If the Seattle Seahawks get Ty Okada back on the field later today or next week and he looks like the player he was last season, the safety picture starts to look a lot calmer. Rodney Thomas has done solid work in the fill-in role, too, which gives the team some breathing room if the injury situation keeps shifting. But until there’s more certainty, it makes sense to scan the trade market.
One name that jumps out is Elijah Molden. The idea is simple enough: maybe the Seahawks can convince the Los Angeles Chargers to leave the former Washington Husky behind after the game today.
Molden has been a useful NFL player, even if injuries have a way of cutting into his availability every year. He spent 2024 and 2025 in Jesse Minter’s defense, and that should set him up nicely for Macdonald’s scheme.
The contract makes him even more interesting. He has this season and next season left, and there isn’t much bonus money attached.
Seattle would be responsible for about $5 million in base salary this year, then could either keep the $5.25 million for next season or move on without any dead cap. For the Chargers, the financial hit would be less than $4 million, which makes him a very realistic option for an 0-3 team that needs a reset.
A different target is a longtime Tennessee Titan who has been steady for years, if not flashy. He’s 28 and clearly still looks like a starting-caliber safety, but it also feels like Tennessee may not have much use for him going forward. That makes a change of scenery seem possible.
The drawback is the contract, which is not exactly clean. It’s a three-year extension that started this season, but most of the money sits in base salary.
According to Spotrac, the Titans would have to absorb around $9 million in a trade. There’s $7 million in base left in 2026 and almost $9.6 million in 2027, though Tennessee could either keep paying it or move on later.
Then there’s the big swing: Antoine Winfield. He’s not just better than Ty Okada at his peak; he’s one of the best safeties in football.
Pairing him with Julian Love would give Seattle the best safety duo in the league by a wide margin. He’d also fit cleanly in this defense because of his tackling and versatility.
Of course, that kind of upgrade would cost real draft capital, and it likely comes with a bigger roster decision down the line. The math probably means letting Love walk after the season so the Seahawks can afford Winfield.
Tampa would be eating nearly $28 million in the deal, which tells you everything about how serious a rebuild they’d need to be. Seattle would take on about $16 million in base salary and then almost certainly pay up again in 2027.
The last name on the list is Reed Blankenship, and he brings the most debate. Pro Football Focus has not been kind to him over the last season-plus, but it has graded him well before, back when he was starting on an Eagles defense that reached two Super Bowls and won one. So there’s room for disagreement on what he is.
What does make him interesting is the situation in Houston. The Texans are 0-3 and could be open to moving him, since he’s on a three-year contract.
The structure helps, too, because most of the money is in base salary. Spotrac says Houston would be left with a little more than $7 million, while Seattle would owe just about $1.2 million this season.
That number rises to $7.75 million next year, but because it’s all base, the Seahawks could get out of it pretty easily if it doesn’t work.
In Other News...
Seahawks Fans May Have A Week 4 Viewing Problem
The Seahawks get an early chance to test themselves against the AFC West this week, but fans outside the Pacific Northwest may have to do a little work to see it. Seattles matchup with the Chargers is set for CBS at 1:25 p.m. PT, and the regional broadcast footprint is limited, with coverage centered mostly on the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.
Andrew Catalon and Logan Ryan are on the call, and the timing is awkward for a fan base that will have to keep an eye on where the game lands before kickoff. The good news is that Seattle has several nationally televised games coming up, so this shouldnt be a season-long headache, but Week 4 could still leave plenty of viewers searching for an alternate plan. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Still Have One O-Line Problem They Havent Solved
The Seahawks did not do much to change the look of their offensive line this offseason, and that quiet approach has left one lingering question hanging over the roster. Their only notable addition was fifth-round pick Beau Stephens, a player who was viewed as a possible starter, but Seattle has kept him on the sideline and gone with Christian Haynes instead as it continues sorting out the interior of the line.
For a team trying to give its offense more stability, that decision keeps the spotlight on a spot that still feels unresolved. Even with Stephens in the mix, the Seahawks have not found a clean answer there yet, and one mock draft has already pushed the conversation forward by linking Seattle to interior lineman Kade Pieper in the 2027 NFL draft as a possible long-term fix. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Suddenly Has A New Reason For Hope
Zach Charbonnets return to practice gives the Seahawks a timely lift in a backfield that has been looking for stability early in the season. The second-year running back has been on the physically unable to perform list, but being designated to return opens the door for him to get back into game action as soon as Week 5, a welcome development for a team trying to sort out its rotation on the fly.
Seattles immediate plan still leans on Emanuel Wilson and George Holani at running back in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the depth chart has already shifted again. Rookie Jadarian Price was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games, so the Seahawks are heading into the next stretch with one less option and at least some hope that Charbonnets comeback can eventually settle things down. [Read more 🡒]