KIRKLAND – He has already put up numbers that rival those of Curt Warner and Chris Warren, but soon Shaun Alexander could be compared to another player drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.
The question is: Will it be Shawn Springs or Darrell Jackson?
Alexander is going into the final year of his contract, putting him in a similar position to those involving Springs and Jackson last year.
Neither one of them got a contract extension, which is something that has also eluded Alexander thus far.
So, will he fly the coop in 2005, like Springs did after the 2003 season? Or will the pull of Seattle be enough to bring Alexander back, as it was for Jackson?
The Pro Bowl running back is under contract for the 2004 season, but his future after that is up in the air.
“That’s already taken care of,” Alexander said Monday. “Whatever happens happens. I’ll be satisfied with whatever happens.”
Asked to clarify, Alexander added: “I really believe that God has me where I’m supposed to be, and he’ll take me where I’m supposed to go. And I’ll leave it at that.”
Alexander signed a five-year, $6 million contract with the Seahawks as a rookie, which is one heck of a bargain for any running back who has put up the numbers he has.
He boasts back-to-back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has scored 50 touchdowns over the past three years. Kansas City’s Priest Holmes (61) is the only other running back to score that many times during the same span.
Indeed, a lot has changed for Alexander since signing his original contract. He has a new agent, St. Louis-based Jim Steiner, as well as an asking price that will undoubtedly be well above that of his original contract.
Running backs are commanding huge dollars these days. The Washington Redskins’ Clinton Portis recently signed an eight-year deal worth $50.5 million, including $17 million in bonuses. Edgerrin James of the Indianapolis Colts is playing under a seven-year, $49 million deal, while the St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk’s contract has been reported at $45 million over seven years.
Those aren’t the kinds of numbers the Seahawks take lightly. The biggest contract they’ve ever handed out was a five-year, $35 million extension to Michael Sinclair in 2000 (Sinclair played just two years under that deal.). The most expensive signing bonus was $14 million, which recently went to free-agent defensive end Grant Wistrom.
Even some of the more reasonable running back contracts are pretty weighty. New England’s Corey Dillon is under a five-year deal that is scheduled to pay him $30 million. Kansas City’s Holmes recently signed a four-year extension worth almost $28 million.
There is still a chance both sides could agree on an extension between now and the end of the 2004 season, but the Seahawks aren’t likely to discuss an extension before training camp opens in August. If no extension is signed, Alexander would become a free agent next March.
He said Monday that he isn’t thinking that far ahead.
“I don’t look at too many things personally,” said Alexander, who is scheduled to make $413,000 in base salary during the upcoming season. “I’m really excited because our team is a lot better, and we’ve got a good shot to go a long way this year. Really, that’s all I’m looking at.”
Unlike tight end Itula Mili, who skipped the current voluntary minicamp because he hasn’t received an extension, Alexander is showing good faith by playing out his current deal. He maintains that he has a good relationship with coach Mike Holmgren, and adds that he loves the city of Seattle.
“My wife’s family is out here, so that makes everything cool,” said Alexander, a native of suburban Cincinnati and alumnus of the University of Alabama. “We still have 800 people over for Thanksgiving and Christmas, like it was back home, so things are cool here.”
There were rumors of Alexander being traded before the draft, but none of them had any substance. The Seahawks want him back for 2004, even if the future is still unknown.
It is still unclear whether Seattle has Alexander’s potential successor lined up. Maurice Morris was a second-round pick in the 2002 NFL draft but has yet to show whether he can be an every-down back. Third-string back Kerry Carter, a second-year player from Stanford, showed promise last preseason but has yet to carry the ball in a regular-season game.
There are no guarantees that Alexander will take off. He might follow the lead of Jackson, who re-signed with the Seahawks in part because of his comfort level with the organization and his love of the area.
Springs followed in the footsteps of former Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez, playing out the final year of his contract and then going where the money beckoned. The Washington Redskins signed Springs to a six-year, $30 million contract on the first day of free agency.
So will Seahawks fans one day be throwing Monopoly money at Alexander?
Perhaps.
For at least one more season, they’ll be showering him with adoration. And then maybe the Seahawks will throw real money at one of the most productive running backs in team history.
Notes: While the team’s rookie class has left town, the veterans are involved in a passing camp that goes through Wednesday. … Linebacker Chad Brown was excused from Monday’s practice for undisclosed reasons. … Defensive tackle Rashad Moore, who is recovering from minor shoulder surgery, took part in his first practice of the current minicamp Monday. … The Seahawks signed running backs Tellis Redmon (University of Minnesota) and Clerence Farmer (Arizona) and released rookie defensive tackle Nate Dwyer. Redmon was with the team at training camp last year.
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