Free Agent RB Michael Bush Making A Visit To Seattle

The free agent running back market has been quiet thus far in the 2012 NFL free agency period, but things should soon be heating up with several good backs on the market, including RB Michael Bush, formerly of the Oakland Raiders. Bush already visited the Chicago Bears, and he'll be visiting the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Seattle Seahawks are now on his visit list. The Seahawks' big move in free agency has been the addition of QB Matt Flynn, who agreed to a three-year deal over the weekend.

The Seattle visit is reportedly on Tuesday.

The Bengals are losing Cedric Benson in free agency, so he would be the main option in Cincinnati. In Chicago, he would be playing alongside Matt Forte, who received the franchise tag. In Seattle, he would be splitting time with Marshawn Lynch, who received a multi-year contract this year.

Among those teams, the Bengals are probably the best fit. It also doesn't hurt Bush that the Bengals have a boatload of salary cap space.

For more on the Bengals, visit Cincy Jungle. For more on the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. And for more on the Seahawks, visit Field Gulls.

After bouncing between the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn has made his decision. On Sunday, Flynn signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn was part of the game of quarterback roulette going on recently, with Peyton Manning, Alex Smith and others all wheeling around looking for new homes.

The financial terms come from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Filed to ESPN: Matt Flynn has agreed to terms witj Seattle on a 3-yr contract worth up to $26M w/$10M guaranteed.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2012

The Seahawks later confirmed they have reached an agreement with Flynn, though terms were not disclosed.

Seattle has been looking for a long-term answer at quarterback after signing Tarvaris Jackson during the fast-paced free agency period following the lockout. Jackson appeared to be seen as more of a stop-gap, with Seattle biding its time while exploring other options through the draft or, perhaps, free agency.

Flynn has shown well when given the chance, but has been, until now, a career backup, playing behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. What the Seahawks are getting is a bit of an unknown, but at these financial terms it seems like a risk worth taking.

For more on Flynn and his next team, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For more on the Seahawks, head over to the SB Nation blog Field Gulls.

The Seattle Seahawks are now officially in the thick of their offseason. NFL free agency began Tuesday, with players flying all over the country to meet with teams desperate to court them. It appears at least one player, however, didn't have to travel at all to find his desired deal.

Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network reports that the Seattle Seahawks will be re-signing defensive lineman Red Bryant. This is sure to be a big relief for the Seahawks, who will be happy to retain a key component of their defense.

ESPN.com reports that the deal will be for five years and will be worth $35 million, with $14.5 million in guarantees. Bryant now stays in Seattle, where he has been since being selected by the Seahawks in the 2008 NFL draft.

For more on the decision to resign Bryant, check out SB Nation's Seahawks blog, Field Gulls. And for more on Seattle sports, visit SB Nation Seattle.

NFL free agent season is now underway. Players all over the country will be meeting with teams in the coming weeks as the scramble to field the best possible squad in 2012 begins in earnest.

One of the players looking for a place to land is quarterback Chad Henne. Henne is meeting with several teams this week. According to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com, Henne already has a meeting planned with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who could certainly use some help on offense in the upcoming season.

Henne played in just four games during his 2011 season with the Miami Dolphins. In his fourth start against the San Diego Chargers, Henne injured his non-throwing arm, an injury later revealed to be a separated shoulder. The injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season.

The quarterback will also reportedly visit the Seattle Seahawks this week.

For more on the Jaguars, check out Big Cat Country.

The Seattle Seahawks, who won five of their last eight games in the 2011 season but still came up short of the playoffs, have a little of money to kick around to improve their team in the 2012 free agency period. With a tough defense and Skittles-fueled running back Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks are likely in the best position to battle for the top spot in the NFC West with the 49ers (that is if the Arizona Cardinals don't land Peyton Manning).

When it comes to free agency, the Seahawks have re-signed their biggest potential free agency, Lynch, but it looks as if they will likely be parting ways with defensive lineman Red Bryant and linebacker David Hawthorne, who are both likely to test the market. The Seahawks aren't in the red when it comes to cap space but that doesn't mean that they have unlimited funds either.

The biggest need for the Seahawks is likely a new quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson isn't the answer at the position and even though it looks like Manning isn't interested in becoming a Seahawk, there is always Matt Flynn, who has shined for the Packers in his limited opportunities. The Seahawks would likely have to give up a decent amount of money to grab Flynn as there are surely other teams interested, but if they're convinced Flynn is the guy for them, they likely have the money to make it happen.

