Gauging Shaun Alexander's role

Shaun Alexander was expected back in the Seattle area on Monday.

The question of whether he'll be back with the Seahawks next season remains unanswered, however.

The team officially announced the signing of free-agent running back Julius Jones on Monday on what the team said is a multiyear agreement. According to a report on the league's Web site, it is a four-year agreement that will pay Jones $5.5 million the first year. He comes to Seattle after playing the past four seasons in Dallas.

Now, the question is whether that addition to the backfield will be followed by the subtraction of Alexander, the 2005 NFL MVP and the franchise's leading career rusher who is coming off a season in which he averaged 3.5 yards per carry, lowest in his career.

On Monday night, Alexander's agent, Jim Steiner, told The Associated Press he would be talking with the team.

"We're going to have some discussions with the Seahawks in the next few days," Steiner said in a telephone interview with the AP. "It will be about the running back situation there."

Steiner did not comment on whether Alexander was asked to restructure his contract, which was signed after his MVP season. Representatives at Steiner's office have not returned messages from The Seattle Times since Jones' agreement with Seattle.

Alexander's contract calls for him to make $4.475 million in base salary next season and he would count $6.75 million against the Seahawks' salary cap. If Seattle released Alexander, it would not have to pay him his salary; however, it would have to account for three-fifths of his signing bonus under the salary cap. That bonus was $11.5 million, meaning there is still $6.9 million that must be accounted for under the cap.

If he were released, that $6.9 million could either count against the salary cap in one lump sum in 2008; or if the Seahawks chose to designate him a post-June 1 release, he would count $2.3 million against the cap in 2008 and $4.6 million in 2009.

He was informed by the team before free agency that the team would be looking at running backs during free agency, according to a source. The Seahawks signed T.J. Duckett last week to a five-year contract, but it wasn't until Jones was added from Dallas that Alexander's future status became a central question. The team currently has four tailbacks under contract for 2008: Duckett, Alexander, Jones and Maurice Morris.

Alexander gained 716 yards in 2007, his fewest since his rookie year of 2000 when he backed up Ricky Watters.

Alexander suffered a cracked bone in his wrist in the season opener and played with a cast the rest of the season. He suffered a sprained knee in the eighth game that kept him out three weeks. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry and had four touchdowns.

Alexander is Seattle's career rushing lead with 9,429 yards and has 100 touchdowns in his eight seasons in Seattle since he was drafted in the first round from Alabama in 2000.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com