Offer Sheets Have To Stop

You can bet your bottom dollar that there will be changes to the way offer sheets are handled next year for restricted free agents in the NFL. With the Vikings leading the way by the way they signed Hutchinson, the Seahawks just struck back by authoring the craziest offer sheet yet, an apparent attempt to "get back" at the Vikings who added a clause to the Hutchinson deal to make it impossible for the Seahawks to match. The Seahawks last night signed the Vikings Nate Burleson to a 7 year $49 million dollar offer sheet. You read that right, $49 million dollars for a receiver who has 1 thousand yard season to his name. However, the numbers and length here are irrelevant. It may as well have been a 27 year contract for $300 million because he will never see year 3 or 4 of this contract before it is renegotiated or he is cut. The years and amount were relevant however, because they are the same numbers the Vikings gave Hutchinson in their offer. This was clearly a tit for tat deal. The Seachickens also wrote 2 clauses into the deal that make it impossible for the Vikings to match. The first states that if Nate plays 5 games in Minnesota, the entire contract is then guaranteed. The second states that if Nate (in any one year) makes less than the combined total of all the running backs on the team, the contract becomes guaranteed for the entire amount. Shaun Alexander already makes more so if the Vikings want to keep Burleson, they would have to guarantee him $49 million dollars. Stupid. Seattle is probably going to pay him somewhere around $10 million for 3 years, but they were crafty enough to make the offer sheet work for them. The spirit of the rule is being desecrated right now. There is no telling what the next provision might be. Now I'm really afraid of what someone might try with Ike Taylor. Thank God we at least signed him to the highest tender meaning a team that signs him would have to give us their #1 pick this year. The Vikings probably screwed up royally by giving Nate a lower tender of $700k meaning the Seachickens will only have to give up a 3rd round pick for him. If the Vikings challenge Seattle's offer sheet and it holds up - every clause from here on out will contain the language "if the player plays 5 games in (original city) the entire contract becomes guaranteed". It's crafty but it's not good for the game. In my humble opinion.......