Gee Scott: Seahawks have made offer to Brandon Mebane, three other teams interested

According to Gee Scott, three other teams in addition to Seattle are interested in Brandon Mebane. (AP)

Monday marks the beginning of what’s know as the “legal tampering” period in NFL free agency, a window in which teams can negotiate with agents before the signing period opens on Wednesday.

There won’t be any conclusive news until then, and in the case of defensive tackle Brandon Mebane – one of seven Seahawks starters who are set to become unrestricted free agents – that may not come right away.

But in the meantime we can gain a sense of what the market will be like for Mebane’s services. Gee Scott of 710 ESPN Seattle shed some light on that Monday with a tweet that included two pieces of information: Seattle has made an offer to Mebane and three other teams are interested.

Teams have not been prohibited from negotiating with their own free agents, so the Seahawks could have made their offer to Mebane at any time. It’s not known what that offer is worth nor how long it’s for, but we can make a few educated guesses based on the particulars of his situation, which we detailed last week.

The Seahawks wanted Mebane to take a pay-cut last offseason that would have reduced his base salary of $5.5 million for the final year of his deal, which means it’s hard to imagine that their current offer is worth anywhere near that much. And considering Mebane is 31, it’s likely a short-term deal.

Mebane expressed his desire to remain in Seattle – which has been his only NFL home – when he joined “Justin and Gee” last week. That said, he and any other player in his position would presumably want to test the market to see if there’s a better offer elsewhere. That market, according to Scott’s report, includes at least three other teams, which means it’s possible that Seattle’s offer doesn’t end up being the biggest one.

As Danny O’Neil noted in his latest column, Mebane is the type of free agent whose situation probably won’t be finalized until the second wave of the signing period, after the big-budget deals are given out and the top players are off the market. The next news on Mebane could be about whatever visit he has lined up.

Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin is one of those top-tier free agents who figures to sign a big deal right away. An NFL Network report on Monday stated that the Cardinals are making a strong push for Irvin, but Jacksonville and Atlanta remain the most likely destinations.

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