Professor

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=st&type=lgns

Seahawks cut LB Sharper, CB Dyson

March 2, 2006
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON (TICKER) -- Needing to make more room under the salary cap to re-sign a host of players eligible to become free agents, the Seattle Seahawks released three players on Thursday.

Linebacker Jamie Sharper and cornerbacks Andre Dyson and Michael Harden were waived by Seattle, clearing more than $4.5 million from the payroll in 2006.

The Seahawks are nearly $14 million under the salary cap, but want to re-sign NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, fullback Mack Strong, wide receiver Joe Jurevicius and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, who are all eligible to become unrestricted free agents on Monday. Seattle also has tendered a one-year offer worth $6.39 million to Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson.


Alexander won the rushing title with 1,880 yards and set an NFL single-season record with 27 touchdowns in 2005 for the NFC champions.

The move to cut Sharper saves $3.3 million in cap money for 2006. But he will still count for $1.2 million.

Sharper, 31, started eight games for Seattle last season before being placed on injured reserve due to an infection in his right knee. He had 37 tackles and a forced fumble.

Sharper spent his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and three years with the Houston Texans before signing with Seattle last season. He was third on the Ravens in tackles with 102 when they won the Super Bowl in 2000.

Dyson, 26, also signed with Seattle last season and started five of 10 games. He returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown and also scored on a 25-yard fumble return in a 42-0 win at Philadelphia on December 5. However, Dyson sprained his left ankle on the second touchdown and was inactive for the final four weeks of the regular season.

Dyson started 60 straight games in his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He had a career-high six interceptions in 2004.

Harden was signed as a free agent for the final four games of the season when Dyson was inactive and totaled five tackles. He was inactive for the postseason.





Updated on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 8:55 pm ES

Professor

Shaun Alexander: Seahawks Free Up Cap Space

RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Update: Thursday's release of Jamie Sharper, Andre Dyson and Michael Harden, thus saving the Seahawks over $6.7 million against the salary cap, may have freed up space to help with re-signing Alexander, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, the Associated Press reports.

Recommendation: The Seahawks are about $13 million under the mandated $94.5 million salary cap for 2006, but that number could change with the start of free agency delayed until Monday. "Our talks with the club will continue -- now, for the next three days instead of the next few hours," Alexander's agent, Jim Steiner, said Thursday evening. We'll continue to monitor the negotiations between Seattle and the reigning NFL MVP.

MickeyG

huge losses for the Seahawks, if they lose anymore on defense they won't make the playoffs with or without Alaxander.

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Professor

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns


Seahawks cuts may help them sign Alexander

By GREGG BELL, AP Sports Writer
March 2, 2006

KIRKLAND, Wash (AP) -- The Seattle Seahawks cut cornerback Andre Dyson and linebacker Jamie Sharper on Thursday and got more time to work on a new contract for NFL MVP Shaun Alexander.

The cuts saved the Seahawks over $6.7 million against the league's $94.5 million salary cap for 2006 and left them about $13 million below the cap for now. The room could be key to the team's hopes for re-signing Alexander and other key veterans like wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong or sack leader Rocky Bernard. All are potential free agents.

The Seahawks also got some extra time to re-sign Alexander when the league extended its deadline for free agency by three days. Seattle now has until Monday to get a deal done with the league rushing champion.

"Our talks with the club will continue -- now, for the next three days instead of the next few hours," Alexander's agent, Jim Steiner, said Thursday evening in a telephone interview from St. Louis.

Four weeks ago, Steiner said the two sides were "far away" in talks on an extension -- which Seahawks owner Paul Allen, coach Mike Holmgren and Alexander himself have all said they expect to complete. Steiner said Thursday that the sides have made progress in the last month and are still talking.

Dyson, signed as a free agent from Tennessee before last season, would have counted $4.26 million against the team's 2006 salary cap. His release means the NFC champions have, for now, settled on veteran Kelly Herndon as their starting left cornerback opposite Marcus Trufant.

Dyson, a five-year veteran from Utah, started seven games for Seattle last season -- including the Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh. He missed six games with a strained right hamstring and then a sprained left ankle.

Sharper, 31, started the first eight games of last season at outside linebacker before getting a staph infection in his right knee. He eventually went on the season-ending injured-reserve list. Rookie linebacker Leroy Hill excelled in his place, making Sharper and the $17.5 million, five-year contract he signed last April expendable.

With the $1.5 million signing bonus Sharper received in that deal, he would have counted just over $2.5 million against the Seahawks' cap this season.

The Seahawks also released cornerback Michael Harden, a former practice-squad player who was active for the final four games of the 2005 regular season.



Updated on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 9:52 pm EST

Professor

it woud be smart to keep alexander

PoppaPoe33

Keeping Alexander is a big must, but those are some holes in the defense that they'll have to rely on players that won't be Sharper or Dyson's caliber if they're so tight on money after they do resign Alexander. Seahawks are going to end up like the Colts, having a good O and only a decent D. That won't cut it in the NFC as you NFC guys know well.

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stormdriver

It very much surprises me that they'd let Dyson go at all. The only reason they made it past the first round in the playoffs this year is because of the defense.. If they lose that, they'll be back to their old ways next year..

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SuperNova

I agree - it's what I've been saying all along. SA is killing the Hawks. First it's saccrificing defense, tomorrow it will be something else and all of this because of one good player. Just stop - it's a team game. Even if we had the greatest RB to ever live we still couldn't win on him alone. Russell is taking the team away from a great team game.

stormdriver

Alexander is worth keeping for sure, but it seems like there had to be another way besides gutting the defense. Like Poe (who has a lot of guts to post in the Seahawk forum at all.. respect! ) said, that won't cut it in the NFC. Seattle will now go back to winning their sorry division every year and then blowing it hard in the first round of playoffs. What a shame.

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Professor

and they will probably lose bernard in FA, that defense is getting to look pretty sorry. Who knows maybe they resign dyson, especially if the CBA is reached.