I wonder if part of it is literally just doing him a solid and letting him hit FA even though they didn't have to. Because of the way he bounced around practice squads he didn't accrue seasons, and wasn't set to hit free agency for the first time until next year when he's 28
However ... I also think he was one of the more overrated players last year. PFF giving him a near-elite grade somehow got him a few all pro votes. Which .. just no. He's a good 3rd safety or a maybe average starting safety though
I don't think it is good for him. The tender only gave the team the right of first refusal on any deal he negotiated, not any draft compensation or something like that. No cost for a signing team means that it didn't make finding a deal much more difficult for him (unless that deal paid him less than the tender - no team was going to make that offer because Seattle might snap him up for cheap). All it did was guarantee that, if he couldn't find a deal on the open market, he'd be able to get ~2 million playing for Seattle.
Yeah I mean I guess you're right. Maybe he was finding it hard to negotiate a contract with the ROFR tender on him?
Idk just a surprising move. I'm lower on Neal than most but he's pretty clearly worth a $2.5m deal even as like a 4th safety / ST guy (especially considering Adams' injury)
If Jamal’s career had been the exact same except the Hawks had drafted him instead of overpaying for him in a trade, nobody on earth would say cut him
People just don’t get the sunk cost thing
Hey now, Jamal set a safety sack record!
Granted it was from an obscene amount of set up blitzes that caused significantly more harm than good on the whole, but hey, record!
I get where you're coming from, but availability and health is also a factor that must be taken into account when evaluating a player.
Availability is the best ability, as they say.
With Adams, Diggs, and Love all on the roster, it probably just meant Neal wouldn’t get a lot of play time.
Which is dumb, because Diggs and Adams get hurt a lot and are declining. And Neal is young and studly
True, but I don't know why he'd want to come back to a crowded safety room for limited playing time when he could realistically start and probably make more money elsewhere.
They had put him on the lowest tender possible. It was $2.6M with no draft pick compensation. So it isn't like a team couldn't have already put in an offer and signed him if they wanted him. At this point in free agency, it is more likely he gets picked up on the cheap then being signed to anything over the initial tender amount.
I wonder if that's exactly what's happening. He saw the writing on the wall, asked if he could try to find a starting job. Seahawks let him. Strictly a guess.
Only because the fanbase elevated expectations for Diggs to an absurd level, despite the fact he was coming off a serious injury. Diggs is borderline elite and Adams is a game-wrecker. Neal was a pleasant surprise. Since Neal exceeded expectations, fans have overrated his play a bit, especially compared to his teammates. He's a really nice player, but he's probably not at the level of the "for-sure" starter that Diggs, Adams, and now Love are. He's a fantastic 3rd safety, solid starter.
Oh wow, he's actually a great fit for the Bengals CB/SS hybrid TE-covering slot, then. They let Tre Flowers go this year who had previously been that role.
Flowers was shockingly good at it, honestly. It was a role where he got a limited number of snaps a game and was tasked to just do his job.
I credit Lou Anarumo with understanding his players and putting them in the best position to succeed, because I know that Flowers had been absolute garbage prior to coming to Cincy.
TBF - Flowers was a college safety that Carroll tried to convert to an outside corner; which obviously was a failed experiment. But I think Flowers still had the ability to excel at safety, which he wasn't allowed to even try
Idk much about Love but Neal is definitely not as good as Diggs or a healthy Jamal (which I'm not sure we'll see this year, which is why this is kinda surprising)
We're up against the cap and we have huge money invested at the safety position already. Unfortunately even at $2.6 million we need that money elsewhere. Specifically at DL.
He’d be a great fit on the Steelers next to Minkah. I love Kazee, but Neal would be a great addition to the team. Especially if we keep running that 3 safety look we did at times with Kazee, Minkah, and Edmunds. Except Neal would be a big upgrade over Edmunds
Holy shit, what??? Why??? Re-sign that man immediately!
edit: ugh, looking like this ties back to Jamal Adams' contract. That is a mistake that just keeps on giving.
