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The Seattle Seahawks are being pushed to explore trading projected starting pass rusher Darrell Taylor, but there is reason to think this is an unwise move. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder outlined one player each team should explore trading prior to Week 1 and has Taylor atop Seattle’s list of possibilities.
“The problem is the 26-year-old is going to be a restricted free agent (RFA) in the offseason and Seattle has a handful of other young and promising edge-rushers in Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, all of whom are signed through 2025,” Holder wrote on August 15, 2023.
“Also, Nwosu is only a few months older than Taylor while Mafe and Hall are both younger. While the Seahawks could place a first- or second-round tender on Taylor in the offseason since he’s an RFA, they could also use that as a bargaining chip with any potential trade partners.”
Seattle Seahawks Pass Rusher Darrell Taylor Is Heading Into the Final Season of a 4-Year, $6.7 Million Contract
Candidly, given the Seahawks’ struggles on the defensive line in 2022, the offseason moves should not prompt the front office to think the team has too much depth. Holder is right that Taylor is heading into the final season of a four-year, $6.7 million rookie contract.
Things could get complicated next offseason as Taylor will be a restricted free agent. Taylor’s potential upside is worth Seattle waiting to see how the pass rusher performs this season.
The defender notched a career-high 9.5 sacks, 26 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, 8 quarterback hits and 4 forced fumbles in 16 appearances during the 2022 season. There is reason to think Taylor can be even more productive this year given the offseason additions of Dre’Mont Jones and rookie Derick Hall could open up opportunities for other pass rushers.
Darrell Taylor Has Been Sidelined With a Shoulder Injury
Taylor’s training camp has been derailed as a result of a shoulder injury as the pass rusher remains sidelined. The good news is Taylor’s injury is not expected to require surgery, but the defender has not been able to practice for the majority of August.
“Yeah, he sprained his shoulder, and we gotta wait to figure out how long it’s going to take,” Carroll told reporters on August 3. “It’s not requiring surgery, but we just got to see how he responds. He felt way better today than he did yesterday, and so that’s good early progress.”
The Seattle Seahawks Expect Darrell Taylor to Be a ‘Full-Time Starter’ & ‘Double-Digit Sack Producer,’ Says Insider
Seattle is counting on Taylor being a key contributor making a potential trade unlikely. The Atheltic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar noted that the Seahawks are expecting Taylor to be a “full-time starter” and even more productive in 2023.
“Now for the bad news: Outside linebacker Darrell Taylor landed awkwardly in an earlier practice and has a sprained left shoulder,” Dugar detailed on August 3. “He watched practice Thursday with his arm in a sling.
“… Seattle expects Taylor, a 2020 second-round pick who has 16 sacks in his first two seasons, to be a double-digit sack producer and a full-time starter on the edge opposite Uchenna Nwosu this year.”
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