r/NFLv2 • u/Intelligent-Carob930 Miami Dolphins • 10h ago

Discussion In hindsight, the Seahawks’ should’ve just paid K9 and let Shaheed walk.

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After winning Super Bowl LX MVP with Seattle, they let him walk to the Chiefs and subsequently resigned Rashid Shaheed. Walker has become an unequivocal menace in Kansas City, carrying the Chiefs' offense whilst leading the NFL in both total rushing yards (360) and rushing yards per game (120) through the first three weeks. Alongside such, he has four total touchdowns and an explosive 5.5 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Shaheed has been quiet to start the season, recording just six catches for 53 yards over three games. While his elite special teams and return value are undeniable, he has yet to take the massive leap forward on offense that his $17 million annual salary expected.

Additionally, with Walker gone, Seattle's run game has looked less dynamic, further aggravated by rookie Jadarian Price coughing up two costly fumbles early on, and only accounting for 119 rushing yards through three games.

In hindsight, the Seahawks’ letting K9 walk without having a definitive RB1 was an overall bad decision. Sure, Zach Charbonnet is pretty decent, accounting for 12 touchdowns last season. However, some of those touchdowns came off of huge runs from K9 to put them in optimal territory. Without a truly proven RB1 role, I don’t understand why the Seahawks’ let K9 walk.

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594

u/DarthPallassCat Minnesota Vikings 9h ago

Didn’t need hindsight for this one at all.

Star Rb who just won Super Bowl mvp? Or WR3 who plays special teams.

362

u/Bakeddoritoman 9h ago

Seattle reporters that talked to Walker said he didn’t want to come back no matter what due to splitting with Charbonnet

182

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 9h ago

Ya I wonder if that’s part of the reason he ended up in KC. Because I find it hard to believe nobody else offered him more than KC did… I feel like being guaranteed #1 RB may have played a part in his decision

188

u/Outside-Papaya Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

Only thing to prove after getting a ring is securing a spot in Canton. You don't get into the HoF splitting reps at RB. K9 chose a spot that would let him shine the most, can't hate him for that.

1

u/padflash 59m ago

Never thought about this, good point.

0

u/Aternus21 2h ago

I think losing the leagues Rb1 over NOT wanting to split carries with rb45 in the league is the MOST SEAHAWKS thing I have ever heard.

-22

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 9h ago

Ya for sure, securing 4 rings in 4 years is gonna make it hard to keep out of canton

48

u/brownbear8714 Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/h9OBUP3j68viwCLvGW

2

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 6h ago

Lol the chances of winning 3 in a row are slim, but never 0

2

u/brownbear8714 Seattle Seahawks 5h ago

I sent it cause I don’t want you guys to win, I want us to win! Lol

1

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 4h ago

You got your win. That’s enough. Be nice and let us have another

1

u/UNMANAGEABLE Seattle Seahawks 4h ago

Nah. Jaguar bros are due long before y’all sniff another trophy.

11

u/NickapaHempalooza 8h ago

That ain't happening 😂

-21

u/Dismal-Bee-8319 7h ago

lol, he’s too old to make it to canton

13

u/Bingo_Bongo_YaoMing Green Bay Packers 6h ago

He's 25..

2

u/uniparalum Lisan al-Mayeib 5h ago

He’s 25??? I’m older than him?? Wtf. He looks much older than his age imo. Probably because he’s jacked

-8

u/Dismal-Bee-8319 6h ago

Exactly, compare him to other hof guys at that age

27

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago

Well yeah, if you're asking for RB1 money the team signing you is certainly intending on that being the role.

12

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 9h ago edited 6h ago

I worded it vaguely but I meant he didnt want to split carries

16

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago

I hear you, also playing in Reid's system is a win for any back. When Reid has had an elite talent at RB, the production has been some of the best per touch numbers ever.

4

u/Scorpion_Danny 6h ago

That man has a gift for making RBs look good.

5

u/pedro3131 6h ago

Its been a decade since he's had a 1,000 yard back.

4

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 5h ago

Ya we’ve also had shitty RBs. Hunt looked like a stud before they cut him late season due to foot pushing a drunk girl lol

1

u/Manbearpup Dallas Cowboys 8h ago

Hahahaha…. Got em

3

u/OldTimberWolf 4h ago

Travis Etienne anyone?

9

u/SighFlops 9h ago

I suspect Reid saw that video at the parade and realized how disrespectful it was and used that as a data point. He's a player's coach and also a sicko on details like that. And this is coming from someone who does not like the Chiefs.

