- DK Metcalf: 22.23 MPH.
- Chase Brown: 22.05 MPH.
- Tyreek Hill: 22.01 MPH.
- Devon Achane: 21.93 MPH.
- Kavontae Turpin: 21.91 MPH.
- Derrick Henry: 21.68 MPH.
- Raheem Mostert: 21.62 MPH.
- Kenneth Walker III: 21.56 MPH.
But IS D.K. Metcalf Worth The Trouble, Though?
Posted on
October 18, 2024
The argument behind keeping D.K. Metcalf in a Seahawks uniform is that, yeah, we’re all aware of his shortcomings; we see them every single ******* game. He drops balls. He fumbles. He seems to average at least one asinine penalty per game. He runs poor routes. He’s a target of other teams, and can’t keep his emotions in check. And he has the occasional outburst on the sidelines. I would also question whether he’s a good role model for younger receivers on this team, but that’s based on my own biases against diva receivers in general. We take most, if not all, of that for a given, and say, in spite of all of that, D.K. Metcalf is worth the trouble for what he brings to the table. Speed, physical toughness, a big target in the red zone, a guy who can take a play to the house from anywhere on the field.
But,
is he actually worth the trouble?
Because what I didn’t get into in that first paragraph is what his contract looks like. He’s a guy earning $24 million per year on average. But, actually, his contract is severely ******, due to salary cap mismanagement. 2025 is technically the final year of his deal, but there are three void years tacked onto it. If he plays it out as is, he will count over $31 million against our cap next year; then, there will be an automatic cap hit of a little over $7 million in 2026 for a guy who might not even be here.
D.K. Metcalf will be 29 in 2026. That’s right on the edge of where you absolutely DON’T want to pay a receiver a ****-ton of money. What are the top guys making now? $30 mil per season? D.K. Metcalf is pretty ******* far from the top guys (I’m talking Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, and the like), yet you know he’s going to want to be paid like one. And he’s probably going to want that new deal BEFORE the 2025 season starts, lest he hold out like every other overpaid crybaby NFL player.
Look, it’s a rarity when we get through an entire game without a soul-crushing D.K. Metcalf negative. That’s just a fact. We’re always looking back – even in his GOOD games – and saying, “Well, it could’ve been great if his holding penalty didn’t call back a big play.” Or if he didn’t drop a would-be third down conversion. Or if he could just get two ******* feet down in bounds the way even a mediocre NFL receiver can. The games where we can say D.K. was clean are in the vast minority. And this is a guy you want to pay $30+ million and keep into his early 30s?
I don’t think he’s even remotely worth it. I think he’s right now in the prime of his career; at some point (probably soon), he’s going to be on the downside. Even at his very best, when his athletic talents are at their peak, and his football knowledge is higher than it’s ever been, he’s still barely a net positive (and, sometimes, especially against good teams, he’s an actual net negative). It’s one thing to get a great D.K. game against the Panthers or some ****; but, when has he ever shown up against the Rams or 49ers? I would argue not very often, if ever.
I also wonder how this offense would look if the quarterback didn’t feel compelled to throw it to D.K. 12 times a game. What happens if JSN is this team’s #1 receiver? Is he able to blossom into the #1 wide receiver he was drafted to be? Because as it is, I feel JSN’s growth is being stunted by this giant redwood he was planted next to, soaking up all the rain and sun, leaving very little left over for the talented second-year player.
Just, you know, personally, from a pure fan perspective, I’m exhausted with D.K. I tend to gravitate towards ******* players. I loved Richard Sherman. I still have a soft spot for Earl Thomas, even though he seems to be persona non grata due to his off-the-field antics. I’m almost always the guy who says, “Yeah, he’s an *******, but he’s OUR *******.”
But, there’s nothing I enjoy about D.K.’s assholery. If he acts up too flamboyantly, he will have a flag thrown on him. If he blocks someone too aggressively, he’ll probably be called for holding or unnecessary roughness. If he speaks up in any way, he’s got an entire defense trying to goad him into doing something stupid for a personal foul penalty, because
he’s too stupid to understand the limits of what he can say or do on a football field after 5+ seasons in the league. And sure, it’s fun to watch him run over and through smaller defenders, but I’m always doing it with one eye closed out of fear that he’s going to have the ball punched out of his hands as he tries to gain an extra foot or two of field position. The greatest highs are regularly taken away from us thanks to one D.K. blunder or another, and frankly it makes me sick to my stomach. I’m in constant fear of another fumble or another flag.
D.K. Metcalf has long been this team’s best and most talented receiver. But, we don’t get to enjoy him the way other fanbases get to enjoy their team’s top receivers. We have to sit here and hope he doesn’t embarrass us, game-in and game-out. I’m over it.
If the Seahawks aren’t able to trade him now, in the middle of this season, then I think they have to strongly consider doing it after the year is over. Get what you can for him, take the cap hit in 2025, and put our future savings to better use along the offensive and/or defensive lines. Ideally, you trade him now, send him to Dallas where he belongs, and fleece an old man for some quality draft capital.
