Category Archives: Trades

NFL draft, Trades

McDowell’s ‘unique,’ but is he committed?

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NFL draftThe Seahawks got great value on their first-round trades down Thursday and ended up parlaying their top pick into five selections via three trades. But there’s a reason they moved down three times before drafting inside pass rusher Malik McDowell.

McDowell had an underwhelming 2016 season in which some think he mailed it in, and he did not impress some teams during the pre-draft process. But John Schneider and Pete Carroll really wanted him because of his size (6-6, 295), athleticism and versatility.

“He’s too unique,” Schneider said, comparing him to Calais Campbell, the 6-8 lineman who used to terrorize Russell Wilson as an Arizona Cardinal (and will again as a Jaguar next season). “We’ve been looking for a pass-rushing 3-technique since we’ve been here together.”

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NFL draft, Trades

Do Hawks want a QB, or just baiting again?

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NFL draftIt sounds like the Seahawks are indeed in full QB dangle mode.

A couple of reports indicate (1) they were interested in Patrick Mahomes in the first round and (2) they are considering drafting a quarterback today.

The Mahomes report seems far-fetched. The Seahawks have used QBs as bait in two of the past three drafts, so this probably was more of that — just a way to create more interest in the 26th pick (the Chiefs ended up jumping from 27 to 10 to take Mahomes).

It is entirely possible that the Hawks want to take a QB today, but this scuttlebutt is surely a way to engender interest in the 34th overall pick and get some team to come up for Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (if the Packers don’t pick or trade out for him) or perhaps Cal’s Davis Webb.

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NFL draft, Trades

Hawks could auction pick 34, too

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NFL draftGreen Bay holds the power to start Day 2 of the draft. Having moved down to pick 33, the Packers are now fielding calls from teams interested in moving up. The target for most probably is Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer.

Seattle’s pick, the second in the round, should be popular, too — whether it’s for a QB or another player who dropped out of the first round.

The Seahawks have a league-high six picks today — two in the second round, four in the third — and they aren’t against adding more.

“We have some freedoms here that could come to us, and we’re in a great spot in a couple of these rounds right now,” Pete Carroll said Thursday, after the Hawks traded down twice to net an extra third, a fourth and a seventh. “I imagine we’re not going to turn down phone calls. John will be working it.”

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NFL draft, Trades

Schneider already talking trade down

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NFL draftIt looks like John Schneider is indeed poised to make his usual move down in the first round — apparently for an offensive lineman — but don’t expect any deal to be made until the Seahawks are on the clock Thursday.

The Falcons want to jump over a few teams for a pass rusher, per draft insider Tony Pauline. But they likely will want to make sure their guy is there when the draft hits pick No. 26.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, surely want to dangle the pick for as long as possible to get the best deal. The current talks involve Atlanta’s fourth-round pick, per Pauline — but that would be a poor return for Seattle.

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NFL draft, Trades

Will Schneider trade first pick for sixth straight draft?

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NFL draft“You want to have picks all the way through. You kind of look at Cleveland’s board (11 picks) like, ‘Dang, it’s awesome.’” — John Schneider

John Schneider always wants more draft picks. In his seven Seattle drafts, he has never had fewer than eight. At this point, he has seven for this week’s draft — including an impressive five in the first three rounds — but he seems quite likely to add to his stockpile.

He still could add picks by trading Marshawn Lynch and/or Richard Sherman — although the Oakland Raiders and Lynch still have not worked out a contract and Schneider repeated he is not expecting a Sherman deal.

“We’ve kind of moved past that,” he said Monday, reminding everyone the price for Sherman remains high. “The guy’s one of the top cornerbacks in the league. You don’t just give him away.”

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NFL draft, Trades

‘Quarterbacks are going to drive this draft’

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NFL draftThe problem with drafting in the bottom 10 picks of the first round is you are basically adding a second-round player for first-round money.

That’s largely why John Schneider has traded his first pick in each of the past five drafts — and is very likely to do it again, if the chance arises.

Twice in the last three years, Schneider has leveraged other teams’ desires for quarterbacks to net Seattle extra picks.

In 2014, with the Hawks picking last on the heels of their Super Bowl win, he let Minnesota come up from No. 40 to draft Teddy Bridgewater. He moved down another five spots in the second round and ended up with Paul Richardson, Cassius Marsh, Kevin Norwood and Kiero Small.

In 2016, Schneider got an even better deal, dangling Paxton Lynch to Denver, which paid a third-round pick to move from 31 to 26. The Seahawks used the 31st pick on Germain Ifedi and the third on Nick Vannett.

It looks like that same strategy could be in play again this year.

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State of the team, The roster, Trades

The search for ‘spark’

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Draft -- Schneider and Carroll“I think he’d admit that he had a rough year. So he’s looking for maybe a new spark and he’s either going to find that here in Seattle or he would find it somewhere else, but odds are he’s going to find it here.” 
— John Schneider on Richard Sherman.

That’s the key quote from Schneider’s interview with 710 ESPN on Thursday night.

Schneider also talked about mutual respect, constant communication and “a great relationship” between the Seahawks’ chiefs and the All-Pro cornerback. But the bottom line is in those words: “He had a rough year” and is “looking for maybe a new spark.”

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NFL draft, Trades

Sherman trade odds and mock deals

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NFL draftOne of the biggest storylines in the NFL over the next 10 days will be the status of Richard Sherman. Will the Seahawks find a trade partner before the draft begins April 27? Where will Sherman play in 2017?

A couple of bookmakers have set odds on his 2017 team, with the Seahawks favored to keep him at this point (opening odds in parentheses):

Seattle Seahawks -200 (+800)
New Orleans Saints +1000 (+300)
Oakland Raiders +1000 (+400)
Atlanta Falcons +1200 (+500)
Dallas Cowboys +1200 (+550)
Pittsburgh Steelers +1200
Green Bay Packers +1200 (+1600)
Tennessee Titans +2000 (+600)
Detroit Lions +2500
New England Patriots +2500 (+3000)
Philadelphia Eagles +2500
Jacksonville Jaguars N/L (+1200)

A few mock drafts have offered up potential trades involving these and other teams. Let’s take a look.

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NFL draft, Trades

Schneider poised to make a few trades?

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NFL draft“Who says we’re picking at 26?” — John Schneider in 2016 (and 2017?).

With the draft two weeks away, it looks like John Schneider could be getting ready to make some big moves.

On top of the Marshawn Lynch trade that seems destined to happen at any time and the potential Richard Sherman deal, Schneider is rumored to be talking to teams about moving up in the first round — which would be a first for him as Seattle’s general manager.

Reports early Thursday indicated the Seahawks and Raiders would end up working out a trade, assuming Lynch and the Raiders worked out a contract. On Thursday night, Lynch sent out a tweet that seemed to indicate he and the Raiders had come to terms, and it was reported as done Friday until Lynch seemed to set everyone straight.

Once it gets “real” with the Raiders, a deal between Seattle and Oakland would seem to be coming shortly after.

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NFL draft, The roster, Trades

Great time to find some new Legionnaires

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NFL draftDRAFT COUNTDOWN: 3 weeks. Every Friday until the April 27-29 draft, we look at draft topics related to the Seahawks.

Whether the Seahawks trade Richard Sherman or not this year, the admission by Pete Carroll and John Schneider that the Hawks are fielding offers for the All-Pro is a sign that the Legion of Boom is at a crossroads.

Even if Earl Thomas comes back better than ever, Kam Chancellor gets his contract extension and Sherman avoids a trade, it is clear the end is approaching for the fabled unit. And, as it turns out, this is a great year to find heirs apparent in the draft.

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