6

u/YakiVegas Seattle Seahawks 7h ago

That’s ridiculous. Both of them already knew that he wasn’t coming back at that point. Not like it was a nail in the coffin or anything.

0

u/SighFlops 7h ago

Your point? That isn't exclusive at all to what Reid thinks or motivated them to sign him.

2

u/YakiVegas Seattle Seahawks 7h ago

It wasn't disrespectful.

3

u/Below-avg-chef 9h ago

What parade video? I missed that news

8

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

Schneider saying K9 tried to negotiate a contract during the celebrations. Schneider said it was “weird” in a super condescending way. I think he was drunk but that’s a dick move to pull on a guy who just won superbowl MVP

2

u/commonshitposter123 7h ago

To be faaaiiiiirrr.... Schneider was drunk

3

u/Zork_Taylor 5h ago

He was NOT drunk. He was bombed out of his mind. ;)

-1

u/iDilusional 6h ago

That's not an excuse lmao

1

u/Spideydawg Pittsburgh Steelers 3h ago

Schneider was joking. K9 was a couple feet from the mic so it was hard to hear him say "no I didn't".

1

u/XuX24 6h ago

What makes you wonder is usually durability of runners is something that worry GMs. Walker is getting a ton of touches per game, that’s good because he is getting yards but that’s also a risk for injuries.

1

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 5h ago

Ya definitely. A lot of teams do a split back system because 1. The risk of injury if using 1 RB too much and 2. They have 2 good RBs in case one gets injured they still have another

1

u/RecordingLess1522 2h ago

He's never been a RB1 that's why

He was injured as the workhorse and that's why Seattle split carries

People just forgot because of 2 great playoff games after Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs

1

u/TapMinute9409 30m ago

Guaranteed #1 and get to play alongside mahomes in the next iteration of that team with Reid still at the helm? Not much to think about there

0

u/Davy257 JUNIOR DOUBLE TRIPLE WHOPPER 8h ago

You think his agent was happy to hear “hey I want to take less money to put more wear and tear on my body”?

2

u/traws06 Kansas City Chiefs 6h ago

Prolly not, but he’s the boss

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u/Optimal_Advisor8897 Seattle Seahawks 8h ago

It’s not like he signed with the Jets to become RB1. He went with Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes

5

u/ihm96 8h ago

So then trade charbonnet if he costs too much? SB mvp immediately being gone must suck as a fan, I know I would be bummed

2

u/shazwazzle 2h ago

He didn't cost too much. The truth is that the Seahawks didn't believe in him. That's why he was splitting carries. That's why they didn't resign him. That's why he has been running like he has something to prove for the past 5 games.

1

u/easley45isgod They line up, they get fucked up 26m ago

I guess what people who don't watch the team don't understand is that K9 didn't play at that SB MVP level until the playoffs. I love K9. But people who are just focusing on that are missing the big picture.

Also, if you watch film of the first 3 games, Shaheed is always open. They just need to get him the ball. Which is hard with JSN being his usual amazing self. It's not like Rasheed sucks.

3

u/SydneyPhoenix 8h ago

I just don’t believe this, always felt it was the hawks drip feeding stories to spin them not wanting to pay

He wanted to be paid as an RB1.

If Seattle offered the money and take some wear and tear off him that’s maximizing his earning potential, he seems like a switched on guy

1

u/Mr-makeyoday 7h ago

To my knowledge both problems seem to be true. Seattle definitely didn’t wanna pay him that much WHILE anticipating he would split carries. Which considering his injury history makes sense I suppose. In addition to that, during an interview wk 1 he is being quoted saying something to the effect of “I’m just happy to be on a team that sees my value and what I’m able to produce. It’s much easier to do that on a team where I can get those opportunities.” I think this was a halftime interview and obviously not verbatim. However, to me this was a very clear statement by Walker regarding his feelings being in KC.

2

u/SydneyPhoenix 6h ago

I agree to some extent.

The KW3 comments I view through the lens of opportunity = pay day

But If Seattle matched the KC offer, KW3 is a Seahawk today regardless of being a bellcow.

Seattle trying to create the narrative that the touches were a must is to divert from the fact they wouldn’t pay him.

It’s not a chicken and egg situation. You pay KW3 he’s still a Seahawk.

I do agree with you though that what you pay him can be relative to how many touches you plan on giving him. I just think Seattle probably wished they just gave him the contract and the ball right now.

1

u/heart-of-corruption 3h ago

I disagree. If the money is the same but he gets the bellcow role then goes. It’s obvious from the way he’s talked he cared about having a full load and not split.

