Getty The Seahawks could acquire Bucs WR Scotty Miller at the trade deadline.
The Seattle Seahawks could be the perfect landing spot for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff hero.
As proposed by The Athletic’s Michael Shawn-Dugar, the Seahawks could be looking for some receiver help by the trade deadline on Nov. 1. One of the players proposed as a possible option is none other than Tampa Bay receiver Scotty Miller.
Shawn-Dugar argues that Metcalf’s recent patellar tendon injury could sideline him for a period of time. Bringing in a receiver at a low risk — such as Miller — could pay off dividends for a Seahawks team that is leading the NFC West.
“Because Metcalf leads Seattle in targets (14) and receiving yards (122) on third down, a low-risk move to bring in a potential possession receiver in Miller would be an option as well,” says Shawn-Dugar. “Miller has a 2022 base salary of $965,000 and has fallen out of the Bucs’ lineup. He has 10 catches for 79 yards this season.”
Bucs Have Little Use for Miller in 2022
The 25-year-old receiver first burst onto the national scene during Tampa Bay’s run to the Super Bowl during the 2020 season. The small-framed receiver — 5-foot-9, 174 pounds — emerged as one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets, finishing the 2020 campaign with 33 receptions, 501 yards and three touchdowns.
In fact, he ranked third among all receivers on the team in receiving yards and actually led the Bucs in yards per reception (15.2).
However, his most notable moment came during the Bucs’ 31-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game two years prior. That’s when Miller came up with a big touchdown grab to give Tampa Bay a commanding 21-10 lead before halftime.
“Miller’s epic touchdown catch just before halftime in the 2020 NFC title game will live on in Bucs history forever, but that feels like an eternity ago,” said Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire. “In the present, Miller has struggled to make any kind of impact, despite his elite deep speed. Even when injuries piled up at wide receiver early in the season, Miller failed to make the most of his opportunities. It’s possible a change of scenery could help, and his big-play potential could entice another team to take a chance on the 25-year-old, and it probably wouldn’t cost much to get Tampa Bay to part with him.”
However, he has fallen out of favor over the past two seasons, catching just 15 passes for 117 yards and no touchdowns.
Acquiring Miller could be done with surrendering a late-round draft pick, such as a sixth or seventh-round draft selection.
Metcalf’s Injury Could Pose Problems for Seahawks
With Metcalf appearing to be out of the picture for the near future, Seattle’s depth at wide receiver is suddenly thin. Tyler Lockett is obviously a bonafide option — he leads the team in receiving with 41 receptions and 468 yards — but there are question marks outside of Lockett.
Veteran free agent signee Marquise Goodwin is the next man up if Metcalf is sidelined, but he’s only caught 10 balls for 146 yards this season. In other words, he’s averaging slightly more than one reception per game as the team’s No. 3 receiver. He’s produced just 10 receptions while appearing in 47 percent of the offensive snaps this season.
Making matters more concerning is the fact that Goodwin hasn’t been a focal point of a team’s offense since he was a starter with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2017 season. In fact, he hasn’t caught more than 23 passes or 395 receiving yards in a single season since 2017.
One of the main reasons why the Seahawks have raced off to a surprising 4-3 start is due to their explosive offense. Losing the unit’s most dynamic weapon in Metcalf for any period of time will likely stunt the offense’s scoring ability.
However, adding a temporary fix such as Miller or any other receiver can help carry over the momentum for Seattle while Metcalf is sidelined.