Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks declined Monday to pick up the 2016 contract option for LB Bruce Irvin, meaning the team’s 2012 first-round pick will hit the free agent market next year barring an extension.
Irvin summarily exercised his option to vent on Twitter and didn’t hold back in assessing the team’s decision.
In one sense, it’s perfectly understandable a competitor like Irvin would be upset after receiving the tacit message that the two-time defending NFC champs don’t value him enough to lock in his rights for the next two seasons.
On the other hand, he has only averaged 5.5 sacks in his three seasons and can be a loose cannon in the media – his angry tweets just the latest example.
And, most importantly, the Seahawks must allocate their future cap space first to the far more vital members of Irvin’s 2012 draft class: QB Russell Wilson and MLB Bobby Wagner, the team’s all-pro defensive signal caller. LT Russell Okung’s contract also expires following the 2015 season.
You’re a nice situational player, Bruce, and you’ve hardly maxed out your potential. But take a number and don’t be surprised if you’re told to blossom in another uniform. Your superior teammates clearly deserve precedence.