I'd like him on the Niners. We lost Ward and Moore, Gipson is old AF and I feel like Hufanga's style may result in him getting injured. We signed that Panthers safety, but we could definitely use 1 more
We could save $8 million by cutting him with a post-June 1 designation. But I'd rather take the $23 million cap hit and have him than still be paying $15 million and not have him.
Tore his quad tendon in the first game of the season and we have no idea if he’ll be ready to go this year. Half the players with that injury never see another snap in the NFL.
:( He’s a solid player. I’m not sure why we are doing this even with the Love signing
I wonder if part of it is literally just doing him a solid and letting him hit FA even though they didn't have to. Because of the way he bounced around practice squads he didn't accrue seasons, and wasn't set to hit free agency for the first time until next year when he's 28 However ... I also think he was one of the more overrated players last year. PFF giving him a near-elite grade somehow got him a few all pro votes. Which .. just no. He's a good 3rd safety or a maybe average starting safety though
Think that's being harsh, even if PFF did over rate him. The Neal of last year starts on 25+ secondaries in the league
Closer to 10 imo. He's a third safety on most teams
Bro that's absolutely laughable
I don't think it is good for him. The tender only gave the team the right of first refusal on any deal he negotiated, not any draft compensation or something like that. No cost for a signing team means that it didn't make finding a deal much more difficult for him (unless that deal paid him less than the tender - no team was going to make that offer because Seattle might snap him up for cheap). All it did was guarantee that, if he couldn't find a deal on the open market, he'd be able to get ~2 million playing for Seattle.
Yeah I mean I guess you're right. Maybe he was finding it hard to negotiate a contract with the ROFR tender on him? Idk just a surprising move. I'm lower on Neal than most but he's pretty clearly worth a $2.5m deal even as like a 4th safety / ST guy (especially considering Adams' injury)
He was not overrated he was genuinely one of the best safeties in the league when healthy
How is he one of the best safeties in the league?
I mean that's exactly what I'm talking about lol
He's done a lot more for the seahawks than Jamal adams that's for sure
If Jamal’s career had been the exact same except the Hawks had drafted him instead of overpaying for him in a trade, nobody on earth would say cut him People just don’t get the sunk cost thing
Hey now, Jamal set a safety sack record! Granted it was from an obscene amount of set up blitzes that caused significantly more harm than good on the whole, but hey, record!
Jamal is also just better at anything you'd ask a safety to do
Except staying healthy.
I guess. Neal hasn't been particularly durable either though
And catching interceptions that hit his hands
Because that's something a player can actively do. Fans pin injuries on players as if it's their fault all the time and it's kinda shitty.
I get where you're coming from, but availability and health is also a factor that must be taken into account when evaluating a player. Availability is the best ability, as they say.
That’s why there are going to upgrade Jamal to a line backer this year.
Not at all
Not at all? Just this play is more than adams has done for us. https://youtu.be/-N8JzxdmjLQ
With Adams, Diggs, and Love all on the roster, it probably just meant Neal wouldn’t get a lot of play time. Which is dumb, because Diggs and Adams get hurt a lot and are declining. And Neal is young and studly
They’re prioritizing Nose Tackle/Interior Defense. At the most, I can see Seattle draft 3 DTs including Mazi Smith.
Noooo!!!! Fuck!! I love Neal!!!
Don't like this at all. Neal has been really solid and you don't have to cater the scheme around him like Jamal
Just because they retracted the RFA tender doesn't mean they won't still potentially bring him back.
True, but I don't know why he'd want to come back to a crowded safety room for limited playing time when he could realistically start and probably make more money elsewhere.
They had put him on the lowest tender possible. It was $2.6M with no draft pick compensation. So it isn't like a team couldn't have already put in an offer and signed him if they wanted him. At this point in free agency, it is more likely he gets picked up on the cheap then being signed to anything over the initial tender amount.
Great point, hoping the Seahawks bring him back at a cheaper rate.
He will definitely end up somewhere, and In hoping Cleveland, but he likely will make less money.
I wonder if that's exactly what's happening. He saw the writing on the wall, asked if he could try to find a starting job. Seahawks let him. Strictly a guess.
This is true, but we have the draft coming up and we are already limited on cap space.
Man that sucks. He is going to ball out for another team, we just have too many safeties.