For more free agency updates, visit SB Nation's Seahawks blog, Field Gulls.

The Seattle Seahawks are expected to part ways with a longtime member of the team. Marcus Trufant will be released, according to the Seattle Times. The Seahawks picked him up nine years ago in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

He was in the middle of a six-year, $50 million deal and plenty of people predicted he would be on his way out. He met with team officials on Wednesday and the move is expected to soon be official.

Trufant will have some market value left, despite injuries in recent years. He missed six games in the 2009 season and all but four last year due to injury. He's 31 years old but someone will take a shot on him. He will become a free agent as soon as he's released.

Trufant was the longest-tenured member of the Seahawks.

For more on the decision to release Trufant, check out SB Nation's Seahawks blog, Field Gulls. And for more on Seattle sports, visit SB Nation Seattle.

The Seattle Seahawks reached a new deal with running back Marshawn Lynch late Sunday evening to avoid being forced to place the franchise tag on him. The new deal will pay Lynch $31 million over four years, according to a report by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The team announced within the past half hour that the Seahawks and Lynch have agreed to terms. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it's a four-year, $31 million contract with $18 million guaranteed.

Florio notes that Lynch will likely get a big chunk of guaranteed money in the 2012 season. Lynch was acquired by the Seahawks in a trade with the Buffalo Bills during the 2010 season. The running back made his first Pro Bowl in 2011, rushing for over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns.

For more on Lynch's contract situation and the Seattle Seahawks, be sure to check out Seahawks blog Field Gulls.

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms Sunday with RB Marshawn Lynch, allowing them to avoid placing the franchise tag on the free agent RB:

Marshawn Lynch (@moneylynch) has signed multiyear contract with Seahawks shwks.com/8nfd

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 5, 2012

Lynch, a fifth year 5'11 215 RB, was the Seahawks leading rusher in each of the last two seasons.

Seattle picked him up in a trade with the Buffalo Bills four games into the 2010 season. Lynch finished the year with 573 yards and six touchdowns, with the highlight coming on his memorable 67-yard rumble through the New Orleans Saints defense in the Seahawks first-round playoff upset.

He posted career highs in yards (1,204) and TDs (13) in 2011, becoming the first Seattle RB to get over 1,000 yards in a season since Shaun Alexander. He was also named as an alternate to the 2011 Pro Bowl.

His signing gives the Seahawks flexibility in the free agent market as they try to return to the top of the NFC West in Pete Carroll's third year with the franchise.

Tight end John Carlson of the Seattle Seahawks is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. The Seahawks are likely to use their franchise tag in order to retain star running back Marshawn Lynch, so it is likely that Carlson could soon be testing the waters of the open market.

Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Cleveland Browns are very much interested in signing Carlson during the offseason. The Browns are attempting to drastically rebuild their offense for the 2012 season. They're likely candidates to make a splash on a bevy of offensive prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, and with the No. 4 overall pick they are perfectly positioned for either a huge name or a boatload of picks and players in exchange for their spot in the draft order.

For more on the John Carlson and the Seahawks, visit Field Gulls. For updates on the Cleveland Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature. Head over to SB Nation NFL for more on the upcoming 2012 offseason.

Coming off a rather monstrous year, it should come as little surprise that the Seattle Seahawks are in serious talks with running back Marshawn Lynch in an attempt to bring him back for a third season. They are so intent on bringing him back that General Manager John Schneider is apparently even considering placing the Franchise Tag on the 25-year-old.

#Seahawks GM John Schneider also said Lynch is a candidate to receive franchise tag should a deal not be reached.

— Danny O'Neil (@dannyoneil) February 23, 2012

It's been quite a journey for Lynch, who was basically considered washed up at the ripe-old-age of 24 when he joined the Seahawks during last season after a trade from the Buffalo Bills. He scored six touchdowns in 12 regular-season games and then had a breakout performance against the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.

This year, he took it to another level and even eclipsed his previous career-highs in rushing yards (1,204) and touchdowns (13). That was more rushing yards and touchdowns than he'd had in the previous two seasons combined.

For more on Lynch's contract situation, be sure to check out Seahawks blog Field Gulls.