

 

I bet Chester Taylor is singing and dancing

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As a Packers fan, I'm not too pleased with the Vikings big splash and Green Bay's relative inactivity given nearly the same enormous cap space. :lol:

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As a Vikings fan I'm doing this :thumbsup: ! McKinnie, Hutch, and a healthy Birk will be a huge upgrade to that line. Now if they can just get Rosey to play well.

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As a Packers fan, I'm not too pleased with the Vikings big splash and Green Bay's relative inactivity given nearly the same enormous cap space. :clap:

 

Two thoughts.

 

1. the are attempting to force Seatle to overspend on Olinemen to get something else.

 

2. They do have the biggest pay roll, and their line performance last season did show too large of gaps in the line.

 

Oh yeah, and the billions wilf is willing to invest in a stadium project.

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Seahawks | Team has no comment on Hutchinson's offer sheet

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 16:17:08 -0800

 

The Associated Press reports the Seattle Seahawks refused to comment Sunday, March 12, about the offer sheet signed by transition free agent OG Steve Hutchinson with the Minnesota Vikings, preferring to let their seven-day window to match the offer play out. Seattle entered the weekend about $17 million below the league's $102 million salary cap for 2006. With such a large offer on the table, however, the Vikings have made it as difficult as can be for the Seahawks, who have already put a lot of money into their offense.

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Mr Anonymous:

 

Have patience, young padawan. Answers will come soon for the Packers. No doubt Hutch is a great lineman, but that is a lot of money for one guard. I would have liked him in GB, but at what price?

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HUTCHINSON OFFER HAS MAJOR POISON PILL

 

A league source tells us that the offer sheet signed by Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson with the Minnesota Vikings contains a poison pill of unprecedented magnitude and significance, which is aimed at preventing Seattle from exercising its right to match the deal, pursuant to the rules applicable to transition players.

 

Apart from a 2006 cap number that exceeds $13 million, the offer sheet contains a provision that makes the entire deal guaranteed if Hutchinson at any point becomes anything other than the highest paid player on the team.

 

From Seattle's perspective, that's a big problem, in light of the Walter Jones contract. If the Seahawks match, Hutchinson's deal could indeed become fully guaranteed from day one.

 

The Seahawks could attempt to match the offer and exclude the poison pill provision, taking the position that it is not a "Principal Term" of the deal. Under Article XX, Section 5 of the CBA, only the "Principal Terms" must be matched.

 

So what are "Principle Terms"? Under Article XIX, Section 3(e)(ii) of the CBA, "Principle Terms" include "[a]ny modifications of and additions to the terms contained in the NFL Player Contract . . . that relate to non-compensation terms (including guarantees, no-cut, and no-trade provisions)." Applying the language literally, the poison pill "relates to" a guarantee because it sets forth a specific circumstance in which the specified compensation will become guaranteed.

 

There's a chance that the Seahawks will attempt to fashion an argument that the trigger for the guarantee violates the spirit of the CBA by placing an artificial limit on the money that can be paid to other players. But, in reality, it doesn't -- it merely provides the player who ultimately is not the highest paid player a guaranteed contract.

 

Though the issue ultimately might land before an arbitrator or a special master, we think that the Vikings will prevail on this one.

 

We're also told that the Seahawks are livid at Hutchinson and agent Tom Condon with this development. It's one thing, as they see it, for a guy to get the best offer he can on the open market. It's another thing to huddle with the new team in an effort to come up with an offer that the Seahawks can't or won't be able to match.

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We're also told that the Seahawks are livid at Hutchinson and agent Tom Condon with this development. It's one thing, as they see it, for a guy to get the best offer he can on the open market. It's another thing to huddle with the new team in an effort to come up with an offer that the Seahawks can't or won't be able to match.

 

While I can understand why they're livid. This probably is the best deal he could have gotten. $49M, $15M guaranteed? That's darn good money.

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Think back to 2005 and how many TD's Alexander ran to the left side.

 

He just dropped to 3rd on my draft sheet.

 

and bump chestor taylor up a few spots with his new o-line :doublethumbsup:

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Seahawks | More about Hutchinson's offer

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:14:53 -0800

 

Mike Sando, of the Tacoma News Tribune, reports the offer sheet signed by Seattle Seahawks OG Steve Hutchinson with the Minnesota Vikings reportedly included a $10 million signing bonus, a $6 million roster bonus payable this year and a $585,000 base salary in 2006. That would translate to $8.585 million in salary cap charges this year, a high number but not a prohibitive one. Hutchinson is already counting $6.391 million against Seattle's cap after the Seahawks named him their transition player, which allows them to match offers he receives in free agency. Under those terms, the Seahawks could match the Vikings' offer and still have roughly $16 million in salary cap room, plenty to re-sign their own free agents and pursue others on the market. There were reports, however, that the Vikings' offer might carry a first-year cap charge of $13 million. That would be the figure if Hutchinson's 2006 base salary were $5.85 million instead of $585,000.

