Getty The Seahawks could look to deal tight end Jacob Hollister by the trade deadline.
The Seattle Seahawks already proved they were buyers at the NFL trade deadline, but there are some indications they could be sellers as well. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Seahawks explored trading tight end Jacob Hollister to clear cap space to acquire a pass rusher.
“Teams out of the race aren’t the only ones that could have assets for sale,” Breer noted. “Over the last week or so, word around the league was that Seattle was trying to create cap space to add a pass rusher, and TE Jacob Hollister was available. Now that B.J. Finney was traded and Carlos Dunlap has been acquired, the Seahawks have pulled back on that.”
The Seahawks were able to shed a salary unexpectedly in their trade for Carlos Dunlap by sending backup offensive lineman B.J. Finney to the Bengals. Breer noted this helps Hollister’s chances to stay with the Seahawks now that the team was able to snag Dunlap while also unloading Finney’s salary. Dunlap makes more than Finney but the majority of trade rumors had the Seahawks giving up more significant draft capital without trading any players.
The Seahawks still have a lot of depth at tight end led by Greg Olsen along with Will Dissly, so it would not be a total surprise if Hollister is traded for a 2021 draft pick. The Seahawks are low on draft capital since they acquired Jamal Adams from the Jets over the offseason in exchange for multiple future picks.
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Hollister ‘Drummed Up So Much Interest” From NFL Teams
Hollister appears to have a lot of potential suitors around the NFL as the Seahawks received a lot of interest. This is why Breer believes Hollister could still be traded by the November 3 deadline.
“But Hollister drummed up so much interest across the league that I don’t think it’s impossible someone will put something in front of the Seahawks they have to consider,” Breer added.
Hollister has had limited opportunities this season with the addition of Olsen and the return of Dissly from a season-ending injury. The tight end has just five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown this season.
The Seahawks have already traded away their first-, third- and sixth-round selections for the 2021 NFL Draft, per Field Gulls. Do not be surprised if Hollister is moved if the Seahawks are able to recoup a draft pick for 2021.
Carroll on Dunlap: ‘Carlos Has Been a Very, Very Consistent Player for a Long Time’
The Seahawks were already able to pull off a trade for a pass rusher in what Pete Carroll described as “really rapid fashion.” The Seahawks coach called Dunlap a “very, very consistent player for a long time.”
“We have a chance to bring in Carlos Dunlap to our team and give him a chance to help us in an area we’ve been talking about for some time,” Carroll said, per Seahawks.com. “Carlos has been a very, very consistent player for a long time. He’s always been fast, always been athletic, he still moves his feet well and gets off the rock and knows exactly how to play the spot that we want to play him in. Really it was exciting to share that with him, he was concerned to know how we would play him at all, so that that was a that was good for him to hear.”
As the Seahawks have seen with positions such as running back, an area of depth can quickly become something of need after just one game. Signing free agents takes longer than ever as each player is required to go through COVID-19 protocols. The Seahawks could opt to keep Hollister just in case there is an injury during the team’s stretch run, but an extra draft pick is going to be hard to turn down.