The Seahawks are staring down Tuesday’s trade deadline with a simple question hanging over everything: is this team close enough to justify spending more draft capital, or is it smarter to keep the future picks in the pocket?
Seattle has already made one splash by bringing in left guard Quenton Nelson, but that move hasn’t exactly paid off yet. Nelson has already missed games because of a preexisting knee injury, and now the Seahawks need to extend him if they want the deal to feel worthwhile.
Beyond that, John Schneider has to decide whether this roster is good enough to push chips in now, especially with Seattle teetering on the edge of the playoff picture. Any move from here would have to bring almost immediate results.
One name that has come up is Jonathan Taylor, but the fit looks shaky right now. Seattle was linked to Taylor before Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price returned, and the idea makes sense on paper because Taylor would eventually reunite with Nelson.
Still, with Charbonnet and Price back in the mix, the Seahawks don’t really need another back. The bigger issue is the price tag.
The Colts would likely want multiple picks, including a second-rounder, and Seattle needs to protect its draft capital.
Another possible target is a familiar one: Jadeveon Clowney. He played for the Seahawks in 2019 and also worked under Mike Macdonald in Baltimore in 2023, so the connection is obvious.
But Clowney is currently with the Houston Texans, and Houston is still fighting for a playoff spot. The Texans are 3-5, though they started slowly last season too before making a postseason run.
Clowney has 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in six games, and it would make sense for Houston to keep him rather than move him.
If Seattle does make a bigger swing, Khalil Mack is the kind of edge rusher who would change the conversation. The Chargers are a bad team, and if Mack were open to a move, a playoff hopeful would make sense for him.
He doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but Los Angeles probably wouldn’t deal him if he didn’t want to go. Mack would still raise the ceiling of a Seattle pass rush that hasn’t matched last season’s level, even if Dante Fowler Jr. played better in Week 9.
He’s still elite against the run and still gets to quarterbacks.
The problem is the same one that shadows most of these ideas: would Schneider really part with draft value for a short-term rental? That’s the real obstacle with Mack, and it would be the same with Dallas Goedert.
The tight end would fit naturally in offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s system because he can block and catch, and AJ Barner showed against the Arizona Cardinals that he can produce when given the chance. Goedert would also help cover for Elijah Arroyo, who is done for the season with a shoulder injury.
But again, he would likely be a half-season addition, and that’s usually not Schneider’s style.
Tony Pollard is another name to keep in mind, though Seattle’s need at running back is far less obvious. Pollard brings explosiveness and quality, and Tennessee would probably be open to moving him since the Titans aren’t headed to the playoffs.
Even so, the Seahawks just got Charbonnet and Price back, and both looked solid in Week 9. If they stay healthy, Seattle should be in decent shape there already.
The clearest need may be at wide receiver. Cooper Kupp was more involved in Week 9, but the offense still looks ordinary when Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn’t heavily involved.
Seattle could use another explosive target, ideally one more consistent than Rashid Shaheed. The issue is that a receiver addition feels unlikely, especially since it would mean Schneider making a wideout move for the second straight year.
Cornerback also belongs on the list. The group has been a little better lately, helped by Nehemiah Pritchett’s unexpected play, but Josh Jobe has been just meh.
If Seattle landed a quality corner, Devon Witherspoon could move back into the slot for most of his snaps. The question is availability.
Former Seahawk Riq Woolen, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, could be out there, though he has had coverage issues this season. The Colts might be willing to part with Sauce Gardner or Charvarius Ward, too.
Edge rusher remains the other obvious spot. Derick Hall and DeMarcus Lawrence have been steady, and Uchenna Nwosu has been good when healthy, though he has missed the last two games with an injury.
Fowler has mostly been quiet outside of Week 9. Every team wants more pass rush help, and Seattle is no different.
Mack would fit that mold, while a Maxx Crosby-type move feels unrealistic. Still, that’s the level of upgrade that would make sense if the Seahawks truly wanted to go for it.
As for what Seattle can actually move, the options are limited. The Seahawks have a 2027 first-round pick, second-round pick, fifth-round pick, seventh-round pick that is conditional, and another seventh-rounder available.
They could eventually have as many as five compensatory picks from free agent losses like Kenneth Walker and Boye Mafe, plus a pick tied to the Minnesota Vikings hiring Nolan Teasley, but those selections are only projected for now and can’t be traded yet. They won’t become real until just before next year’s draft.
Seattle also already gave up its 2028 fifth-rounder in the Nelson deal, and the 2028 seventh-round pick is likely gone too after the move for special teams ace Irv Charles. So the Seahawks do have some ammunition, but not a ton. And with the deadline set for Tuesday, November 10, at 1 pm PT, Schneider has to decide whether the right move is making another push or simply letting the board fall where it may.
In Other News...
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Sam Darnolds situation only sharpens the uncertainty, with the veteran reportedly at risk of missing Week 10 because of quad and rib injuries. His status is being treated as week-to-week, which leaves the Seahawks bracing for another stretch where the quarterback plan may be changing on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the conversation linger is the quarterback picture around Lock and Sam Darnold. Darnold did not play, and his season has already included turnover issues, which only sharpens the contrast with a backup who came in and handled his business without giving the ball away. For a team trying to sort out its offensive identity, a game like this does not settle the debate so much as make it harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Head Into Cardinals Game With One Brutal Problem
The Seahawks head into their bye week in a far different place than they expected after dropping three of their last four, and the timing could hardly be worse with Arizona waiting next. Seattles injury report has turned into a weekly storyline, and this one is especially harsh, with seven players ruled out and the offensive line needing another round of adjustments.
Mike Macdonald also confirmed Drew Lock will start at quarterback despite limited practice, adding another layer of uncertainty to a team already trying to stabilize itself. On the other side of the ball, Seattle will be missing Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu against the Cardinals, leaving the defense shorthanded at a time when the Seahawks could use as much continuity as possible. [Read more 🡒]