Seattle, WA
Why the Seahawks should pick up the fifth year option of Charles Cross
With another season in the books, fans of the Seattle Seahawks can look back and once again complain about the poor play of the offensive line. It’s been a common theme for more than a decade, persevering through changes to the coaching staff, scheme and personnel.
The Seahawks have experienced various levels of success during that time period, from hoisting a Lombardi Trophy after dismantling the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, to stumbling into last place with an injured Russell Wilson at the helm in 2021. However, through it all one fact remains true, and that is that as the twenty year anniversary of Walter Jones inking a seven-year, $52.5M contract with Seattle on February 16, 2005, that remains the single largest contract the Hawks have given to an offensive lineman in franchise history.
So minimal has spending on the offensive line for the Seahawks been over the past decade and a half that two of the largest single season cap hits for Seattle offensive linemen in franchise history are from contracts that were signed prior to the adoption of the previous CBA in 2011. For those curious, here are the top twelve largest single season cap hits for offensive linemen in franchise history, and, yes, the list was expanded from ten to twelve for a specific reason.
- 1: Duane Brown (2020: $12.75M)
- 2: Russell Okung (2014: $11.24M)
- 3: Duane Brown (2019: $10.85M)
- 4: Duane Brown (2021: $9.85M)
- 5: Walter Jones (2009: $9.8M)
- 6: Russell Okung (2013: $9.54M)
- 7: Russell Okung (2014: $8.96M)
- 8: Russell Okung (2011: $8.8M)
- 9T: Walter Jones (2007: $8.6M)
- 9T: Walter Jones (2008: $8.6M)
- 11: Justin Britt (2019: $7.92M)
- 12: Luke Joeckel (2017: $7.69M)
The reason this is brought up is because between now and early May the Seahawks front office will need to make a decision on the fifth year option of 2022 first round pick left tackle Charles Cross. As Field Gulls Managing Editor Mookie Alexander noted earlier in January, the fifth year option for Cross is projected to be $18.424M, which would instantly take over the top spot as the largest single season cap hit for a Seahawks offensive lineman in franchise history in pure dollar amounts.
In any case, regardless of where the fifth year option would fall for Cross relative to historic cap hits for Seattle offensive linemen, the reality is that his performance on the field has shown him to be a young up and comer, and with youth on his side an ability to continue to develop. Specifically, the Seahawks left Cross alone on an island at an unusually high rate during the 2024 season, and he outperformed expectations relative to the pass rushers he was tasked with blocking when left without help from a guard, tight end or running back.
So, for those who have questioned what Cross has done to warrant having the fifth year option exercised or to be signed to a large extension, the answer is right here. His on field performance puts him on par with guys like Dion Dawkins, Trent Williams, Kolton Miller, Orlando Brown, Spencer Brown and other high performing, but not quite elite, tackles, and Cross is doing that while having just turned 24 in late November.
In short, he’s performing at a high level, and he’s doing it at a very young age. That’s the type of player that teams more often than not opt to extend, so here is what some of the players who fall in the area around Cross on that chart are earning on non-rookie contracts.
- Dion Dawkins: 3-years, $60.2M
- Kolton Miller: 3-years, $54.01M
- Orlando Brown: 4-years, $64.1M
- Spencer Brown: 4-years, $72M
- Trent Williams: 3-years, $82M
Those numbers, combined with the $18.424M projection for the fifth year option, provide the base level for where the conversation about any extension Cross might sign starts. Now it’s a matter of waiting to see whether John Schneider remains true to past form and opts to let Cross walk, or whether he takes over as the highest paid offensive lineman in franchise history.
It should be a no brainer. But then again, decisions that felt like no brainers in the past haven’t always been made the way fans thought they should have been made.
CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling New York Mets placed former Seattle Mariners second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist contusion.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Robles, Vargas and more
The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Polanco went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old Polanco is batting .179 (10 for 56) with a homer and two RBIs in his first season with New York, which has lost nine straight.
“When doctors first took a look at him, it looked like he got hit by a pitch when he didn’t,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “In talking to him, it was just a couple of swings that he took that night. … He didn’t think much of it, but just got worse the following day.
“So you just got to let it calm down a little bit and then we’ll go from there. But we don’t have a timetable for how long this is going to last.”
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets in December, also has been dealing with an ankle issue.
“He was trending in the right direction,” Mendoza said of the ankle injury. “It’s definitely going to help, obviously now with him being shut down. But the biggest thing now is that we’ve got to take care of that wrist.”
Polanco spent the previous two seasons with the Mariners, who acquired him in a February 2024 trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Polanco struggled during his first season with Seattle in 2024, hitting just .213 with 16 homers in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn’t become public knowledge until after the season.
But after the Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought him back for a one-year contract in 2025, Polanco rebounded to hit .265 with 26 homers and an .821 OPS in 138 games last season. He then added three homers during Seattle’s playoff run, along with a 15th-inning walkoff single in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that sent the Mariners to their first ALCS in 24 years.
Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment
Seattle, WA
Brandon Nimmo hits leadoff homer, Jacob deGrom works 4 scoreless as Rangers beat Seattle Mariners 5-0
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 17: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff home run, Jacob deGrom threw four shutout innings and Gavin Collyer earned his first career win as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
Seattle lost its fourth straight game, and was shut out for the fourth time in 21 games, falling to 8-13. The Mariners were shut out six times during the 2025 season. Texas won its third straight game.
Nimmo led off the game with a 372-foot shot to right field off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (1-3). It was Nimmo’s 16th career leadoff homer and second of the season. He also hit a leadoff home run on April 11 in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
DeGrom effectively maneuvered through Seattle’s lineup, and worked out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The two-time Cy Young Award winner recorded two of his three strikeouts after walking Josh Naylor to load the bases. Randy Arozarena fanned on a curveball, and Luke Raley swung through a fastball.
Texas added to its lead after Nimmo’s homer. Wyatt Langford’s single to left scored Corey Seager, who led off the third inning with a double. The Rangers stretched the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jake Burger in the seventh.
The Mariners’ best scoring chance came in the sixth after Collyer (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, left the game.
J.P. Crawford singled to left off Tyler Alexander with two out, and Mariners third base coach Carlos Cardoza sent Naylor from second base, but he was thrown out by Langford.
Texas added two more runs in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI double by Josh Jung.
Seattle third baseman Brendan Donovan left the game early due to a left hip issue.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who started the year on the injured list with a left oblique injury, was at T-Mobile Park for the first time this season. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday.
Up next
Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 3.25) will face Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Saturday afternoon.
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FIFE, Wash. – A portion of southbound I-5 will be closed overnight in Fife Friday and Saturday night, according to WSDOT.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says the purpose of the closure is to install a new electronic sign and will need two nights to do it.
Crews will close southbound I-5 from 54th Avenue to Port of Tacoma Road starting at 11 p.m. Friday night until 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Closures will resume Saturday night starting at 11 p.m. as well, and lanes will reopen Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m.
WSDOT says the closure will include the 54th Avenue ramps to southbound I-5.
Detours for weekend I-5 closure in Fife, WA
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
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