Kam Chancellor might be the best strong safety in the National Football League. Eric Berry definitely provides some competition, but elite is an apt descriptor for the 27 year old DB. He is currently entering the third year of his contract extension that made him the wealthiest SS in football. With three years left in this once groundbreaking contract, one might wonder what is making Chancellor think he has a chance of actually restructuring his deal. Scratch that, everyone is wondering what is making Chancellor think he has a chance of actually restructuring his deal. Regardless, I wholeheartedly believe Kam Chancellor should continue his holdout, even if it continues into the regular season. Here’s why:
1. The traditional strong safety is a dying position. Very few teams are searching for a player to use like the Seahawks use Kam Chancellor. If Chancellor is going to make more money than he is already making, it is only going to be from the Seahawks.
2. The Seahawks have made it clear that they are willing to pay their starters insane amounts of money while paying their depth players minimum salaries. This creates a situation where any player who gets to start for any amount of time will work as hard as possible to maintain that position. While Chancellor sits out, the Seahawks will be able to see the star power in their depth at the position.
3. Continuing from point 2, the Seattle coaches are among the best in the league at maximizing the talent output of their players. They can turn mediocrity into stars (I didn’t say your name, Doug, please don’t kill me).
4. Behind Chancellor on the depth chart is Chancellor’s own half brother, Keenan Lambert (well, 4th on the depth chart, but still). What makes a more entertaining roster fight than a family feud?
5. I’m a Patriots fan by trade, and the Seahawks gave me a real scare in the Super Bowl this year. If Kam Chancellor holding out stops a rematch, I will gladly accept that. Moving on from my clear bias…
6. A continued hold out will give the Seahawks FO a chance to assert their dominance and prove to other players that they will not accept this sort of behavior from anyone, even a team captain. This is a strong message to send the rest of the team, especially as player continue to believe they are worth more money simply because they play for a winning team.
