Teams don’t have much leverage considering there’s a deadline and it’s looming. On the other hand, could a team do something like this:

1. Target a player to trade away. Let’s say it’s a DE.
2. Identify 5 teams that could/would likely target a DE after roster cuts.
3. Call the three teams that are #3, #4, and #5 on waiver priority and pull the “you likely won’t get this player because teams #1 and #2 also need a DE and are on higher priority than you, so let’s talk trade”.

Would this work?

and go weak at a couple other positions. Because I don’t think it’s likely that we are going to get adequate returns on a trade. And there’s no way Reed/Bennett are passing through the waiver wire.

First time commenter long time reader, fantastic site, great info, absolutely love it, much props.

I don’t see how they Seahawks can retain a player like Craig Terrill. He’s made a few timely plays that are very few and very far between but he’s a mediocre player at best who’s already peaked and is now on his way downhill. The Seahawks should cut bait on Terrill save some dough and keep Bennett & Walker. Reed to the practice squad if he clears waivers and if not good luck elsewhere. Just my opinion, but that locker room glue tag just because you walk around, stick a camera in your teammates faces, and play in a crappy band that the broadcast team happens to like and overplay before everygame is sooo overrated and can be done without and really not cost a single victory.

1. Can I get definitions for “tools” vs. “skills”? Folks on this site use them both, but I’m not certain the distinction between them remains consistent, as “toolsy” often seems to me to be referring to something that I would expect “skillsy” to mean.

2. Do intangibles count as tools, skills, or something else? Because Nick Reed just led the entire NFL in preseason sacks, and if he hasn’t got skills or tools, I’d like to know what it is people think he does have.

3. I know this will get me run out of town on a rail (or it would, if I lived in town), but the awesomeness of our front seven (and their backups) has me fantasizing about a blockbuster trade involving, perhaps, Tatupu and one of our ends, for an elite S and/or OL and/or CB.

You nailed it. Its Terrill or Bennett to back up at 3-tech DT? Atkins or Jackson or both to back up at LDE? Keeping all these guys seems a little unrealistic when we think about all the healing injuries in our O linemen and WRs, and our lack of depth in the DBs.

Bennett has shown too much potential to cut him. Lawrence Jackson had shown enough potential (at least to some people) to draft him in the first round and play him most of last season. Keeping Terrill and Bennett (along with Mebane, Cole, Bryant) gives us five DTs. Keeping Jackson and Atkins (along with Kerney, Tapp, Redding, Reed) gives us six DEs.

I think the odds say Baraka Atkins is the odd man out.

Lawrence Jacksons tools are superior to Baraka Atkins tools, however Baraka Atkins skills are showing more than Jacksons?

If so, do we simply hold onto Lawrence Jackson due to pedigree?

John, I’d be really interested to hear your dissection of tape on Red Bryant. He played more in the Oakland game than I’ve ever seen him play before. At times he impressed me with his quickness for such a big man. At other times he gets blocked out of the play and looks like he is playing too high to hold leverage maybe? I love this guy but I don’t yet see the dominance I was hoping to see. What do you see?

just so we could have Kevin Hobbs or someone like that make the team. Worst case scenario with our 11 man defense is that we have to trade one of them for a 7th rounder and sign some random FA CB that is cut who is bound to be better than Hobbs. Hopefully we can swing a trade with Terrill or Atkins for a decent dime/nickelback type CB.

I always thought of him as a cheap, average to slighty above-average player. I dunno, maybe I’m just crazy.

WHY THE F*CK DO WE NEED TO KEEP A WORTHLESS 3RD TIGHT END LIKE JOE NEWTON AROUND, AT THE EXPENSIVE OF A VASTLY SUPERIOR PLAYER AT DEFENSIVE TACKLE OR END?! IS HAVE A 3RD TE SO F*CKING VITAL THAT WE HAVE TO EVEN DISCUSS THIS?!?

I do acknowledge, of course, that there may be legitimate reasons for keeping Newton around, and it’s not like the Seahawks will hear my impassioned screams from here, anyway. Also, Craig Terrill is too old, expensive, one-demensional and overall replaceable to keep around. I would be in favor of trading one of our extra DT/DE’s for a 2010 draft pick, though.