Seattle Seahawks Terminate John Owens' Contract

Published on April 6, 2010 by Seahawk Fanatic     

The Seattle Seahawks have terminated the final year of tight end John Owens’ contract, the team announced on Tuesday.

Owens signed a two-year, $1.9 million dollar contract with the Seahawks last off-season, and would have earned $850,000 from the Seahawks in 2010.

The 6-3, 255-pound tight end from Notre Dame, who entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick (138th overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2002, caught 3 passes for 16 yards during his one season with the Seahawks.

Under new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, the Seahawks offense will feature more two-tight end sets. Under Mike Holmgren in 2008, and Greg Knapp in 2009, the Seahawks used two-tight end sets on 12% (’08) and 16% (’09) of the offensive snaps. Bates’ offense is believed to closely resemble the offense Mike Shanahan ran with the Denver Broncos, where Bates coached from 2006 through 2008.

During those seasons, the Broncos used two-tight end sets on 32% of the snaps (2006, 2007), and 25% in 2008.

Ideally, both tight ends in this system will be threats in the passing game. With Chris Baker signed to a two-year, $4.75 million dollar contract, Owens, primarily a blocking tight end, was deemed expendable.

In addition to Baker, the Seahawks still have starter John Carlson, 2009 seventh-round pick Cameron Morrah, and journeyman tight end Jason Pociask on the roster. The Seahawks are also hosting University of Houston tight end Fendi Onobun at the VMAC today.

Seattle also waived third-year running back Xavier Omon on Tuesday.

Omon, 25, was signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad in Week 11 of last season after being waived by the Buffalo Bills, who had selected him in the sixth-round (179th overall) out of Northwest Missouri State in 2008. Omon appeared in 7 games for the Bills, rushing 27 yards on 11 carries.

Omon (5-11, 220) signed a one-year “Reserve/Futures” contract in January. Had he made the 53-man roster, Omon would have had a base salary of $470,000 in 2010.

Tags: Base Salary, Buffalo Bills, Cameron Morrah, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Dollar Contract, Futures Contract, Jason Pociask, Jeremy Bates, John Carlson, John Owens, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Northwest Missouri State, Passing Game, seahawks offense, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, Tight End, Tight Ends, Xavier Omon