The Seattle Seahawks are in a close race for the NFC West title. Mike Macdonald and his team sit at 5-2, locked in a three-way battle with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
As a result, the minor details like depth will play a key role in which of these three teams wins the division. Despite being in a tight fight for the NFC West, Seattle could trade cornerback Riq Woolen ahead of the NFL’s November 4 trade deadline.
According to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, in an article published on October 22, “[The Seahawks have] been wanting to move him for a while,” one NFL executive said. “He doesn’t fit what (head coach Mike Macdonald) wants to do.”
Even with this rumor, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah believes that the Seahawks are better off holding onto Woolen rather than securing an asset for him.
“I always go back to conversations at cutdown day every single year around the league. If you talk to every GM, they’ll tell you the same thing: We just need one more tackle and one more corner – if we could just find a tackle and a corner,” Jeremiah said during an October 23 appearance on Seattle Sports’ “Brock and Salk.”
“And there’s gonna be attrition. So to me, if I have any depth on the offensive line or in the secondary, I don’t know that I’m willing to deal from that at this point in time if you’ve got a team that’s capable of going on a run.”
Is a Late Round Pick More Important for the Seahawks?
A 2022 Pro Bowler, Woolen is entering the final year of his rookie deal. His inconsistent play, combined with the fact that several other members of Seattle’s 2022 draft class are likely higher priorities, makes a contract extension seem unlikely.
Woolen remains Seattle’s third cornerback, trailing Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe on the depth chart. With the Seahawks frequently using five-defensive-back formations, the third slot often sees an additional cornerback or safety on the field.
That raises the question: Should the Seahawks trade him now to at least get some value in return? Jeremiah, however, points out that for a team in the playoff hunt, keeping depth on the roster might be more important than a mid- or late-round draft pick.
“I get where he is and you’ve got guys coming back and he hasn’t been what you hoped he would be,“ Jeremiah added. “But I don’t know. What are you gonna get? Are you gonna get a fifth or a sixth-round pick?”
Who Could Trade for Riq Woolen?
Amid the ongoing trade rumors, many experts reveal which team Woolen can land on. Recently, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named three potential landing spots for the Seahawks defender: Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles.
“Once tabbed as one of the NFL’s top up-and-coming cornerbacks, Woolen is no longer a fearsome member of Seattle’s defense. He showed early in his career he can parlay his big frame (6-foot-4) into elite ball production, however, and you can bet that a handful of teams would be willing to plug him in as a high-upside move for the future. The former Pro Bowler is still just 26.”
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