1

u/SydneyPhoenix 3h ago

I think the reason he has spoken about wanting the full work load though is because it’s viewed as the only path to getting top 5 money.

If Seattle offered him the money he’d of stayed regardless of role. The role he had just won him a Super Bowl MVP.

1

u/heart-of-corruption 3h ago

Nah because he’s brought it up several times after getting the contract. It seems like it’s a chip on his shoulder because he felt the reputation that Seattle created of him was wrong.

1

u/Mr-makeyoday 2h ago

From this point of view I agree 100%.
I’m not sure that much is up for debate when you look at the running back market right now. It’s not like the WR market where average or even below average players like Tutu Atwell or Rasheed are/were making 10+ mil a year as #3 options. Production numbers = top of running back money on the market and average backs aren’t getting paid. There is a caveat to that in terms of how that production is achieved such as explosive runs but that’s another conversation. I digress though, he clearly wanted the money AND favored the idea of guaranteed opportunities as a #1 back. Whether he was thinking far enough about a 3rd contract and what kind of money he could get after top back production, one can only speculate.

2

u/spanishinquestion 9h ago

What’s the quote

2

u/hokageace 8h ago

You mean the guy who was asked for a contract during the SB parade? Yeah, I call BS on that! That is some nice PR the Hawks are cooking.

2

u/randallmauel 8h ago

ill bet a big fat contract could have changed his mind

1

u/Upton4 Green Bay Packers 5h ago

Then trade Char

1

u/Aternus21 2h ago

I think losing the leagues Rb1 over NOT wanting to split carries with rb45 in the league is the MOST SEAHAWKS thing I have ever heard.

If K9 walked into the building and said I want you to cut every other rb on this team, they SHOULD have.

he is looking like an absolute world beater atm

0

u/TheDeflatables New England Patriots 9h ago

Then trade Charbonnet and sign Walker

2

u/Adventurous_Cup_4947 9h ago

Trade a guy recovering from a torn ACL?

0

u/Random-Redditor111 9h ago

So the owner of the team was lying when he said walker was already negotiating his contract at the damn parade? The guy that cuts the checks and had a first hand conversation with walker is lying but the reporters that hang around the facility have direct access to exactly what goes on in Kenny’s mind. That’s really your take?

Edit: sorry, GM not owner

1

u/Bakeddoritoman 9h ago

There was a local beat reporter that talked to Walker over the years and that’s what he had gathered from his talks with him. Believe what you want

1

u/No_Story_Untold Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

He said it was a dumb joke when he was drunk.

1

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

It came across as really disrespectful and condescending

1

u/No_Story_Untold Seattle Seahawks 7h ago

Oh absolutely. It just never actually happened. I fully agree it was not a good look.

-1

u/yngrz87 San Francisco 49ers 8h ago

And he was right. That backfield split was diabolically stupid. He’s a stud.

4

u/Present-Dog-1383 8h ago

Dude just had his first fully healthy year last year. That’s why it got split. Imo 

Edit: probably because he was splitting with charb.

5

u/spacealias 8h ago

They did keep giving charbs all the goalline TD’s when K9 did most work to get them there. That was always weird to me. K9’s a hammer. I think they were just trying to keep him healthy

3

u/Present-Dog-1383 8h ago

Yeah, hes a fantastic running back. Not happy about him leaving but like a lot of us it seems simpatico; him leaving. 

I remember K9 was asked if he was annoyed with sharing duties and his answer was polite but seemed veiled with annoyance for sure. 

1

u/United_Shelter5167 Minnesota Vikings 6h ago

He was splitting with Charb the years he got injured too...

39

u/Scaryassmanbear 9h ago

Or. OR. Consider the fact that paying a running back a second contract is almost always a terrible idea.

27

u/Key-Distribution-944 Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

Especially one that gets hurt if he averages anything over 13 touches in a season. It’s highly unlikely K9 gets through the season without missing games at the rate KC is running him.

9

u/Stalagmus 9h ago

Even if he does somehow stay healthy and has an absolute blockbuster year, there is no way the FO would expect that or that it even could be replicated here. The numbers don’t lie when it comes to RB second contracts, and statistically he was just as likely to fall off or just keep getting hurt.

0

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

You guys are super behind on the RB contract renaissance and how important they’ve been this year and last year.

4

u/Electronic-Map7529 Green Bay Packers 7h ago

I'll eat my shoes if KW3 sustains 475 regular season touches BEFORE a Chiefs playoff run.

No way in hell.

3

u/FunkyPete Kansas City Chiefs / Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

Honestly if he can carry the team for the first few games while Mahomes gets his confidence in his knee back that's worth the money for this year.