:doublethumbsup:

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from Peter King...

 

I think the Vikings' offer sheet for Steve Hutchinson is obviously incredible -- seven years, $49 million, making him by far the highest-paid guard in NFL history -- but I also think there's not a poison pill in there for Seattle. My guess is the Seahawks will match. The best contract for a guard previously: the $5.4 million average that Carolina gave Mike Wahle last year in free agency. This beats it by $1.6 million a year. And though I think Hutchinson would like to go, it makes sense for Seattle to match. I realize paying an interior lineman so much isn't normally prudent, but think of the great running game Seattle has. It's predicated on the left side of the line being great, with Walter Jones and Hutchinson leading the way for Shaun Alexander. Imagine, to keep that symphonic running game intact you've got to pay six percent of your salary cap to one of the three players. To me, it's a no-brainer. With $14 million in guaranteed money in the first 12 months of the deal and the ability to spread it over a long period for cap purposes, I think it's a manageable contract for Seattle.

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Suck it, Minnesota!!!!!! :thumbsup: (Yes I'm bitter that they signed Chester and rooned the value of my boys Mewelde and Ciatrick :huh: )

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HUTCHINSON OFFER HAS MAJOR POISON PILL

 

A league source tells us that the offer sheet signed by Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson with the Minnesota Vikings contains a poison pill of unprecedented magnitude and significance, which is aimed at preventing Seattle from exercising its right to match the deal, pursuant to the rules applicable to transition players.

 

Apart from a 2006 cap number that exceeds $13 million, the offer sheet contains a provision that makes the entire deal guaranteed if Hutchinson at any point becomes anything other than the highest paid player on the team...

 

Doesn't making it a fully guaranteed contract make it a $7m per year cap hit ($49m / seven years)? If so, then that seems manageable for the Hawks who were already on the hook for a little over 90% of that number in '06 with the transition tag.

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We reported on Sunday that the seven-year, $49 million deal carries a $13 million cap number for 2006. Such a maneuver isn't out of character for the Vikings, who have chewed up significant cap surpluses in the recent past by signing free agents to deals that carry big cap numbers in the first year.

 

In Hutchinson's case, the large cap number also is intended to deter the Seahawks from matching the deal.

 

There's at least one report, however, that the cap number is only $8.5 million. Factoring in Hutchinson's transition tender of $6.391 million, the additional cap charge in 2006 if the Seahawks match the deal would be barely $2.1 million.

 

So we spent some time today confirming that, indeed, the cap number is more than $13 million. And we're 100 percent sure of it.

 

Besides, it fits with the team's past practices, and it makes sense in light of the Vikings' desire to dissuade the Seahawks from exercising their right of first refusal on Hutchinson.

 

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

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Guest Mr.T

I agree Alexander gets bumped down if the Vikings steal him away.

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Seahawks | Contract update: Hutchinson provision

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:12:40 -0800

 

Adam Schefter, of the NFL Network, reports Seattle Seahawks transition free agent OG Steve Hutchinson has a provision in his contract which states he must be the highest paid offensive lineman on his team for the 2006 season or his entire $50 million contract becomes guaranteed, according to someone who has seen the offer sheet the Minnesota Vikings offered him. Seahawks OT Walter Jones averages $7.5 million a season and Hutchinson's contract will average $7 million a season. If the Seahawks decide to match the offer, they would have to figure out a way to squeeze his over $13 million salary figure into their cap and would guarantee the rest of his $50 million contract, which would make it the richest cash contract in NFL history by $15 million.

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Adam Schefter, of the NFL Network, reports Seattle Seahawks transition free agent OG Steve Hutchinson has a provision in his contract which states he must be the highest paid offensive lineman on his team for the 2006 season or his entire $50 million contract becomes guaranteed, according to someone who has seen the offer sheet the Minnesota Vikings offered him. Seahawks OT Walter Jones averages $7.5 million a season

 

That kind of crap should not be allowed in contracts as they pertain to the tags. :thumbsup: I mean, come on, it has no effect on how much he gets paid if he plays for the Vikings. Essentially, because of Jones, the Seahawks have to pay Hutch more than the Vikings do in order to "match" the offer.

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I dont care of they sign hutch, I am not touching a Minny RB unless its made clear that Chester is teh starter and no more shenanigans of the recent years

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someone did their homework, so kudos to the Vikings. That offer is nearly impossible to match, and it looks like the Vikings get their guy.

But, the Seahawks have 7 days to match, can they restructure Jones to stick it right back at the Vikes. That's good stuff.

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Hutchinson is a great player, but NO guard is worth that kind of money

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