The Seahawks decided to release two of their main free agent acquisitions of last season -- linebacker Jamie Sharper and cornerback Andre Dyson. The releases of Sharper and Dyson free up $4.36 million of cap room, but put them possibly in the market for a starting cornerback.
Dyson was scheduled to receive a $3 million roster bonus Friday. Instead of giving him the bonus and keeping his 2006 cap number at $4.26 million, the Seahawks released him, leaving Kelly Herndon and Marcus Trufant as the starting cornerbacks.
The Seahawks also got some extra time to re-sign NFL MVP Shaun Alexander when
the league extended its deadline for free agency by three days.
Seattle now has until Monday to get a deal done with the league
rushing champion.
"Our talks with the club will continue -- now, for the next
three days instead of the next few hours," Alexander's agent, Jim
Steiner, said Thursday evening in a telephone interview from St.
Louis.
Four weeks ago, Steiner said the two sides were "far away" in
talks on an extension -- which Seahawks owner Paul Allen, coach Mike
Holmgren and Alexander himself have all said they expect to
complete. Steiner said Thursday that the sides have made progress
in the last month and are still talking.
Dyson, a five-year veteran from Utah, started seven games for
Seattle last season -- including the Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh.
He missed six games with a strained right hamstring and then a
sprained left ankle.
Sharper, 31, started the first eight games of last season at
outside linebacker before getting a staph infection in his right
knee. He eventually went on the season-ending injured-reserve list.
Rookie linebacker Leroy Hill excelled in his place, making Sharper
and the $17.5 million, five-year contract he signed last April
expendable.
The Seahawks were $11.9 million under the cap before making the move.
John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.