signed middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to a contract extension that makes him the highest paid off ball linebacker in the NFL. As I have..." The OffseasonCap ClassroomHow much exactly will Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson cost the Seahawks?New Barkevious Mingo Color Rush Jersey ,8commentsPDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:How much exactly will Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson cost the Seahawks?TwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailBobby Wagner and Russell Wilson arguing over who gets paid firstPhoto by Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesIt’s been just over a week since the Seattle Seahawks signed middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to a contract extension that makes him the highest paid off ball linebacker in the NFL. As I have previously noted, Wagner takes back the title of highest paid off ball linebacker for the first time since 2015 in eclipsing the contract that the New York Jets had given to C.J. Mosley. The size of the extension, combined with the fact that the Seahawks made Russell Wilson the highest paid player in the NFL back in April, has some fans concerned about the Hawks’ ability to field a competitive team going forward because of the size of the commitments to these two players. However, let’s take a look at the validity of this concern by first looking at how much Wilson and Wagner will cost the team going forward. Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson cost versus estimated salary cap going forwardCap YearRussell WilsonBobby WagnerCombinedLeftover CapCap YearRussell WilsonBobby WagnerCombinedLeftover CapThe last column in the table is an estimate of the cap. Obviously, we know the cap for 2019 is set to be $188.2M, and the cap for 2020 is likely to be somewhere in the area of $200M. Without a CBA in place to divide league revenues for 2021 and beyond, the projected cap numbers for 2021 and 2022 are simply numbers I’ve made up based on a continuation of cap growth in the six percent range that has been seen in recent seasons. Maybe it’s right, or maybe it’s wrong, but in any case, those are the numbers I’m using. Now, the remaining amount of cap space for future seasons may not seem like a ton to attempt to fit in 51 players, injured reserve, the practice squad and dead money Ed Dickson Color Rush Jersey , but there is one key thing to keep in mind, and that is the rookie wage scale. The rookie wage scale acts to suppress salary costs for roughly two thirds of the roster for any NFL team. If the Seahawks were to break camp by cutting only the least expensive players on the roster, they’d have 25 players on the 53 man roster with a cap hit of less than $1M, and there would be 33 players with a cap hit of less than $2M. In short, largely because of the way the rookie wage scale keeps salaries artificially low during the first four years of a player’s career, the bottom 35 players on an NFL roster will typically have cap hits that combine for less than $40M. So, between Wilson and Wagner’s large cap hits and the 35 players with lower cap hits, the Hawks are really only looking at needing to fill roughly 16 roster spots with more than $100M in cap space to do so. That is more than enough to address the needs of the team and fill in holes in the roster that pop up. Now, the equation could change slightly if a new CBA sees massive increases in minimum salaries. Minimum salaries have traditionally increased by 15-20% when a new CBA has gone into place, and if that is again the case, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Such an increase would see lower level players making an additional $100k to $200k depending on how much experience they have, which would mean an additional $3M to $5M of cap space is all that would really be required to cover these costs. With the Seahawks currently looking at comfortably north of $50M in available cap space in 2020 and beyond, absorbing that additional cost would not be difficult. However, if for some reason the NFLPA decides to go hard after huge salary increases Jaron Brown Color Rush Jersey , it could prove an issue. Seeing minimum salaries increase by fifty percent or more, along with a corresponding adjustment in signing bonuses for the rookie wage scale could see teams needing $20M to $30M to cover the additional costs of the lower salary players, if not more. While the Seahawks front office has positioned the team to be able to withstand that kind of increase, many other teams have not. In addition, if the players decide to shift some of their revenue allocation from current salary to future benefits, such as increased future pension and health insurance benefits, that could see a repeat of the stagnating cap the league experienced from 2009 through 2013. Even if that comes to pass, however, the Seahawks have built in the roster and salary cap flexibility they need to withstand it. However, there are plenty of teams that have constructed their roster based on an ever increasing cap or have borrowed from future cap years by converting base salary to signing bonus in order to kick the can down the road. In any case, the point is that the Seahawks should be fine going forward, even with Wagner and Wilson on the books for huge money, and even if the salary cap growth stalls out all of a sudden. Read!" