Krieg Could Become Highest-Paid Hawk -- Qb One Of 10 Starters Whose Contracts Expire
Now that Steve Largent has settled into retirement, Dave Krieg probably will succeed him as the highest-paid Seattle Seahawk in history.
During almost seven seasons as Seattle's starting quarterback, Krieg saw his base salary rise to $950,000 last year at the end of a
three-year contract. In negotiations that could start soon, he will seek a substantial increase, almost certain to top the $1.35 million Largent received in his final season and unquestionably above running back Curt Warner's base salary of $1.1 million.
But Krieg's agent, Doug Baldwin, said he has not ``zeroed in on a number.''
``It's a matter of finding a comfort zone for David and for the Seahawks,'' Baldwin said.
Baldwin intends to open negotiations soon, he said, with Seahawk President Tom Flores in an effort to reach an early agreement.
``I don't see any advantage in waiting,'' Baldwin said. ``I'd like to get it done early. I'll give Tom a call and see when he wants to get the ball rolling.''
Krieg, who will be 32 next season, is among 25 Seahawks who will become restricted free agents Feb. 1 when their present contracts expire.
However, Baldwin said he has no thoughts of shopping around to determine what Krieg might command on the open market, partly because there is no open market as such for football's restricted free agents.
NFL players who become restricted free agents are eligible to sign with other teams. But the present compensation is two first-round draft choices for almost any front-line player. In addition, any offer may be matched by the player's present team.
``It's a free agent year for David, but it doesn't have nearly the significance of baseball free agency,'' Baldwin said. ``I don't think anybody out there wants to spend all of those draft choices on anybody. ``In David's case, he has never expressed a desire to leave here. He and Sue love the place.''
Several NFL quarterbacks, including Joe Montana, John Elway, Warren Moon and Bernie Kosar, have salaries of more than $2 million a year.
``I've done enough background work on the whole quarterback history,'' Baldwin said. ``Six of them exceed $2 million, and six or seven have done lifetime contracts.''
Krieg's contract is one of 10 involving Seahawk starters that will be addressed by Flores. Others whose contracts will expire are center Grant Feasel, tackle Mike Wilson, defensive end Jeff Bryant, linebackers Dave Wyman, Darren Comeaux and M.L. Johnson, cornerbacks Dwayne Harper and Patrick Hunter and safety Nesby Glasgow.
Linebacker Rufus Porter, who made the AFC Pro Bowl squad as a specialist, also will become a free agent. Porter, whose base salary last year was $77,000, could receive the largest percentage increase of any Seahawk.
The contract expirations probably will have little or no impact on the makeup of the Seahawks' 37-man protected list, which must be submitted to the league by Feb. 1.
However, several key decisions must be made in relation to the list. Seattle must determine, for instance, whether to protect linebacker Brian Bosworth, whose future value depends on how he recovers from injuries to both shoulders. Predicting Bosworth's future health is like having a meteorologist forecast next July's weather.
If Bosworth is left unprotected, thus becoming an unrestricted free agent, he could be signed by another team during the Plan B process from Feb. 1 to April 1. But it is doubtful another team would top the contract Bosworth has with the Seahawks, which calls for $600,000 this year, $700,000 next year and includes an injury protection clause, which amounts to a guarantee, for both seasons.
Should Bosworth sign with another team, the Seahawks would be free of his contract. The gamble is that Bosworth might overcome his ailments and eventually become the impact player the Seahawks expected when they got him in the 1987 supplemental draft.
The status of Warner, whose contract escalates to $1.1 million this year and $1.21 million in 1991, also is unclear. Warner had his worst season in 1989, and the Seahawks may decide to replace him with last year's rookies, Elroy Harris and Derrick Fenner.
If the Bosworth and Warner salaries were eliminated, along with the $1.35 million no longer going to Largent, the Seahawks would have roughly $3 million available. That could go a long way toward satisfying Krieg and the other unsigned veterans, as well as dipping into the Plan B market and paying top draft choices.
Seahawk probables . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PROBABLE PROTECTED LIST (37)
Offense:
WR - Brian Blades, Tommy Kane, Louis Clark.
TE - Travis McNeal, Robert Tyler.
QB - Dave Krieg, Kelly Stouffer.
RB - Curt Warner, Elroy Harris, Derrick Fenner.
FB - John L. Williams, James Jones.
OT - Andy Heck, Ron Mattes, Mike Wilson.
OG - Edwin Bailey, Bryan Millard, Warren Wheat.
C - Grant Feasel, Joe Tofflemire.
K - Norm Johnson.
Defense:
DE - Jacob Green, Jeff Bryant.
NT - Joe Nash, Roy Hart.
OLB - Tony Woods, M.L. Johnson, Rufus Porter.
ILB - Darren Comeaux, Dave Wyman.
CB - Dwayne Harper, Patrick Hunter, James Jefferson, Mel Jenkins.
S - Eugene Robinson, David Hollis.
P - Ruben Rodriguez.
PROBABLE UNPROTECTED (23)
WR - Steve Largent # , Paul Skansi, Jeff Chadwick, John Javis#, Willie Bouyer#, Jim Sandusky.
TE - Donnie Dee, Rod Jones, Harper Le Bel.
QB - Jeff Kemp.
RB - Kevin Harmon.
OG - Darrick Brilz, Pat Pearson.
DE - Jethro Franklin, Elston Ridgle.
OLB - Joe Cain.
ILB - Brian Bosworth, Darrin Miller, Rod Stephens.
CB - Richard Shelton#.
S - Nesby Glasgow, Thom Kaumeyer, Paul Moyer.
# Retired.
# Automatic free agents as development squad players.
PLAYERS WITH CONTRACTS EXPIRING (25)
WR - Largent, Bouyer, Javis.
TE - Dee, R. Jones.
QB - Krieg, Kemp.
OL - Feasel, Wilson, Mattes.
DE - Bryant, Ridgle.
LB - Johnson, Porter, Comeaux, Wyman, Miller, Stephens.
DB - Harper, Hunter, Jenkins, Shelton, Glasgow, Hollis.
P - Rodriguez.
PLAYERS IN OPTION YEAR (8)
WR - Clark, Chadwick, Sandusky.
FB - J. Jones.
OL - Brilz, Pearson.
DL - Franklin.
LB - Cain.