Will the Seahawks trade away players to add draft picks?

The start of the 2019 NFL Draft is just hours away on Thursday night, and on Tuesday the Seattle Seahawks added to their arsenal of draft picks by dealing Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs for an extra first round pick this year and a 2020 second round pick. However, as of writing the Hawks sit with just five picks, tied with the Chicago Bears for the lowest number of selections in the draft this year.

Obviously it’s not unreasonable to anticipate that the team may trade down with one, or possibly both, of the first round picks it holds on Thursday, however, the possibility remains that the team could also add picks by trading away players. It’s highly doubtful that any players the team would be looking to trade at this point would command a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in return, but there are certainly players who could be dealt in exchange for a Day 3 pick.

C/G - Ethan Pocic

During his rookie season of 2017, it seemed like the sky could be the limit for Pocic, as he stepped in and started eleven games for the Hawks. However, with the changing of offensive line coaches from Tom Cable to Mike Solari, Pocic saw the starting role he had held for much of 2017 go to D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy. Then, he slipped further down the depth chart after the team claimed Jordan Simmons off waivers. Thus, between the free agent addition of Mike Iupati, the retention of Fluker and Simmons projected return from a knee injury, it is possible that Pocic is no higher than fourth on the depth chart at Guard.

Thus, the question becomes whether a former second round pick who plays interior line and who may be no higher than fourth on the depth chart may be worth a Day 3 pick from another team. A lot of first and second round offensive linemen who haven’t been panned out as teams anticipated during their first couple of years have been dealt for later round picks in recent seasons. These include Trent Brown, Laken Tomlinson and Cam Erving, who did not blossom immediately upon arriving in the NFL.

T - George Fant

Sticking with the idea that there are multiple teams across the league desperate for offensive linemen, George Fant currently occupies the swing tackle spot for the Hawks behind Duane Brown and Germain Ifedi. Playing on a restricted free agent tender, Fant is set to be an unrestricted free agent next spring, when he will become far more expensive. So, if Brown stays healthy, the team determines it is set at right tackle with Ifedi and 2018 draft pick Jamarco Jones can adequately fill the swing tackle spot going forward, where does that leave Fant?

Is he worth $3M as an insurance policy for a single season when he could cost far, far more going forward? Or, if the team can get a Day 3 draft pick from a team looking for a tackle, should the Hawks take it?

RB - C.J. Prosise

Yes, it’s unlikely that a team would give up much for the oft-injured C.J. Prosise, but the Seahawks have a nearly full arsenal of running backs between Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and Bo Scarbrough, who are on rookie contracts or under team control through 2020, 2022 and 2022, respectively. Add in that J.D. McKissic is under team control for two more seasons, while Prosise is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after 2019, and it’s not unreasonable to think the team could consider taking a seventh round pick from a team intrigued with Prosise’s yet-to-be-fulfilled potential.

This is just a few of the names the team could deal in the coming days in order to add draft picks. There are plenty of others we could certainly see dealt as well, including Justin Britt or Germain Ifedi. Obviously, there’s nothing to do but wait and see, and that’s what makes the next three days so fun.