Getty The Seahawks might be a potential landing spot for Lamar Jackson.
The Seattle Seahawks have the assets to pull off a deal for one of the top quarterbacks in the game, says one analyst.
According to former Seahawks QB and current 710 AM radio host Jake Heaps, the Seahawks have the “firepower” to swing a deal for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson is entering the last year of his rookie contract — a fifth-year option — and Jackson and the Ravens have yet to reach a deal on a contract extension.
“Secondly, if this season does not go well offensively for Jackson and the Ravens you could see very easily how Jackson could be the next quarterback that is available on the trading block,” Heaps said in a story published May 14. “With two first and two seconds, the Seahawks sit in pretty good position to have the firepower to be able to pull off a trade for Lamar Jackson, and I think that that would be something that everyone should be very, very interested in here in Seattle.”
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Proposed Jackson Deal Similar to Wilson Trade
The deal Heaps proposed would be similar to the one the Denver Broncos pulled off in March for former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-rounder and several players — Drew Lock, Shelby Harris and Noah Fant — in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round pick.
In Heaps’ scenario, the Seahawks would essentially be giving away the picks acquired in the Wilson deal in exchange for a top-level quarterback who, at 25, has yet to hit his prime.
As unlikely as a Jackson-to-Seahawks scenario would seem at first glance, no one a year ago would have envisioned Wilson in a Broncos uniform. The same could be said for Tom Brady in the years leading up his bolting the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
If the Ravens and Jackson have another down season — they missed the playoffs in 2021 after finishing 8-9 and have failed to advance past the divisional round during the Jackson era — a scenario in which the team and the player move in different directions could become a reality.
Furthermore, acquiring Jackson would let the Seahawks skip a rebuilding era that started when they traded away Wilson. Installing an established quarterback would negate the urgency to select a touted prospect such as C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in next year’s year draft.
Jackson Would Fit in Seahawks’ Run-Oriented Offense
Heap wrote that Jackson — a run-oriented quarterback best used in a run-heavy scheme — could thrive in the Seahawks’ offense, which is similar to the Ravens’ offense.
“Jackson has thrived in Baltimore’s run-heavy offense, a scheme that has a run-pass balance that more closely resembles a Carroll team as opposed to pass-heavy offenses in Kansas City or, last year, Tampa Bay,” Heaps wrote. “Seattle could find their quarterback of the future in 2023’s more stacked class… or, they could use their healthy draft capital (two first rounders and two second rounders) to acquire the more proven 25-year-old Jackson from Baltimore.”
According to Team Rankings, the Seahawks threw the ball on only 56.71% of their offensive plays last season, ranking 20th in the league. The Ravens had similar numbers, passing the ball on just 56.37% of their plays last year, ranking 22nd in the NFL.
Depending on the Ravens’ fortunes in 2022 and the contract negotiations between the team and Jackson, the possibility of the former MVP being traded — perhaps to the Seahawks — could become more realistic in 2023.