The Facts: Baldwin will remain with the Seahawks. As expected, today’s deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets came and went without Baldwin signing. That means that although he is a free agent, the Seahawks are now the only team he can sign with.
Diehards Line:
Baldwin was tendered at the second-round level, which means any team signing him to an offer sheet would have had to give up a second-round pick in next week’s draft if the Seahawks didn’t match. Baldwin is coming off a solid season (50 catches for 778 yards and five touchdowns), but a second-round pick is a lot to give up, and it would have been a surprise if any team had made him an offer. Although Baldwin may take his time about signing his restricted free agent tender because he’d prefer a long-term contract, PFT's Michael David Smith explained it’s likely that he’ll end up playing the 2014 season on the $2.187 million salary that comes with the second-round tender. And then he’ll either do a new deal with the Seahawks or hit free agency next year.