The San Diego Chargers could be close to resolutions with holdouts Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson. One might stay, and one might go.
The Seattle Seahawks confirmed Friday that they have been granted permission to negotiate with Jackson, but a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora that neither a contract agreement with the Pro Bowl wide receiver nor a trade with the Chargers is close. That could change over time, but the process isn't far along right now.
The source also said the Chargers haven't given McNeill permission to talk with other teams. That news comes two days after the two-time Pro Bowl left tackle reportedly meet with Chargers general manager A.J. Smith so he could better understand where the team stood on his contract.
As restricted free agents, Jackson were tendered at $3.268 million and McNeill at $3.168 million this offseason, but they want long-terms that the Chargers appear unwilling to give. The players didn't sign their tenders by the June 15 deadline, so they each forfeited approximately $2.5 million because the team exercised its right to lower the dollar amount.
McNeill and Jackson are believed to be willing to sit out the first 10 games of this year, returning for the final six in order to accrue a season toward unrestricted free agency. However, if the Chargers place McNeill and Jackson on the roster exempt list, that could force them to move up their returns since they couldn't play for three games after signing.
Jackson, who has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, also has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.
The Seahawks have spent the offseason revamping their roster, including at receiver, where they'd like an upgrade because of T.J. Houshmandzadeh's lowered production, Deion Branch's injury issues and Nate Burleson's free-agent departure to the Detroit Lions. The Seahawks spent a second-round draft pick on Notre Dame's Golden Tate and are giving former first-rounder Mike Williams another shot at the NFL.
The Washington Redskinsalso have been intrigued by Jackson. The Redskins have shown a willingness to deal draft picks for established players, and Jackson -- a tall receiver who can split safeties -- would fit a key role in new coach Mike Shanahan's offense. The Redskins also have been one of the NFL's highest-spending teams under owner Dan Snyder and have a history of rewarding players with big contracts after trading for them (Clinton Portis, Brandon Lloyd and Santana Moss, for example).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
