Seahawks sign Tatupu to six year extension

[Large_Ant]

ESPN - Tatupu agrees to six-year extension worth more than $40 million - NFL

Seattle Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell took some criticism in 2005 for trading up in the second-round for USC middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who was considered slightly undersized and a little slow.

Three Pro Bowls and one trip to the Super Bowl later, Tatupu has emerged as the leader of the Seahawks' defense. The leadership was rewarded with a six-year contract extension for $42 million which includes more than $18 million in guarantees.

[viper]

He has been a solid linebacker for you guys. That's a great move for you. Congrats.

Personally, I would have preferred that he had been traded to someone like the Jets, so that we wouldn't have to face him at least twice a year.

[TekeRam]

Everyone criticized them for taking him that early and he's done nothing but prove them right ever since. As you say Viper, unfortunately, we have to play him twice.

[Large_Ant]

I think the biggest compliment he ever got was from Steven Jackson. We as fans talk about who is good all day but when a player that actually plays against you says something, it carries a lot of weight.

ESPN - Pro Bowl defenders - Fantasy Football

Despite being a USC fan too, I admit that I was one of the ones who raised their eyebrow when we actually traded up to get him. He's proven me wrong big time. I'm especially glad to see this deal get done because Tatupu is the exact type of guy that the Patriots go after and Tatupu grew up in Boston because his dad (like Matt Hasselbeck's dad) is a former Patriot. I just knew he would bolt to New England in free agency.

If you look around our division, MLB is probably the strongest position. Each of the four teams have a pretty good guy manning the middle (Tatupu, Witherspoon, Dansby, and Willis).

[Striped_Kramer]

Originally Posted by Large_Ant

I'm especially glad to see this deal get done because Tatupu is the exact type of guy that the Patriots go after and Tatupu grew up in Boston because his dad (like Matt Hasselbeck's dad) is a former Patriot. I just knew he would bolt to New England in free agency.

If you look around our division, MLB is probably the strongest position. Each of the four teams have a pretty good guy manning the middle (Tatupu, Witherspoon, Dansby, and Willis).

Pffft... he's waaaayy too young to be a Patriots linebacker...

Anyway, great move by your FO, although like everyone else outside of Washington, I was hoping you'd trade him out of the division...