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteField Gullsa Seattle Seahawks communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsSeahawksOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections VideosCoffee and CigarettesGame AnalysisThe Numbers GameCigar ThoughtsFiled under:Century LinksCentury Links 6/10: Rashaad Penny Ready to Improve Upon Rookie Season New,49commentsRead!PDTShareTweetShareShareCentury Links 6/10: Rashaad Penny Ready to Improve Upon Rookie Season Photo by John McCoy/Getty ImagesSign up for the Seaside Joe newsletter!In addition to the great content you'll see on Field Gulls every day Tre Flowers Color Rush Jersey , sign up for a daily newsletter to come to your email every morning that will be a short and sweet post, thought, stat, quote, musing by Kenneth or one of his guests that requires little thought or commitment. Just a good way to bring a Seahawks companion to your morning of sippin' joe by the seaside.'Grown-up' Rashaad Penny looks to shine in 2nd year - NFL.comSeahawks RB Rashaad Penny says he's "grown up" and is "learning how to be a pro" as he prepares for a second season in the Pacific Northwest.100 days of Seahawks: Chris Clemons was a beast with number 91The Seahawks have only 91 days to go until they start their 2019 season. And Chris Clemons was the best number 91 in Seattle history.Seahawks Sunday roundup: Cody Barton and a player name changeThe Seahawks signed a rookie, had another player change his name and the team announced tour dates. Some of the Seattle news from last week.Analysis: Post-OTAs Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection - SeahawkMaven.ioWith Seattle's offseason program nearing its conclusion, who would make the team's final roster if cuts happened today?Seahawks like what they've seen from former Pats tight end Jacob Hollister | YardbarkerIn April, the Seahawks traded a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for tight end Jacob Hollister, and that low-key trade may end up paying major dividends for Seattle this season. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, Seahawks offColumbia Basin Herald - Sports, Former Seahawk, 12 Tour, visit Frontier studentsMOSES LAKE — Students from Frontier Middle School received a visit from members of the Seattle Seahawks organiMcMahon: Trubisky will be loved forever if he wins - NFL.comSuper Bowl-winning former Bears QB Jim McMahon says that Chicago fans will love a quarterback who plays hard, but will love Mitchell Trubisky forever if he wins.'More splash' to come from Steelers OLB T.J. Watt - NFL.comAfter 13-sack Pro Bowl season David Moore Color Rush Jersey , Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is looking to take on leadership role with Pittsburgh as it aims to return to postseason.Tyrann Mathieu wants some 'swagger' in Chiefs D - NFL.comFree-agent safety signing Tyrann Mathieu wants to alter the Chiefs' defense and believes a change in attitude might be what's needed most as Kansas City heads into the 2019 season.Ravens predict more for WR Chris Moore in 2019 - NFL.comEntering his fourth year with the Ravens and in the NFL, Chris Moore is prognosticated by those within the franchise to have a breakout campaign.Texans interviewing Martin Mayhew for GM vacancy - NFL.comSan Francisco 49ers vice president of player personnel Martin Mayhew is in Houston to interview for the Texans GM vacancy, sources told Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager on Sunday.Dolphins WR Albert Wilson expects to return by Week 1 - NFL.comMiami Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson, who is still recovering from a season-ending hip injury, told reporters Friday that he expects to be active for the start of the 2019 campaign.A.J. Green can't see himself leaving Cincinnati Bengals - NFL.comA.J. Green is in a contract year in his ninth season with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the receiver is unmoved in his desire to stay in the Queen City for as long as possible.Ravens QB coach: Ball coming out cleaner for Lamar Jackson – ProFootballTalkRavens quarterback Lamar Jackson might have been the last to know that the team is installing an entirely new offense this offseason, but the focus of his efforts to improve on his rookie season was clear before that revelation.FMIA Guest: Nick Hardwick on Taking Proactive Approach to Brain Health – ProFootballTalkFMIA guest columnist Nick Hardwick on taking a proactive approach to his post-NFL brain health, plus more football thoughts.Norv Turner: It’s fun to watch Cam Newton get back to health – ProFootballTalkPanthers head coach Ron Rivera wasn't happy that someone filmed a video of quarterback Cam Newton throwing a football recently, but the general reaction around the team to Newton taking that step has been more positive.Adrian Peterson wants to retire a Viking — someday – ProFootballTalkWashington running back Adrian Peterson has proven he can still be productive, and has continued to set high goals for himself. But as he gets closer to the end of a strong career, he's thinking about the end, and who he wants to end it with.Richard Dent see similarities between 2019 Bears and 1985 Bears – ProFootballTalkMaybe it's the nostalgia talking, but Bears Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent senses something familiar about the current edition of his former team.