The Seattle Seahawks arguably already landed the dream target in a trade with interior offensive lineman Quenton Nelson. The All-Pro left guard is a significant upgrade and could help solidify what was the team’s biggest roster weakness before the regular season started.
But the Seahawks aren’t playing at their Super Bowl level from last season. So they have other potential needs.
On Friday, CBS Sports’s JP Acosta called Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher YaYa Diaby a “pipe dream” trade target for the Seahawks.
“Very quietly for the Seahawks, their EDGE depth has been rampaged by injury. EDGE Uchenna Nwosu missed the Monday night loss to the Bears with an ankle injury, and EDGE Dante Fowler has been subpar in his time with the Seahawks. Adding to the EDGE room might be a bit of a luxury given the state of the offense, but if they could swing for a guy like Diaby from the Bucs, it would round out that room in a big way,” wrote Acosta.
“Diaby plays with power and length, fitting the archetype of Mike Macdonald edges. Swinging a move for Diaby would allow the Seahawks to have a hockey lines situation of pass rushers waiting to make plays, much like their run to the Super Bowl last season. Then, if they want to get younger in the offseason, they can extend Diaby.”
Diaby has three sacks with six tackles for loss, two pass defenses and one interception in eight games this season. Although not a major name, he’s a rising star inside the league. Diaby is a candidate to reach double-digit sacks sooner rather than later.
Last season, Diaby had seven sacks with 13 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits.
Could Seahawks Aim to Acquire Buccaneers Edge Rusher YaYa Diaby?
In all likelihood, the Seahawks won’t be able to land Diaby. On Friday, Acosta picked a “pipe dream” trade scenario for every NFL contender. He labeled such deals with the title for a reason — they aren’t likely to happen.
Still, it’s fun to think about the hypothetical. Diaby could add a jolt to the Seahawks defense along the edge.
While the Seahawks have allowed the fewest yards in the league, they rank just 14th in sacks. Last season, Seattle was tied for seventh in sacks with 47. The Seahawks are on track for 38 sacks this season.
The Buccaneers selected Diaby in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He posted 7.5 sacks as a rookie with 12 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits.
This fall, it took until Week 7 for Diaby to register a sack. But he has three sacks in the past two games.
As Acosta explained, Diaby will be an unrestricted free agent in March. So the Seahawks could acquire him as a mere rental player.
But it’s not inconceivable to think the Seahawks could acquire the edge rusher and then see how it goes. Seattle landed receiver Rashid Shaheed at last year’s deadline. After his major impact on the Super Bowl run, the Seahawks inked Shaheed to an extension this past spring.
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