The Seattle Seahawks didn’t need to be the loudest team at the NFL trade deadline to come away with one of the best moves.
Their biggest swing was a real one: Quenton Nelson arrived from the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. Nelson got into the mix in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, but a knee injury has sidelined him for at least two games. The Seahawks are still holding out hope that he can return without landing on injured reserve.
For Seattle, that deal was enough to make the deadline a clear win. It wasn’t the kind of frantic shopping spree some teams put together, but the Seahawks chose the move that mattered most.
They could have chased help at running back, wide receiver or tight end. They also had a chance to add linebacker depth after injuries hit that group. Instead, Seattle trusted its current roster and used its resources to strengthen left guard.
That decision carries some risk, because it means reshuffling things in the middle of the season. But it also speaks to how much the Seahawks wanted to fix an offensive line that has been a problem for years. It’s been one of the roster’s most debated spots, and one that has too often kept the team from reaching a higher level.
Last season, Seattle used a first-round pick on Grey Zabel with the idea that he would be the left guard of the future. Now, that plan is being adjusted so Nelson can slide into his natural spot at left guard, while Zabel moves to the right side.
The Seahawks are getting an eight-time Pro Bowler and one of the league’s top interior linemen, and they didn’t have to pay a premium to do it. That’s the part that makes the trade stand out.
Seattle’s draft capital gave it the flexibility to make the move. The team had extra picks thanks to several compensatory selections, plus an additional third-round pick after Nolan Teasley went to the Minnesota Vikings to become their general manager.
With that cushion in place, the Seahawks could afford to send out a fifth-rounder for a player of Nelson’s caliber. He’s set to hit free agency after the season, but Seattle now has options to sort through with him beyond this year.
In the end, the Colts didn’t get nearly enough for a player who probably would have fetched more elsewhere. Seattle waited, made its move, and landed the upgrade it wanted. That’s why this deadline should be viewed as a strong one for the Seahawks, who bolstered themselves for the second half and kept themselves in position to be a legitimate threat to go to the Super Bowl once again.
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Seahawks Finally Got An Injury Sign Fans Needed To See
The latest injury report offered the kind of small but meaningful progress Seahawks fans have been waiting for, with Charles Cross back on the field in a limited capacity after missing time because of an ankle injury. It does not mean a return is imminent, but it does suggest the left tackle is moving in the right direction as Seattle comes out of the bye week and starts sorting out who will be available for the next stretch.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned as a full participant after resting previously, and A.J. Barner was cleared off the report altogether, giving the Seahawks a cleaner look on offense than they had recently. There are still several names on the list in limited or non-participating status for injury or personal reasons, so the picture is far from complete, but the encouraging sign around Cross is the one that matters most for a team that has been waiting on stability up front. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Offense Is Pushing Mike Macdonald Toward A Tough Decision
Seattles offense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, with the scoring average sliding over recent games as injuries and general dysfunction have taken a toll. For a team still trying to position itself for a playoff run, the issues are piling up in familiar places: quarterback health, an offensive line that has struggled to stay cohesive, and a play-calling operation that has not found enough rhythm to steady things.
Mike Macdonald now has to weigh whether a change under center could help spark the unit, even as the broader problems around it remain very real. The Seahawks do not need a cosmetic fix so much as a workable answer, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether the staff can settle on one before the seasons margin for error gets any thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Report Brings Relief But Leaves One Week 10 Concern
Charles Cross was back on the field in a limited capacity Wednesday after sitting out the previous practice with an ankle injury, a welcome sign for a Seahawks offensive line that has had to keep an eye on its health entering Week 10 against the Raiders. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned to full participation after being rested earlier in the week, while tight end AJ Barner was removed from the injury report altogether after practicing fully through a finger issue.
The overall picture was a fairly encouraging one for Seattle, with the rest of the report holding steady and no fresh setbacks showing up. Even so, the attention now shifts to Cross, whose ankle will be worth tracking as the week unfolds, because the Seahawks would prefer not to head into Sunday with one more front-line concern hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]