Upgrading the interior of their offensive line remains one of the obvious needs for the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline, and a seven-time Pro Bowl guard could be on the block as an ideal replacement for beleaguered starter Anthony Bradford.
It’s Cleveland Browns veteran Joel Bitonio who makes sense as a trade target, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder. He pointed out how “The Seahawks are in a much better place with their offensive line now compared to a year ago, but it would be worthwhile for them to make a short-term upgrade at the deadline since they are a contender. That’s what this would be, with Bitonio coming in to replace Anthony Bradford (by shifting either him or Grey Zabel to right guard). Bitonio, 34, is in the last year of his contract and would be a significant boost in both run and pass blocking.”
Bitonio has enough of a pedigree to offset any concerns about his age. The two-time first-team All-Pro might even give the Seahawks the extra bulk up front they need to improve a sluggish running game.
Joel Bitonio Trade Makes a Lot of Sense for Seahawks
There’s a good deal of logic behind any trade proposal involving Bitonio and the Seahawks. For one thing, “the Seahawks have $21.5 million in salary-cap space, according to Over the Cap. As for assets, Seattle has one pick in each of the first six rounds of the 2026 draft,” per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
General manager John Schneider has the assets to swing a mid-season swap, but the talent on a 5-2 roster means he doesn’t need to swing for the fences with a headline-grabbing move. Snagging ageing but still effective Bitonio off a losing Browns team would be low-cost, lower risk and addressing an obvious deficiency.
Bitonio is still moving people in the trenches, and playing for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski means he’s well-versed knocking open holes for the run. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder would add the greater size the Seahawks need to help a transition away from their flailing zone-stretch schemes to more straight-ahead power on the ground.
Dugar noted how Seattle’s offense tried more runs “between the tackles” against the Houston Texans in Week 7. Bitonio’s presence would help after he’s played 542 snaps at left guard this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Putting the 12-year pro into the same spot in Seattle would allow the Seahawks to make another shift up front.
Trade Would Let Seahawks Change O-Line
Walder’s suggestion about the Seahawks moving Grey Zabel to the right side has a lot of merit. The 2025 NFL draft first-round pick has already proved a capable starter, so moving him across the front, following any deal for Bitonio, would instantly upgrade two positions.
A pairing of Zabel and Bitonio would also send Bradford to the bench. He’s been finding it difficult to win one-on-one matchups and move defenders in space.
Getting to the second level in a hurry is a key tenant of the zone-based system preferred by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. A change to more counter and gap concepts is likely needed to revive this dormant ground game, but it will require bulkier blockers at the point of attack.
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