The Seattle Seahawks just won Super Bowl 60. Now they’re trying to do something no team has done since the 2004-05 Patriots: go back-to-back. But the road looks a lot harder than it did three months ago.
Seattle lost four key contributors in free agency. Kenneth Walker, Boye Mafe, Tariq Woolen, and Coby Bryant all signed elsewhere. That’s a lot of talent to replace for a team that just won it all. The front office has made moves. They drafted running back Jadarian Price in the first round. They signed Emanuel Wilson and Cooper Kupp. But the roster still has holes, and the NFL is a copycat league. Other teams saw what worked for Seattle and raided their depth chart.
Here’s the thing about defending a title. You don’t want to trade anybody. But injuries happen. Cap situations get tight. And sometimes you have to move a piece you’d rather keep just to stay afloat. These three Seahawks could end up being trade candidates if things go sideways.
Zach Charbonnet could be the odd man out in Seattle’s backfield
Charbonnet tore his ACL during the postseason. Walker stepped up, won Super Bowl MVP, and then cashed in with Kansas City. Now Seattle has Price, a first-round pick, and Wilson as a free-agent addition. That’s a crowded room for a guy who might not be ready for Week 1.
The Seahawks have used a committee approach for years. But first-round running backs don’t usually split carries. Price is going to get the bulk of the work. Wilson is a capable backup. That leaves Charbonnet as the expendable piece, especially if he’s behind schedule in his rehab. A team desperate for running back help could call at the deadline, and Seattle might listen.
It’s not ideal. But the NFL doesn’t care about ideal.
Tory Horton has trade value the Seahawks might need to use
Seattle’s wide receiver room is ridiculous. Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league in receiving yards last season with 1,793. Cooper Kupp is a former Triple Crown winner. Rashid Shaheed is one of the fastest players in football. And then there’s Horton, a rookie who caught five touchdown passes in a limited role.
That’s a lot of mouths to feed. The Seahawks also have high hopes for rookie Emmanuel Henderson, and Jake Bobo is reliable when called on. Horton flashed real potential last year, and that kind of production from a backup is exactly the kind of asset teams covet at the trade deadline.
If Seattle needs to shore up a different position — say, linebacker or offensive line — Horton’s rookie contract and big-play ability make him a logical trade chip. The team hasn’t said anything about moving him. But the math is what it is.
Ernest Jones IV has been traded before. He could be again.
Jones started his career with the Rams, got shipped to the Titans, and then landed in Seattle. He’s been a tackling machine and a key piece of the defense. But the Seahawks are thin at other spots, and Jones has a valuable skill set for contenders who need immediate help at linebacker.
The team isn’t going to trade him before the season starts. That would be counterproductive for a team trying to win another ring. But if Seattle hits a rough patch or suffers injuries at other positions, Jones becomes an interesting asset. He’s proven he can learn a defense quickly and produce. That journeyman experience matters for teams in win-now mode.
None of these moves feel likely right now. The Seahawks want to add talent, not subtract it. But sustained success in the NFL is brutal. One bad stretch, one key injury, and the calculus changes. Don’t be surprised if one of these names pops up in trade rumors by November.
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