NFL Kickoff Rule: Labor Bargaining Chip Hurts Returners, No Improved Safety

March 23, 2011   ·   Darin Pike   ·   Jump to comments

The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2011 free agency period with many needs.  Unfortunately for Seattle, the only free agents it's had an opportunity to negotiate with has been its own. 
The Seahawks did re-sign a few players, squeezing them in just under the wire before the labor issues began to be felt in earnest. The biggest move was giving return specialist and backup RB Leon Washington a new four-year deal.
Washington is slated to earn $12.5 million over the term of the contract and could reach $16 million if he hit undisclosed incentives. The all-important guaranteed money is $3.5 million. 
To be fair, when the deal was inked, the last thing either side was concerned with was the guaranteed part of the contract. Washington is second only to Devin Hester as a kick returner and offers some value as a change of pace RB. 
But today NFL owners approved a rule change that calls the value of Washington’s contract into question. The NFL will mov...

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