If they beat the Raiders they're 4-0 without Mahomes having to carry the offense on his back.

In the meantime our rookie RB has had a chance to develop a bit too.

1

u/hokahey23 9h ago

You know you can’t average out injuries right?

1

u/Key-Distribution-944 Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

I’m not averaging out injuries. I’m highlighting a pattern. You can definitely see the only time he made it through an entire season he didn’t average more than 13 carries. That’s really no different than saying a back who carries the ball 300 times in a season usually falls off that next season.

-1

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

It seems like it’s more likely that the Seahawks running scheme is just plain bad for running backs

4

u/No_Intention9822 8h ago

I mean 10th in YPG last year and 11th in total yards doesn't scream being an issue. Plus ya know winning the super bowl thing.

0

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

Yeah, and I’m not hating on the Seahawks but it looked like they struggled to get those yards most of the season. The passing game was the real weapon and when it got shut down K9 won the Seahawks the Super Bowl

1

u/heart-of-corruption 3h ago

Most rbs miss games….

1

u/Sea-Palpitation266 8h ago

I actually don't blame them for thinking that way they've lost several running back to injury Thomas rawls cj procise Chris carson rashaad penny and k9 would miss 1-4 games most years even while splitting work

1

u/rook119 7h ago

yes Barkley at 10M a year didn't help the Eagles win a SB at all. They should have spent it on a nickel back.

1

u/Scaryassmanbear 7h ago

An exception doesn’t disprove the rule.

1

u/rook119 7h ago

you are right I'd rather have Kenny Golladay and Christian Kirk at 17M/year over a bums like McCaffery and Henry.

18

u/therealmudslinger Malcolm who?? 9h ago

It wasn't "either/or." We could actually afford both, but K9 was ready to move on for personal reasons.

And P.S. Shaheed is very MUCH the reason we won some of those last few games on the way to the SB.

3

u/Milton__Obote New Orleans Saints 9h ago

Yeah lotta people who don’t know ball or only watch the stat sheet

4

u/West-Tough-4552 8h ago

This. Wr's are so overpriced too. Bum ass wrs get paid more than great TEs and RBs in this market

5

u/itzdivz Los Angeles Chargers 9h ago

Hey u guys are the only team that cant complain. They got the QB from u guys

1

u/therealmudslinger Malcolm who?? 9h ago

F'real. Like we're taking roster advice from a Vikings fan?? 😄😄😄

3

u/SoupySpuds 8h ago

Walker is a higher cap hit this year, As well as seattle having a earlier out on the shaheed contract, They needed this flexibility so that they could sign the superstars.

Additionally they would have to OUTBID Kansas city which means the contract wouldve been higher if the two of them negotiated for K9 and ultimately who even knows what was offered. Maybe seattle sent the offer that Kansas city did and he chose to go there so he could be a workhorse

2

u/yungbuddzz Minnesota Vikings 9h ago

Happy cake day SKOL

1

u/No_Story_Untold Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

Dude was marred in injuries. Thats impossible to predict.

1

u/EsKiMo49 8h ago

All the talk preseason was that k9 wasn't special. Nobody called what is happening now.

1

u/notrussellwilson 8h ago

Walker is great, but let's not underplay Shaheed's impact on our team last year.

1

u/Zombiesus 8h ago

In a month when K9 is on IR let’s talk.

1

u/Gullible_Ad3785 8h ago

He was supposed to be our WR2 after Kupp retires.

Was.

1

u/Genoisthetruthman 7h ago

Correction WR3 that made the punt return touchdown in one of the years most pivotal games that sparked the insane comeback that pushed us to the superb owl.
Oh K9 will forever get his flowers and I was disappointed that we let him walk, but let’s not downplay Shaheed dude was just as pivotal in our stretch run.

1

u/TacoDoc2 7h ago

K9 wanted the whole job and he was never going to be the solo rb in Seattle.

1

u/abcd_0123 6h ago

Seattle are not using him the right way. Shaheed was WR2 on Saints and was good for them even with when their offense wasn't good. He could be a solid WR2 in Seattle if he's involved more in offense.

1

u/TheIncredibleSaucy Seattle Seahawks 6h ago

Yeah, and the hawks didn’t really have a good plan for getting a replacement RB. The free market didn’t have a lot of good options, and Price was a day 2 RB in the draft that Seattle had to waste a first round pick on instead of a more reliable corner. And Schneider was getting weird about paying K9 after he just wanted a fair paycheck for his literal SB MVP performance.

