The Seattle Seahawks, under the leadership of John Schneider and Mike Macdonald, are off to a hot start and are already positioned for both present and future success. However, the team is reportedly poised to make a massive trade. As they have done so many times in the recent past, Seattle is poised to outsmart their competition by leveraging a key asset and exploiting the desperation of a championship-or-bust contender.
The likely target for this move is cornerback Riq Woolen. Per Ian Rappaport, with the return of star quarterback Devon Weatherspoon, Woolen’s playing time has diminished, and with the cornerback in a contract year, sources indicate he is being monitored as a possible trade target by the deadline. Woolen started off his career with a bang including by totaling 6 interceptions in his rookie season. But his play has steadily declined and the middle of a contract year, it doesn’t seem likely Seattle will retain him. He still has talent however, which makes him an obvious target.
The trade rumors have gained serious momentum due to a new, desperate team emerging in the market: the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers, who recently went all in by trading away their next two first-round picks, sacrificing draft capital, and committing massive money to acquire and then sign Micah Parsons, are now in a championship-or-bust window. This desperation intensified after their defense surrendered 40 points in a disheartening tie against a short-handed Dallas Cowboys offense.
Green Bay is actively looking to upgrade its secondary, with rumors that they have already inquired about veteran corners like Asante Samuel Jr. Samuel is a talented corner but he hasn’t played a single snap this season. In fact, as an active free agent, no NFL team believed him worthy enough even for a practice squad position. For all of Woolen’s faults, he is certainly performing far above that designtion.
Now factor that John Schneider is known for taking advantage of desperate teams. He previously exploited the Raiders’ need for a quarterback (trading Geno Smith), the Steelers’ one-year window (trading DK Metcalf), and the Broncos’ belief they were a quarterback away (trading Russell Wilson). He knows when to take advantage of opportunity to receive the most in any trade. He’s 3 for 3 in pulling off smart deals in these situations and could shortly be 4 for 4.
Because the Packers are so desperate to address a short-term need and justify their all-in moves, the Seahawks are expected to get a significant return for Woolen, who is likely walking in free agency anyway. The potential compensation is speculated to be as high as a third-round draft pick, a strong haul given the current market for cornerbacks in a contract year.
By trading Woolen, the Seahawks would get value for a player they would otherwise lose for nothing while continuing to acquire the draft capital that has been the core foundation of the current three-and-one team. This move would cement the Seahawks’ reputation for winning now while thinking two steps ahead about their future.
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