Getty The Seattle Seahawks could look to upgrade the defensive line via trade.
The Seattle Seahawks could be an ideal destination for a possible trade when it comes to defensive line depth, suggests one NFL insider.
As ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes during his training camp visit to the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 3, Graziano mentions how loaded Dallas is along the defensive line. Not only does he mention how the Cowboys could look to trade — rather than cut — a veteran defensive lineman, he brings up the Seahawks as a possible destination.
“Dallas looks pretty loaded on defense, particularly up front,” writes Graziano. “And while it’s great to have depth, the Cowboys could have some tough choices on the defensive front come roster cut-down day. Don’t be surprised if teams (Seattle?) looking for defensive line depth come calling to see if Dallas wants to trade someone away rather than cut them.”
Seahawks’ Defensive Line Was Weak Link in 2023
It’s no secret that the Seahawks made a concerted effort to upgrade their defensive line this offseason. Essentially the entire core of the defensive line from last season has departed, with Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, Poona Ford and Shelby Harris all leaving via free agency. Seattle has since replaced them with Dremont Jones, Jarran Reed and Mario Edwards.
As Jonathan Alfano of Sports Illustrated points out, the Seahawks’ run defense was among the worst in the NFL last season, ranking 30th in the league.
“The Seahawks pass-rush wasn’t bad last season as they had 45 sacks, tied with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seventh-most in the league,” wrote Alfano in June. “What killed them was their abysmal run defense, which ranked No. 30 in the league and allowed over 150 yards per game.”
While the Seahawks certainly excelled in the pass-rushing department, their run defense was clearly the weak link of their unit. The only teams to rank worse than Seattle in run defense were the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals, two teams who combined to go a collective 7-27.
In other words, the Seahawks were the only one of those teams to make it to the playoffs despite a horrendous run defense.
Among Seahawks’ Potential Trade Candidates is Chauncey Golston
While Graziano doesn’t mention any specific player by name, among the potential Cowboys candidates who could become available are the likes of Quinton Bohanna, Chauncey Golston, Dorance Armstrong and Neville Gallimore. Each player is due different sums of money in 2023, with Armstrong topping the list of the quartet ($7.25 million) and Gallimore (slightly less than $3 million), Golston ($1.3 million) and Bohanna ($1 million) rounding out the list.
When looking purely at run defense, Golston posted the best run defense grade (61.3) among the four defensive lineman last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Armstrong posted a decent 57.3 run defensive grade as a defensive end, while defensive tackles Bohanna (42.4) and Gallimore (29.7) posted underwhelming grades while stopping the run.
Considering Golston is due to earn just $1.3 million this season and $1.6 million next season, he may be the most viable option of the Cowboys’ possible trade candidates considering his run defense abilities.
With the Seahawks expecting to improve upon last season’s playoff appearance, upgrading the interior of the defensive line with a cheap and efficient 25-year-old defensive lineman could be an absolute steal.