SEATTLE — Horseshoed once again by television cameras, Kam Chancellor smiled, light bouncing off his earring.
The Super Bowl and subsequent hoopla has never really ended for him.
“I don’t feel like I’ve taken a breath,” Chancellor said.
The Seattle Seahawks strong safety joined teammates Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and Phil Bates — plus general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll — at the movie premiere of “Super Bowl XLVIII Champions Seattle Seahawks” at Cinerama in downtown Seattle on Monday night.
Five days ago, the Seahawks made their first cuts of the offseason. Out were large cap hits in defensive end Red Bryant and wide receiver Sidney Rice.
Bryant was a defensive captain the past two seasons. His release caused a stir among teammates on social media, with several expressing their disappointment while trying to rationalize the move by saying they understand “it’s a business.”
Monday, Carroll addressed the release of each and decisions to come.
“We’ve had some difficult choices to make,” Carroll said. “Every season teams are faced with these kinds of decisions. There are other tough decisions that will come up I’m sure, but the magnitude of these were really impacting for our football team and guys we’re going to miss.
He added an interesting — and voluntary — final thought on the cuts.
“Maybe we have a chance to get them back, maybe we don’t,” Carroll said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Any possibility of that would require both Bryant and Rice to dramatically restructure their contracts — something that is Bigfoot-rare in today’s NFL — so the Seahawks had enough money under this year’s salary cap to attempt to pay defensive lineman Michael Bennett and possibly wide receiver Golden Tate, who will both be unrestricted free agents.
March 8, teams are officially allowed to begin talking to agents for players who will become unrestricted free agents. At 1 p.m. PST on March 11, all 2013 player contracts expire and free agency begins.
Baldwin not in agreement with NFL proposal
Much like his teammate Richard Sherman, Baldwin came out strongly against the NFL considering penalties for the use of the N-word on the field.
“I think it’s absurd,” Baldwin said. “I understand Roger Goodell and his safety council, or whoever they are, they’re trying to do this with good intentions. … Maybe. But, if you look at it, the only people who say the N-word on the football field are African-Americans. Whether whoever wants to agree with it or not, we have turned it kind of into a term of endearment.
“So, for the rule to specifically hone in on one word, it’s kind of odd to me when there’s so many other things that are more offensive that have been said on the football field.”
The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors diversity in the NFL, expects and hopes the NFL’s competition committee will recommend the rule following its recent meetings. Reportedly under consideration is a 15-yard penalty for the first use of the word, followed by an ejection for a second infraction.
League owners vote on any rule change in late March.
“If you want to ban offensive language, let’s ban all offensive language,” Baldwin said. “Not one particular word that is only used by one particular group.”
No franchise tag
As expected, the Seahawks did not place any variation of the franchise tag on a veteran free agent. The franchise tag deadline passed Monday at 1 p.m. PST.
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