The practice police have pulled the Seahawks over again.
The team will pay fines, lose a draft pick as well as OTA sessions for violating the “no-live contact” rule of the collective bargaining agreement during a practice on June 6, according to NFL.com.
This #Seahawks violation occurred during a helmets-off practice that featured a collision between two players going for the ball.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2016
The team will be fined $400,000 and coach Pete Carroll will be fined $200,000. The team has been stripped of its first week of organized team activities as well as its fifth-round draft pick in 2017.
Notable Seahawks fifth-round picks
2016: Alex Collins, Quinton Jefferson
2013: Luke Willson
2011: Richard Sherman
2010: Kam Chancellor— 120 Sports (@120Sports) September 19, 2016
The rules the Seahawks violated were put in place for player safety and to prevent anyone from gaining a competitive advantage, and the Seahawks are repeat offenders. They were fined $300,000 in 2014 and also lost OTA sessions in 2012.
Through its announcement, the league gave the Seahawks a stern lecture, warning that future transgressions could result in the loss of preseason or regular-season practices as well as draft picks in higher rounds.
The Seahawks sure don’t look like they’ve gained much of a competitive advantage this season. They barely squeaked by the Dolphins 12-10 at home in the season opener and lost 9-3 at Los Angeles Sunday.
It’s hard not to believe that every NFL team bends the rules one way or another. If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying. But it seems the Seahawks haven’t learned to do it without getting caught.