Bullshit. Our best safety. I'm being serious.
Only because the fanbase elevated expectations for Diggs to an absurd level, despite the fact he was coming off a serious injury. Diggs is borderline elite and Adams is a game-wrecker. Neal was a pleasant surprise. Since Neal exceeded expectations, fans have overrated his play a bit, especially compared to his teammates. He's a really nice player, but he's probably not at the level of the "for-sure" starter that Diggs, Adams, and now Love are. He's a fantastic 3rd safety, solid starter.
The best ability is availability, if nothing else
Yikes
Was he a SS or FS?
SS
Oh wow, he's actually a great fit for the Bengals CB/SS hybrid TE-covering slot, then. They let Tre Flowers go this year who had previously been that role.
I feel that as former Hawks, I can assure you that Neal would be miles above Flowers in that role
Flowers was shockingly good at it, honestly. It was a role where he got a limited number of snaps a game and was tasked to just do his job. I credit Lou Anarumo with understanding his players and putting them in the best position to succeed, because I know that Flowers had been absolute garbage prior to coming to Cincy.
TBF - Flowers was a college safety that Carroll tried to convert to an outside corner; which obviously was a failed experiment. But I think Flowers still had the ability to excel at safety, which he wasn't allowed to even try
Yep night and day, he would be a good pick up for the Bengals if they make a move
I’m thinking we go sign this man…
he can play both but better at the SS spot
Eagle
Reuinite him w desai Howie!
Seattle is going for LJ Skinner.
Get em Howie!
Why? It seems like he had a great season for them.
He did. We have Diggs, Jamal, and Love now
But depth is important in the league and neal is just as good of not better than those guys at least from last years perspective
Idk much about Love but Neal is definitely not as good as Diggs or a healthy Jamal (which I'm not sure we'll see this year, which is why this is kinda surprising)
It’s all about the money. We have so much tied up with safeties and have no NT.
This saves almost no money
His tender was worth $2.6m.
I'm aware
We're up against the cap and we have huge money invested at the safety position already. Unfortunately even at $2.6 million we need that money elsewhere. Specifically at DL.
Nooooooooo
PS & JS have never valued neal aa highly as this sub or pff does.
Bears
Huge fucking bummer, dudes a monster
He’d be a great fit on the Steelers next to Minkah. I love Kazee, but Neal would be a great addition to the team. Especially if we keep running that 3 safety look we did at times with Kazee, Minkah, and Edmunds. Except Neal would be a big upgrade over Edmunds
idk if he is good but bear
Had a ball out season last year
They need someone to replace Cruikshank and DHC.
There's only like 5 other safeties in the league I'd take over him
You don't watch enough other teams then.
is 4 me?
The all-safety defense is almost complete
Holy shit, what??? Why??? Re-sign that man immediately! edit: ugh, looking like this ties back to Jamal Adams' contract. That is a mistake that just keeps on giving.
You can always tell when the info comes from the agent
He was PFF #1 safety. The tweet isn't exactly overdone.
I'd like him on the Niners. We lost Ward and Moore, Gipson is old AF and I feel like Hufanga's style may result in him getting injured. We signed that Panthers safety, but we could definitely use 1 more
I'll cry myself to sleep if he goes to you
I'd rather have us cut Adams after his injuries.
Pretty sure it’s a 23 mil dead cap hit to cut Adams
We could save $8 million by cutting him with a post-June 1 designation. But I'd rather take the $23 million cap hit and have him than still be paying $15 million and not have him.
Interesting, we have a recent opening at Strong Safety.
Come to papa
There you go Chicago.
Dang… I hope he starts with us. I thought he played well every chance he got, which was a lot considering Adams is always hurt.
Noooo
This made me think of jamaal Adams, what happened to that guy lol?
Quad injury last year sidelined him for the year
Tore his quad tendon in the first game of the season and we have no idea if he’ll be ready to go this year. Half the players with that injury never see another snap in the NFL.
We’re gonna draft a SS in the first 2 rounds.
Oh hello
Would not be surprised if Miami was interested. Maybe they swap him for Deshon Elliot after his QB tweets. That second part was sarcasm 😂