La Canfora: Seahawks DE Chris Clemons agrees to 3-year extension

With first-round pick Bruce Irvin seemingly ready to take over one side of the defensive line for the Seahawks, it now appears Clemons will have the chance to rush from the opposite side for the next few years. Jason La Canfora reports he has signed a three-year extension with Seattle.

By Josh Katzowitz

Jul 23, 2012 at 8:48 pm ET • 1 min read

Presumably, Clemons and his team have made up. (US Presswire)

With Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons entering the final year of his contract and set to earn a base salary of $4.5 million, the two sides have been haggling for months over a new extension. Little progress, though, had been made and Clemons missed OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp to express his displeasure (and taking a chance that his salary would be reduced by $1 million as a result).

But with 2012 first-round pick Bruce Irvin on the roster, it now appears Clemons will have the chance to continue rushing the edge in Seattle for the next few years.

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora is reporting that the two sides have agreed to a three-year deal. The money details are not yet known.

Clemons has been one of Seattle’s better defenders in recent years, recording back-to-back 11-sack seasons the past two years as Pro Football Focus ranked Clemons the ninth-best 4-3 defensive end in the NFL last season and No. 4 in 2010.

Apparently, Clemons wanted a deal similar to that of Miami’s Cameron Wake, who signed a four-year deal worth $49 million this offseason with $20 million guaranteed.

UPDATED (July 24; 12:28 p.m. ET): According to La Canfora, this is a three-year deal but it replaces the 2012 season he had in his original contract. Therefore, the new deal runs through 2014, and it averages more than $7 million per season.

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