ESPN proposes three Seahawks Draft Day trades, but are they any good?

Some mock drafts are fun; like really, really fun. And some mock drafts are dumb; like really, really dumb. Today’s article is about one of the really, really fun ones.

Bill Barnwell’s All Trades 2022 Mock Draft

The entire thing is worth a read - even if it’s not truly a mock draft since he has the same picks going to multiple teams and doesn’t actually make a selection at each of the 32 first-round spots. But this is a Seahawks fan site so we are going to focus on the trades he proposed for us.

And then, at the end, we’ll have some polls.

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Trade Proposal #1 for Seattle

Barnwell’s first proposal involving the Seahawks has them trading UP from #9 to #4.

The proposed trade:

• The New York Jets get #9, #72, and WR D.K. Metcalf
• Seattle gets #4, #35, #69, and WR Corey Davis

Barnwell’s thoughts:

For the Seahawks, this would be an acknowledgement that they don’t want to pay a wide receiver that sort of money, especially with Tyler Lockett in the middle of a four-year, $69 million pact. This deal values the difference between Metcalf and Davis as worth 1,015 points on the Johnson chart, which is close to the 16th overall pick in a typical draft. That’s less than the implied value of Hill or Davante Adams, but those deals didn’t see a wideout going the other way.

Seattle would get Davis, a big, toolsy receiver who can run block and was able to stretch teams vertically at his best in Tennessee. The No. 5 overall pick in 2017 is signed for two years and $23.5 million, so he’ll make less than half of what Metcalf is likely to see on his new deal. The Seahawks would move up from No. 9 to No. 4, where coach Pete Carroll can fill one of the biggest holes on his roster by drafting cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (Cincinnati). They also would get a juicy pick in the mid-30s to use as a trade chip.

I don’t think the Seahawks should trade Metcalf, but if they’re going to do it, this deal would allow Carroll & Co. to further remold the team in their desired image.

FTR’s take: My first reaction may have involved a few f-bombs. Moving past the expletives, I see three BIG issues with this proposal.

1. I don’t really think there’s a need for Seattle to trade UP from #9.
2. I highly doubt that JSPC would move UP to take a cornerback in the top 5 - especially when I am skeptical that they’d even consider taking a CB in the top 10 since the highest pick they have EVER used on a corner is #90 (Shaquill Griffin, 2017).
3. The difference between D.K. Metcalf and Corey Davis is a whole lot more than 1,015 points on the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart.

Assuming for the moment that JSPC want to move D.K. rather than sign him to contract extension with an APY in the $25M range, getting a high R1 for him makes a lot of sense. But why give up the high R1 we already have (#9) and also take on Corey Davis and his over-inflated contract?

Note: Per OTC, Davis is owed $13M guaranteed this season and has a base salary of $10.5M in 2023.

My counter-proposal to this proposal would be Metcalf + #41 + Denver’s 2023 R2 for #4 + #35 + the Jets’ first-round pick in 2023. They can keep Corey Davis. If the Jets balk at that, I’d consider taking #10 instead of #4, but they have to throw in OT Mekhi Becton.

Note: For those that are curious, the difference between #4 and #10 is 500 points on the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart and 500 points = the 40th overall pick. Becton for #40 might be an overpay, but we do need a Left Tackle.

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Trade Proposal #2 for Seattle

Barnwell’s second proposal involving the Seahawks has them trading DOWN from #9 to #28.

• Seattle gets #28, #59, and QB Jordan Love
• The Green Bay Packers get: #9

Barnwell’s thoughts:

Schneider cut his teeth under Ron Wolf in Green Bay, so my suspicion is that he and Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst at least share some thoughts about scouting quarterbacks. Trading for Love would give the Seahawks a passer with two years left on his rookie deal and an essentially blank slate, given that his career to this point has consisted of garbage time and a spot start against the Chiefs. This deal values Love as being worth the 52nd pick in a typical draft, which is about fair given that half of his rookie deal is in the books.

FTR’s take: Am I the only one that would tell the Packers to pound sand? I’m honestly a bit offended that they’re not offering #22 instead of #28 (in this hypothetical proposal).

Emotional reactions aside, if Seattle is going to trade back nineteen spots, the payoff better be more than a late-round R2 and a QB that may or may not be able to beat out Geno Smith and Drew Lock for the QB1 role this season.

If Green Bay were to swap out #59 for #53 (+60 points) and add either their R3 (#90) or both of their R4s (#132 + #140), that might make this a deal that’s too good for Trader John to pass up.

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Trade Proposal #3 for Seattle

Barnwell’s third proposal involving the Seahawks has them moving back into the first round to grab the 25th-overall pick from the Buffalo Bills.

• The Bills get: #40, #41, and #109
• Seattle gets: #25 and #57

Barnwell’s thoughts:

If the Seahawks draft a cornerback or left tackle at No. 9, this would be a move up to go after a quarterback or an edge rusher. Then again, knowing how Pete Carroll is approaching this offense, maybe this would be their time to trade up for (Breece) Hall.

FTR’s take: Of the 3 trades involving the Seahawks, this is the one that I could get behind the easiest. That said, I can’t see the Seahawks trading up into the back half of Round 1 for a running back. I could, however, see them making this move for a quarterback or a highly-regarded player at another position of need. For example, if OT Trevor Penning or OC Tyler Linderbaum were still on the board at #25, then this move would make a lot of sense.

Getting pick #57 lessens the sting of giving up the back-to-back picks at 40/41 and the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart has this pretty close to a push (1,066 points going out for Seattle and 1,050 points coming in).

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Poll Time!

Poll #1: Would you be willing to trade pick #9, pick #72, and WR D.K. Metcalf to the Jets for pick #4, pick #35, pick #69, and WR Corey Davis?

Poll #2: Would you be willing to trade pick #9 to the Packers for pick #28, pick #59, and QB Jordan Love?

Poll #3: Would you be willing to trade pick #40, pick #41, and pick #109 to the Bills for pick #25 and pick #57?

Poll #4: If you were going to trade pick #9, would you prefer to move UP in the draft or DOWN in the draft?

Poll #5: Out of the 3 trades that Barnwell proposed, which one is your favorite?