It’s official: Sheldon Richardson traded to Seahawks for Jermaine Kearse, draft picks

After much speculation that the Seattle Seahawks would make a major acquisition just before the start of the regular season, it looks as if they’ve secured the services of the outstanding defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson. The trade has not yet been finalized, but wide receiver Jermaine Kearse is part of the deal, along with draft considerations.

As I’m typing this up, Albert Breer tweeted out that the “draft considerations” would mean a conditional 2nd or 3rd round pick.

In one last update, Adam Schefter reports that Seattle will give up its 2018 2nd rounder and they will swap 7th-rounders with the Jets.

This news comes on the heels of the Seahawks clearing up about $5.2 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contract of Doug Baldwin. That basically gave away that Seattle was really trying to make a push for a top player, and that man is indeed Richardson. It was only a month ago that Richardson revealed that the Seahawks were looking to trade for him, and now it’s reality. It is indescribably huge news and instantly improves an already fearsome Seahawks front-seven. This defense has needed help on the interior since the departure of Clinton McDonald, and Richardson fits the bill perfectly, if even just for this year (he’s a free agent in 2018).

We will update this post with more details as they roll in, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: The Seahawks have made the trade official. It’s Richardson to Seattle in exchange for Kearse, plus Seattle’s 2018 second-round pick, as well as swapping seventh-round picks.

Sheldon Richardson is a Seattle Seahawk.