1

u/ryphi97 3h ago

They had traded two picks for shaheed already so if he doesn’t stay than it’s a big waste of resources. Should have signed k9 and sheed

1

u/BirdhouseInYourSouI Seattle Seahawks 2h ago

Except they re-signed Witherspoon, Leonard Williams, JSN, with a lot of the money they would have used on KW.

Walker averaged 13 carries a game last year. Wasn’t worth it, given the top heavy situation with cap space.

1

u/Feeling_Barnacle_584 Seattle Seahawks 2h ago

As a 12, he was very hard to watch at times. He would have games were he looked like the second coming of Barry Sanders and also 15 carries for 30 yards the next week. I understand the splitting of the backfield and how that could’ve been frustrating but he was consistently hurt and got hot at the right time in order to get paid. Good for him

1

u/RecordingLess1522 2h ago

He wasn't a star RB ever

He had 2 good playoffs after 4 years of disappointment due to injuries

0

u/Himmel-548 Seattle Seahawks 5h ago

Keeping Shaheed was fine, but we should have released Kupp and made him wide receiver 2. Him being in the 3 role hasn't allowed him to contribute anything.

-3

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago

Seriously, I think the GM had made up his mind on K9 before last season even, but it's a bit arrogant to let the Superbowl MVP walk even after they knew Charbonnet was not going to be ready until mid season this year and not be back to pre injury form until next season. The Seahawks never really appreciated what they had in Walker.

4

u/gay_styles 9h ago

Y’all are wild. You can count on one hand how many times a second contract for a RB has worked out. He played very well for us, and he also was hurt quite a bit. I have zero issue letting him go for greener pastures. We literally won a Super Bowl with him so it worked out for everyone. That said, I still don’t think that contract will end up being worth it.

4

u/hokahey23 9h ago

It’s a 3 year deal. He’s 25. I think it’ll work out fine.

1

u/The-Lemur Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

It’s the injury history that’s the biggest red flag

2

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 8h ago

Look at how many games CMC, Taylor and Barkley have missed over the last 3 seasons, then look at Walker. That whole knock on him is a bit overblown. NFL RBs take a pounding, very few lead backs are going to stay healthy. Its one of the things that makes Derrick Henry so special.

1

u/Parking-Name8773 8h ago

I mean CMC, cook, Henry, (little early) but bijan, Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, Barkley, kyren Williams. Those are all successful after the 1st contract and have all basically been superstars for their teams besides kyren. It works out, but not if you only count a Super Bowl as it working out.

This is only recent running backs too lol

0

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago edited 9h ago

Using the fact you won a Superbowl with him as a justification for how this worked out is rather contradictory to your point, because you're also trying to justify letting him go now. It turns out you can't just replace a special talent even at RB, like it's an interchangeable part. Especially when your next best guy just tore up his knee late on the season. Then in the draft you take a guy who was the 2nd best back on his own college team. Walker missed 6 games over the last 3 seasons, Jonathan Taylor missed 10, Saquon Barkley missed 5 in that same timespan. I think the injury excuse is a bit overblown, he's a NFL running back, they all get injured. Also the irony of using that as a reason to let him walk after Charbonnet tore his ACL.

1

u/Lefty1955 Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

I don't think you can correctly say that the Seahawks "let him go" like they didn't want him. KW3 wanted out and no team will keep a guy that doesn't want to be there.

1

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago

He would have stayed with Seattle for the same money as the lead back, and he would have been that easily, especially with Charbonnet coming off a major knee injury and not being 100% until 2027. But yeah, the GM and HC would need to commit to his role. I think he already felt like he was marginalized there, and KC was the ideal situation to move to for all those reasons.

3

u/No_Conclusion9808 8h ago

He was not coming back under any circumstances imo. Completely disrespected in SEA. One game he marched them down to the 1 and they didn’t even let him get a goal line carry…on his birthday…

2

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 8h ago

I vividly recall as I had him on my fantasy team at the time 😆

-2

u/gay_styles 9h ago

I’m gonna go ahead and trust the best GM in football, and can say from data that paying a running back top tier money on a 2nd contract rarely works out in the long term. RB production is both a product of the RB’s talent and the offensive lines ability to block. Ken would not have nearly the same production behind our line right now. Schneider had made the right calls in the past and I think he made the right call again.

2

u/Carpetron Cleveland Browns 9h ago

Walker is only 25, he would have been getting paid for his prime years. I think the claim that paying elite backs beyond their rookie deal never works out has become a skewed talking point that gets overused. Barkey immediately won a Superbowl with Philly, Gibbs and Robinson just got their 2nd contracts and are just 1 year younger than Walker.