Past trade deadlines revisited: What goes around comes back around

Whether you prefer an aggressive approach at the trade deadline or a conservative one, the Seahawks are probably going to try and make a move by next Tuesday whether you agree with it or not. John Schneider has acquired one of the biggest names on the market in each of the past two seasons (Leonard Williams in 2023, Ernest Jones in 2024) and both of those moves were the results of playoff intentions.

Now here we are approaching the 2025 deadline and the Seahawks have even more reason to believe they are legitimate contenders to come out of the NFC as conference champions. Which player or players does Schneider think will put Seattle over the top?

To answer that question before anything actually happens, we would have to know which players are probable to be traded in the next 10 days.

We’ve all seen the same rumors, from Trey Hendrickson (who Seaside Joe has advocated for in the past) to Maxx Crosby (who the owner insists isn’t available but that’s only because he hasn’t seen the best offer yet) and Seattle’s own Tariq Woolen (who despite reasons to keep is probably still on the block), but the bulk of the players who get dealt will be far less interesting and memorable.

And the bulk of the players on any trade deadline rumor mill will not be moving at all.

To set out and prove this I had to go back and re-visit the trade deadlines of the past few years. What stood out to me was not the names that did and did not get traded, but how often a player in the rumor mill would be in the next round of rumor mills too…or often would just leave after the season anyway.

For example, Brian Burns was one of the biggest names not traded at both the 2022 and 2023 midseason deadlines, until finally the Panthers dealt him to the Giants a month before the 2024 draft.

So even though Crosby was not traded at least year’s deadline, as was rumored, and then he signed an extension with the Raiders in March, it would not be unprecedented for him to be moved anyway.

Do I think Maxx Crosby will be traded? No, that doesn’t seem likely. But when a name comes up in trade rumors year after year, his departure might be a matter of when and not if.

Do I think Hendrickson will be traded? It doesn’t look like it. The Bengals are going to be 4-4 after they beat the Jets on Sunday. They could be in first place in two weeks. Cincinnati gave Hendrickson a raise before the season to get him to come back, so the sensible thing to do for both sides is try to make the playoffs and then Hendrickson will be a free agent in 2026.

And therein lies the NFL’s dirty secret about the trade deadline: The rumors are far more exciting than reality.

2022 trade deadline

Biggest moves

• 49ers trade for RB Christian McCaffrey

• Ravens trade for LB Roquan Smith

• Jaguars trade for WR Calvin Ridley (suspended)

• Dolphins trade for OLB Bradley Chubb

• Vikings trade for TE T.J. Hockenson

• Chiefs trade for WR Kadarius Toney

• Eagles trade for DE Robert Quinn

• Bears trade for WR Chase Claypool

Among the smaller deals was a trade sending current Seahawks DT Johnathan Hankins from the Raiders to the Cowboys.

2022 goes down as one of the most active and interesting NFL trade deadlines, including actual star players like McCaffrey and Smith, as well as decently good ones like Ridley, Chubb, and Hockenson. It is worthy of note that Ridley dipped after one year in Jacksonville, whereas Chubb and Hockenson signed extensions but have been rather hard to notice.

However, McCaffrey and Smith are legitimate All-Pro talents and neither cost a first round pick to acquire. Even if Hendrickson doesn’t fit into this category because he’s 31, at least Crosby would qualify.

Rumors

• DE Brian Burns

• OLB Josh Allen

• WR Jerry Jeudy

• RB Cam Akers

• WR Kendrick Bourne

• OT Isaiah Wynn

• WR Brandin Cooks

I tried to track down as many rumors as I could find. A rumor could be anything from a report by Schefteraport or a statement by the player/team (the Rams were openly shopping Akers) but I avoided speculation. The point I’m trying to make here is: Who are the names we were told could be traded?

Burns and Jeudy were eventually traded, they just weren’t traded at the 2022 deadline. Hines-Allen weathered rumors for another year and a half and then was extended in 2024, months before he then extended his last name.

