In 2006, the Seahawks responded to the Vikings’ plundering of guard Steve Hutchinson with a poison-pilled seven-year, $49 million offer sheet by inking then-Vikings restricted free agent receiver Nate Burleson to a seven-year, $49 million offer sheet containing provisions that made it impossible (as a practical matter) for Minnesota to match it.
But a year later the deal was restructured, and the balance of it has voided upon completion of the 2009 season.
So with more than six years of service and a contract that has expired, Burleson is ready to hit the open market and get paid again, right?
Wrong.
Our brethren at Rotoworld recently spotted a tweet from Burleson, in which he expresses a desire to stay with the Seahawks.
The fact that he’s a Seattle native might have something to do with that.
It remains to be seen whether the new regime of Pete Carroll and John Schneider will be interested in keeping Burleson, who has been largely a disappointment. After racking up more than 1,000 yards with the Vikings in 2004, Burleson has never broken into four digits since then, maxing out with 812 yards on 63 receptions in 2009.
The fact that Burleson wants to stay in Seattle could prompt the Seahawks to try to squeeze him into taking less money than he could get on the open market. If they squeeze too hard, however, Burleson might decide to simply move on -- just like former Minnesota teammate Matt Birk, a St. Paul native, did a year ago when jumping to Baltimore.
