NFL Media analyst and former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson said he has spoken with holdout safety Kam Chancellor nearly every day during his six-week hiatus from the team in search of a better deal.
On Sunday during GameDay First, Robinson shared some of what he's learned (emphasis mine):
"He does a lot of Pete Carroll's dirty work," Robinson said."He talks to players who need talking to because again, Pete doesn't accentuate the negative. You talk about his sacrifice on the field, he's probably the one guy in the National Football League that can set your edge from the defensive end position on the outside part of your defense. He's also a guy that drops in the box, he's also a guy that plays middle-of-the-field safety and gets interceptions ... he's Bam Bam, he's the face of this team, he's the guy they all go to. So I think he'll be sorely missed.
"He's a guy who, he lines (safety) Earl Thomas up, that's what he told me this week. I said Kam, I played with you for four years and I didn't even know that."
The two are friends, which should be noted. But Thomas essentially said the same thing this week during an interview with reporters in Seattle, noting that "I depended on Kam to say, 'You need to get on this side or that side.' It put me in my playbook a little bit more. I rely on instinct, and Kam was more the mental guy."
It's also worth noting what Robinson and Chancellor are suggesting about the way Carroll disciplines his players. While many coaches favor a player-based system of checks and balances, it would be interesting to see just how many players feel Carroll pawns off a crucial aspect of his job to guys like Chancellor.
Update: NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Chancellor and the Seahawks have negotiated in camp. As stated earlier this week, the two still remain less than a million apart.
Per Rapoport, Chancellor also wants his fines wiped away. The Seahawks haven't been willing to waive all of the fines, yet. It is believed Chancellor will not show up unless he's compensated monetarily, per sources informed of the situation.
