Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
The Seattle Seahawks are among the teams that could make a run at Washington Commanders star pass rusher Chase Young, according to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin. Young’s future in Washington is very much uncertain after the Commanders declined to pick up the defender’s fifth-year option. The CBS analyst has the Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions, Texans and Bills as the top potential teams who could strike a trade for Young.
“Young seemed like he was going to be a cornerstone player for the Commanders when he was taken No. 2 overall out of Ohio State and then made the Pro Bowl as a rookie,” Benjamin wrote on May 13, 2023. “Injuries have dogged him since then, though, and Washington declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Might another team be willing to give up something of value and hope it can tap into his immense upside?”
Seattle opted not to address their defensive line in the first round but the franchise has expressed optimism that the unit will be much improved this upcoming season with the overhaul the team has made on defense. Trading for Young could be a bit of a buy-low opportunity for the Seahawks given the pass rusher’s injury history.
Acquiring Young would give Seattle one year to determine his long-term fit before the pass rusher hits free agency in 2024. The question is if the Seahawks are willing to meet the Commanders’ asking price to land Young via trade.
The Commanders Took Star DE Chase Young With the No. 2 Pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Chase Young (@youngchase907) tells @richpaul (@RichPaul4) “You didn’t pick the wrong one” when talking new partnership with @KlutchSports & @newbalance. #Commanders #OhioState #NFLDraft
The challenge is Young has played in a total of 12 games over the last two seasons (including just three games in 2022) as the star dealt with an ACL injury he sustained in 2021. Young’s upside in undeniable as the pass rusher notched 44 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and four pass deflections in 15 starts during his rookie season in 2020. The star earned Pro Bowl honors along with being named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Commanders took Young with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft following his standout career at Ohio State. Young signed a four-year, $34.5 million rookie contract which will expire after the 2023 season given Washington declined his fifth-year option. Young is slated to have a team-friendly $5.3 million salary this season, but this number would have escalated up to a massive $17.4 million in 2024, per Spotrac, if the Commanders exercised the defender’s fifth year.
Star Pass Rusher Will Anderson Called Meeting Seahawks HC Pete Carroll a ‘Dream Come True’
Will Anderson to #Seahawks? The star labeled @PeteCarroll as the coolest person he met ahead of the #NFLDraft: “All the teams were great and all the coaches were great. …It’s just like, it’s Pete Carroll.” Labeling the meeting as a “dream come true.” #GoHawks #RollTide
The Seahawks chose to select cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 pick over the top available defensive lineman including Tyree Wilson and Jalen Carter. ESPN’s Brady Henderson believes former Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson would have been a consideration for Seattle at No. 5, but the Texans traded up to snag the defender with the No. 3 selection.
“Jalen Carter and Tyree Wilson were both available when the Seahawks made the No. 5 pick in this year’s NFL draft, there to help fill the glaring need for impact players along Seattle’s defensive line,” Henderson detailed on May 11. “But in addition to concerns about Wilson’s foot and Carter’s makeup, the Seahawks didn’t have either player rated nearly as highly as Devon Witherspoon. With Will Anderson Jr. already gone and no real desire to take a quarterback that high, the Illinois cornerback was the easy choice.”
During an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports on the eve of the NFL draft, Anderson labeled Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as the one person he was thrilled to meet. Anderson admitted that meeting Carroll during the pre-draft process was a “dream come true.”
“All the teams were great and all the coaches were great. …It’s just like, it’s Pete Carroll,” Anderson told Heavy Sports with a smile.