The Seattle Seahawks are in a position to be buyers at the 2023 NFL trade deadline on October 31, sitting at 3-2 heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. If head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider do decide to take that tact, the two best Seahawks trade candidates are Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter and Denver Broncos offensive lineman Garett Bolles.
As it stands now, the Seahawks would make the NFC playoffs as the No. 6 seed. And with the way the season has shaken out this far, that seems about right. Seattle is clearly in the upper half of its conference, so the postseason should be a given. However, they haven’t proven yet that they are on the level of the top teams in the NFC, such as the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, or Dallas Cowboys.
One of the reasons the Seahawks aren’t there yet is that they are a young team. The organization is doing one of the hardest things to do in all of sports right now. They are rebuilding and winning games at the same time.
After the Russell Wilson trade, Geno Smith stepped up, and that, coupled with Carroll and Schneider nailing so many draft picks with all the ones they got back from Denver, is allowing them to do this.
Seattle’s youth movement is an argument against making a trade at the deadline. The team is having so much success building through the draft that they shouldn’t want to give up any of their future picks that could turn into the next Devon Witherspoon, Kenneth Walker III, or Riq Woolen.
That said, the NFC — and really all of the NFL — is gettable this season, with no clear powerhouse stepping up. For that reason, going (mostly) all-in with a deal (or deals) at the deadline does make some sense. If they do that, they shouldn’t swing for the fences, but a few later-round picks could get them some good half-season rentals that would improve the squad.
So, here’s why the Seahawks should target Danielle Hunter and Garett Bolles at the NFL trade deadline.
DE Danielle Hunter
The Seahawks have a solid pass rush this season, as evidenced by the 11-sack performance they put on against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football back in Week 4. The Giants' offensive line is historically bad, though, and the fact that the team only has eight sacks outside of that game isn’t a great sign.
Minnesota will likely put Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter on the block at the 2023 NFL trade deadline. He currently has the co-league lead with 8.0 sacks, and with a team that trades for him only being on the hook for the prorated piece of his $10 million base salary this season, he is a great short-term option.
And Hunter is still just 28 years old, so if he were to perform well for the Seahawks after the trade, the team could easily re-sign him for another few years without expecting a ton of drop-off.
This year’s Pete Carroll defense has a ton of potential to be great. Adding a fearsome pass rusher like Hunter will only increase the odds that happens.
OT Garett Bolles
The Broncos’ fire sale is already on. Outside linebackers Randy Gregory and Frank Clark are already gone, and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton could be out soon as well. If someone was willing to take the massive Wilson contract off Sean Payton’s hands, he’d happily do that as well.
Another Broncos player who could be on the block at the 2023 NFL trade deadline is 31-year-old veteran tackle Garett Bolles. It seems like the blocker wants out of town, as he’s been publically criticizing the coaches and the organization since the team’s 50-point loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3.
Over in Seattle, the team is in the midst of a massive offensive line injury crisis. Only center Evan Brown is yet to miss a game with an injury, and right tackle Abraham Lucas is the biggest problem right now. He went on IR after Week 1 and doesn’t seem ready to return any time soon.
It would be hard to give up much for a tackle making a $13.75 million base salary this season and $16 million next season, with second-year stars Lucas and Charles Cross firmly holding down the tackle roles for the foreseeable future. However, Bolles’ dead cap next season is only $4 million, so the team can easily move on next season if they want.
For now, Bolles could come at a discounted price due to his unhappiness, and the money this year is well worth it, given the uncertainty around Lucas. That’s what makes this a Seahawks trade John Schneider absolutely needs to consider.
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