Seahawks Fined, Docked Fifth-Round Pick for Violating Offseason Non-Contact Rules

For the third time in five years, the NFL has penalized the Seattle Seahawks for violating league rules during the offseason. This time, the infractions cost the Seahawks a fifth-round pick in 2017, plus its first three OTA days of 2017, along with a $400,000 fine. In addition, coach Pete Carroll has been fined $200,000.

Here is why, via NFL.com:

The NFL and NFLPA independently reviewed the Seahawks' June 6 on-field practice video and agreed the team violated the "no-live-contact" rule of the collective bargaining agreement.

The rule restricting excessive on-field physical contact during OTAs was put in place to enhance player safety by limiting contact during offseason workouts as well as an attempt to prevent teams from gaining a competitive advantage during summer months.

The Seahawks have been caught twice since 2012 under Carroll, who took over in 2010 after coaching in college at USC. Two years ago, the Seahawks were fined $300,000 for violating non-contact rules during the offseason, and in 2012 they lost OTA days for similar reasons. Carroll has been fined before, as well.

Of the penalties in 2014, which happened after star cornerback Richard Sherman engaged in a fight during an offseason practice, Carroll said to ESPN:

"I'm really disappointed," Carroll said Wednesday after practice. "I don't want to be doing things wrong. I want to do things right and I'd like to show exactly how to do it. We're trying to do things the best you can possibly do it. Unfortunately, this decision makes it look otherwise."

[…]

"I don't feel like the victim. I don't at all. I think we practice in a way that draws attention, and we have for a long time. You know, we're always competing here. That's how we do this. We're trying to do things exactly right. We're not trying to push it over the top."

Perhaps the docking of a draft pick, even a fifth rounder, will force Carroll to comply. He and Seahawks' general manager John Schneider have enjoyed success mining the later rounds for talent; Sherman, for example, was a fifth-rounder in 2011. The penalties this time come with a warning that future sanctions would be more severe.

Carroll left USC in 2010, just before the NCAA hammered his program, along with that of men's basketball coach Tim Floyd, with penalties related to different scandals. Carroll is on the record admitting to "mistakes" at USC, but he also maintains the NCAA was too harsh in punishing the school.

[NFL]