Seahawks Lose 2017 Draft Pick, More Punishment Revealed for Offseason Violations
The NFL punished the Seattle Seahawks on Monday after determining they violated the rule regarding excessive contact during offseason workouts, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, the Seahawks will forfeit a fifth-round draft pick in 2017 and a week of preseason organized team activities. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported head coach Pete Carroll received a $200,000 fine, while the league docked the Seahawks $400,000.
CSN Bay Area shared a statement from the league explaining Seattle's infractions:
During the team's June 6, 2016 Organized Team Activity (OTA) day, players engaged in excessive on-field physical contact, which is expressly prohibited in all offseason workouts under the NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The prohibition is one of several measures the NFL and NFLPA implemented to enhance player safety by limiting contact during offseason workout programs. The rules also help to prevent any team from gaining a competitive advantage.
Rapoport reported two players were making a play on the ball and collided during a practice session in which the players had removed their helmets.
In June 2012, the NFL punished the Seahawks after it discovered the team had live contact in what should've been a non-contact practice. The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe added that the Seahawks had multiple offenses after that:
For some teams, losing a fifth-round draft pick wouldn't be a significant blow. The Seattle Times' Larry Stone noted, however, how Seattle has found a handful of key players at that stage of the draft before:
This past offseason alone, Seattle lost Bruce Irvin, J.R. Sweezy, Marshawn Lynch, Russell Okung and Brandon Mebane. The Seahawks continue to be Super Bowl contenders because general manager John Schneider is so good at identifying undervalued talent on draft day.
Over the past few years, few franchises have drafted better than the Seahawks. They've used their later-round picks to build the foundation for their success. The absence of a fifth-rounder in 2017 isn't a crushing blow, but it denies the team an additional opportunity to further bolster the squad.
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