2023 trade deadline

Biggest moves

• 49ers trade for DE Chase Young

• Bears trade for DE Montez Sweat

• Seahawks trade for DL Leonard Williams

• Eagles trade for S Kevin Byard

• Bills trade for CB Rasul Douglas

The actual trades couldn’t hold a candle to the rumors. The biggest news was Washington trading both of their pass rushers but now everybody knows that the best player dealt that season is Leonard Williams. The Seahawks almost didn’t get him re-signed but since they finalized that deal on the first day of free agency, Williams has posted 14 sacks, 94 tackles, 38 QB hits (tied with Myles Garrett for the 5th-most), and a pick six over the past 23 games.

In fact, Williams has been so good that he probably doesn’t love his contract terms anymore.

Rumors

• RB Saquon Barkley

• RB Derrick Henry

• EDGE Carl Lawson

• WR Jerry Jeudy

• OLB Brian Burns

• WR Courtland Sutton

• WR Kendrick Bourne

• QB Ryan Tannehill

• CB Jaylon Johnson

• WR Tee Higgins

• OT Garett Bolles

• EDGE Danielle Hunter

As I said before, the Panthers turned down two first round picks from the Rams only to later trade Burns to the Giants for pick 39 and change. The Broncos didn’t trade Jeudy in 2022 or 2023, only to later trade him to the Browns for a 5th and a 6th.

Barkley and Henry were both rumored trade chips on bad teams in 2023 (the team most connected to Henry was the Ravens) but weren’t moved midseason. Instead, Barkley was spurned by the Giants to sign with the Eagles and Henry eventually got his way to Baltimore and rushed for over 1,900 yards last year.

A comparison might be someone like Breece Hall right now. He’s not nearly as good of a running back as those two, but if the Jets don’t trade Hall now he’s just going to leave in free agency next year.

Sutton, Johnson, Higgins, and Bolles all signed extensions sometime after 2023. Hunter signed with the Texans in 2024 free agency and is 8th in sacks since then. Do the Vikings regret not trading Hunter when they had the chance?

2024 trade deadline

Biggest moves

• Moons trade for CB Marshon Lattimore

• Ravens trade for CB Tre’Davious White

• Lions trade for OLB Za’Darius Smith

• Seahawks trade for LB Ernest Jones

• Chiefs trade for WR DeAndre Hopkins

• Bills trade for WR Amari Cooper

• Jets trade for WR Davante Adams

You may notice that receivers get traded more often than most other positions. There were some DK Metcalf rumors last year — most prominently to the Steelers — but nothing that could have been that serious.

All of these three receivers were traded after turning 30. Hopkins and Cooper added little value, whereas Adams had decent yardage totals but only because Aaron Rodgers was feeding him the ball on a bad team. I have to say it: Just like Williams a year earlier, Ernest Jones has turned out to be the best player traded.

Most assumed it would be Lattimore, but nope. It’s Jones.

Rumors

• WR Cooper Kupp

• EDGE Maxx Crosby

• S Budda Baker

• RB Alvin Kamara

• QB Bryce Young

• RB Travis Etienne

• OLB Haason Reddick

• CB Greg Newsome

Kupp ended up getting released and signing with the Seahawks in 2025. Newsome was traded a few weeks ago. Crosby and Kamara are back in the rumors circuit and I could see some cause to trade Etienne, who is in a contract year. Of players on this list from 2024, the one most likely to be traded by next week is Kamara.

I don’t think that will involve the Seahawks.

Will the Seahawks make a move for the 3rd straight year?

Ernest Jones was definitely a surprise because nobody expected him to be traded twice in one season, and Williams was also relatively unexpected even though he was in a contract year. So to even try and predict who the Seahawks would want right now — and who they could get — is probably a waste of time.

The players who ESPN predicted have the best odds of being traded are Logan Wilson, Woolen, CB Michael Carter II, Arden Key, Hall, Jakobi Meyers, Jermaine Johnson, and Jaelan Phillips.

Seattle probably won’t trade for Wilson and they definitely won’t trade for Woolen, maybe leaving the three edge rushers as the only names under consideration. But the real trade market won’t be reported. Not until a real trade happens.

The Seahawks have had a lot of luck in this department over the last two trade deadlines. Should Schneider push it or get out while he’s ahead? If Seattle opts to play it safe, there’s always next year.

Seaside Joe 2428