The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 4, roughly one month away, and a major question for the Seattle Seahawks is whether Riq Woolen will still be on the team by then. The fourth-year cornerback, entering the final year of his contract, has been the subject of trade rumors since the offseason. His inconsistent performance through the first four games of the 2025 season has only fueled speculation that the Seahawks will cut ties with him.
Brian Nemhauser, host of the daily Seahawks podcast HawkBlogger Mornings, proposed several Woolen trade packages on a recent episode. He focused on player-for-player deals, rather than trades that solely involved draft capital. Here are five names that stand out.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants
Thibodeaux was one of the splashiest players mentioned on the HawkBlogger Mornings episode. Like Woolen, the Giants’ edge rusher was selected in the 2022 NFL Draft and is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Swapping the two players could eliminate redundancy and strengthen key position groups for both teams.
“[The Giants] probably have a bigger need for corner than they do long-term for edge rusher, given that they just drafted Abdul Carter and they’ve got Brian Burns,” Nemhauser said.
While Thibodeaux hasn’t lived up to his billing as a No. 5 overall pick, his stock is significantly higher than Woolen’s at the moment. Seattle would likely need to surrender hefty draft capital, along with Woolen, to acquire the 24-year-old pass rusher.
Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford has, at times, appeared lost on the field, resulting in a few unfortunate viral clips. The Hawks could aim to bolster their interior offensive line by adding one of two veteran guards from the Browns, Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller. In return, the Browns could develop a young, high-upside cornerback, hoping he returns to his Pro Bowl form from 2022.
“Cleveland is in a nothing year,” Nemhauser explained. “And, if I look at the top-graded guards, at least by PFF, for whatever that’s worth, Wyatt Teller is No. 25 and Joel Bitonio is No. 9. And both of them are on the last year of their deals.”
John Simpson, New York Jets
Another interior line option that Nemhauser mentioned is Jets’ guard John Simpson, a six-year pro out of Clemson. Simpson has started 59 games for the Raiders, Ravens, and Jets. According to PFF, he’s a balanced pass and run blocker, performing above average in both departments. With the Jets off to a 0-4 start, they could be incentivized to trade for and sign Woolen to a long-term deal, hoping to build for the future.
Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
The 2024 NFL sack leader has been involved in trade rumors for months. At first, it was due to his contract holdout with the Bengals. Now, it’s a result of Cincinnati’s abysmal performance after Joe Burrow was sidelined for most of the season with turf toe. The Bengals could be more willing to part ways with Hendrickson if their playoff hopes look slim closer to the trade deadline.
I don’t know if the Bengals will take a player in return. That’s the thing that’s weird about it,” Nemhauser said. “I think [the Seahawks] are going to really check in on Hendrickson. I do.”
The Seahawks would almost certainly need to give up more than Woolen to acquire Hendrickson, but the team may be willing to do so if they remain atop the NFC West by November.
Show guest Jeff Simmons added, “You can’t not watch [the Seahawks] and say, ‘man, they need that A-list pass rusher to close games.’”
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