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Brady HendersonESPN
SEATTLE – Before signing again with the Seattle Seahawks last month, veteran defenseman Carlos Dunlap wanted to make sure Russell Wilson continued to be his quarterback.
Dunlap said he obtained this guarantee from Wilson himself.
Speaking to reporters by video conference for the first time since returning to Seattle with a two-year deal, Dunlap paraphrased his conversation with Wilson.
“I asked him if he was obviously going to be with us, because if I come back, I’ll be back because I see him as my quarterback and the rest of the team I want to pick up where we left off,” Dunlap said Tuesday. “And he told me he’s with us and he’s here to stay, and he said, ‘Come on, Hawks.’ my explanation of how I interpreted what he said “.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported at the start of the free agency last month that the Chicago Bears were doing “a very aggressive chase” against Wilson, but were told Seattle was not negotiating him at the time. The Bears were one of four teams for which Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers told Schefter the quarterback would play if the Seahawks treated him.
The others were the Dallas Cowboys (who have since expanded the Dak Prescott deal), the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints. A source recently told ESPN that Wilson has no plans to expand its list of teams. It has a non-commercial clause that gives it the power to veto any commercial destination.
Wilson worked to encourage runner Chris Carson to re-sign with the Seahawks, a source told ESPN. Dunlap said he and Wilson were in regular communication between the time the Seahawks released Dunlap in early March until they agreed to re-sign him 2 and a half weeks later, during the second week of free agency.
“A lot of teams showed interest, but only the real competitors really made offers,” Dunlap said. “But Seattle is where I wanted to be, so when the offer came from Seattle, I could tell you this: the deal was made within 24 hours of me being offered the signature.”
The Dunlap two-year deal is worth $ 13.6 million with guarantees of $ 8.5 million. The two-time Pro Bowler was to earn $ 14.1 million before his release. Dunlap said the Seahawks made it clear to him when they acquired him in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals last October that they might have to release him after the season. He cited this transparency as one of the reasons he wanted to return to Seattle.
“They were very transparent and that’s something I appreciate from day one. When we did the signing and the trade, they let me know that this would be a potential move to the [offseason], and then when it really happened, yes, it still worked differently because I had never been cut before, “he said.” But they were still very transparent. They wanted me to know that they wanted me back, but that was one of the moves they had to make because of the situation they were in.
Dunlap will continue to lead at No. 43 with the Seahawks.
“I’m looking to pick it up where we left off and improve it,” he said. “That includes keeping the same number. One of the things you’ll learn about me is that I’m a habit creature. I like to finish what I started and I feel like I have a lot of work to do.”