Julian Love chose the Seattle Seahawks for more than just a paycheck
The Giants offered Julian Love more money, but he chose to play for the Seattle Seahawks for reasons past the almighty dollar.
The Seattle Seahawks have abandoned their old M.O. during the 2023 NFL free agency window. And that change has appeared to be worth it.
Typically, the Seahawks wait until the second or third waves of signing before making any real moves. It offers the franchise an opportunity to get deals on players that the market hasn't valued highly. It is a recipe that has produced many winning seasons. But it is often a difficult formula to sustain season-to-season.
Yet, even though Seattle went star hunting, showing a willingness to spend, the franchise reportedly still signed former Giants safety Julian Love on a bargain contract.
According to The Athletic, Love’s new deal with the Seahawks is “slightly less per year than the Giant’s in-season offer.”
The Seahawks' contract with Love is a two-year deal worth $12 million. He reportedly left the Giants because New York was unwilling to meet his minimum desired contract of $10 million during the season.
So, when Love hit free agency, he visited Seattle and received a $12 million offer which he presented that offer to the New York Giants. They elected not to match the contract. Naturally, Love accepted what the Seahawks offered at that point.
It is clear negotiations between Love and the Giants got messy. And the Seahawks benefited as a byproduct.
Instead of paying a premium number for a quality player's services, the Seahawks were able to secure a quality player at a bargain rate in comparison to the safety market.
One team's trash is another treasure. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is probably already scheming ways to get Love on the field with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. That is a good problem to have. It's clear that Love chose Seattle because the franchise valued him, while, in New York, he was merely another expendable option.
