Getty The latest Seattle Seahawks rumors reveal the team had trade talks with the New England Patriots.
Some Seattle Seahawks speculation continues even after the NFL trade deadline passed on October 31, 2023. Seattle went big-game hunting landing defensive tackle Leonard Williams in a blockbuster deal with the New York Giants.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Seahawks “looked heavily” into a possible trade with the New England Patriots centered around pass rusher Josh Uche. Ultimately, the team decided to reunite with Frank Clark rather than make a move for Uche.
“Uche’s market took a few turns in the past week,” Fowler detailed in a November 1, 2023 article entitled “NFL trade deadline winners, latest Week 9 buzz, fantasy tips.” “Seattle looked heavily into him before ultimately deciding to sign Clark instead. Then in the past few days, the Saints got involved.
“The feeling on Uche was that a Day 3 pick might have facilitated a deal, making it more palatable for suitors who needed a pass-rusher but didn’t want to spend on Sweat or Young. But teams also cautioned that New England likes to appear open for business … until it isn’t. By Tuesday, the Patriots were excited about keeping Uche, a talented player who should do well in free agency.”
Seahawks Rumors: Could Seattle Make a Run at Josh Uche in Free Agency?
Uche is still a name to watch as the New England defender will hit free agency this offseason. The pass rusher is on the final season of a four-year, $5.3 million rookie deal.
The days of getting a bargain on Uche are likely over as the defender’s play in 2022 will likely warrant a raise on his next contract. Spotrac projects that Uche’s market value is a three-year, $25 million deal.
After a career season, Uche has struggled to make the same impact in 2023. Uche has just 6 tackles and 2 sacks in eight appearances in 2023. The linebacker posted a career-high 11.5 sacks, 27 tackles, 14 quarterback hits and 2 forced fumbles in 15 games during the 2022 season.
Seahawks Chose Frank Clark Over Patriots Linebacker Josh Uche
After earning an 83.1 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022, Uche’s score has dropped signficantly to 61.4 for 2023. Seattle obviously has greater familiarity with Clark and did not have to give up a draft pick to sign the former Pro Bowler.
Uche remains someone to keep an eye on in free agency as his recent play could allow Seattle to get a bit of a discount. The front office’s previous interest in Uche is sure to spark Seahawks rumors in the coming months.
It remains to be seen just how involved Clark will be during the team’s stretch run. Clark played 50% of the snaps in Week 9, but 28% of the plays in both Week 8 and 11.
The veteran is still looking to make his presence felt as Clark has just three tackles through his first three games back in Seattle. Clark revealed that the pass rusher had wanted to sign with Seattle prior to landing in Kansas City last offseason.
“At the end of the day, they [Seahawks] gave me a call man, and I was ecstatic, just simply,” Clark told reporters on October 26. “That was one of those calls I had been waiting for.
“Of course, we tried to get a few things done before the season, but it didn’t work out like we wanted. But fortunately for me, fortunately for everybody, we was able to get it done and that’s all that matters.”