The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to lose, and the snap share of free-agent addition Kenneth Gainwell continues to go down. With that in mind, it is starting to become more likely that the Bucs will admit defeat on the running back acquisition and shop him at the trade deadline. One team that is emerging as a likely candidate to trade for him is the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Trade Kenneth Gainwell to Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks running back room has been a mess this season. Rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price is on the IR, and he was struggling to establish himself when he is healthy. Right now, the team is splitting snaps between Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani.
The big difference is that Holani is their passing-down back. Holani has 123 snaps on passing downs. Meanwhile, Wilson has 62 snaps on passing downs. Holani only has 39 snaps on rushing downs, while Wilson has 116 snaps. They do not want Holani to carry the ball, but they trust him more than Wilson in the passing game
The issue is that Holani has a 19.7 pass-blocking grade, per PFF. He also has 11 receptions for 76 yards. Gainwell is hardly playing, but he has historically been known as a strong pass-down back.
Last year, he had a 69 pass-blocking grade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also added 77 receptions for 512 yards. When used correctly, he can be one of the better pass-catching backs in the NFL.
The Bucs are not getting that out of him. However, they can trade him and let another team use him a bit better.
Buccaneers Should Take Calls on Players
The Bucs gave Gainwell a two-year, $12M deal this offseason. However, due to the guarantees, the odds are that they will release him after the season. Gainwell had a 45.6% snap share in Week 1. That dropped to 35.4% in Week 2. He saw a bit of an increase in Week 3, as he was up to 46.4%.
Then, in Week 4, he was down a touch to 36.1. It could have been because the team was in the lead for most of the game, so they were not passing the ball much. Still, he only played 14.9% of the offensive snaps in the Bucs’ Week 6 loss to the Steelers.
So, they can continue to see his snaps decrease on a losing team and then watch him leave for nothing. Or, they can try to get something in a trade for Gainwell.
The Bucs are not going to get much back in a trade, but clearing the cap space and getting anything in return should make it worth it.
If it is not the Seahawks, the team should listen to other offers.
Super Bowl Champs Emerge as Trade Fit for Bucs Failed Signing