With the first few weeks of the NFL regular season underway, we can already get a sense of which teams can still dream of the postseason and which ones can already start planning for 2025.

So, in a few weeks we will have the trade deadline, which this year is on November 5. In this article I will bring you some options for the Seattle Seahawks, who are trending downward but technically still tied for first in the NFC West.

First things first

First of all, don’t expect a blockbuster trade. In fact, I’m not sure if the Seahawks will actually be active at this trade deadline. The team has a lot of holes to fill and is not in that “we only need one player to become a contender” situation, as we have been in other situations.

Secondly, let’s look at the process I followed to decide on targets. I went after teams that no longer have much ambition and have fallen behind in the race for their division and would be the “sellers.”

Here are the teams:

• Carolina Panthers;
• Miami Dolphins (the fact that their starting QB is injured impacts the future);
• New England Patriots (with the fact that they named their rookie QB as the starter, the team may be reluctant to make trades);
• Jacksonville Jaguars;
• Tennessee Titans

Some teams are underperforming, like the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, but I don’t believe they will take the stance of getting rid of pieces for the future.

Trade Targets

Devin Lloyd, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson were only signed for this year and have already had injury issues, especially Baker. After some prominence in the first few games, they were among the worst on defense in our losses.

Devin Lloyd was one of the Jaguars’ first-round picks in 2022. He just turned 26 and hasn’t been able to reach the potential he showed at Utah. He’s under contract for this season and next with cap hits of just under $3.5M and $4.1M, respectively. Lloyd also has the fifth-year option for 2026.

After an inconsistent start to his career, he showed improvement last season. He’s an extremely complete LB, athletic and physical, with coverage ability and was also a good blitzer. Last year, he received a 78.1 PFF grade and an incredible 90.3 in run defense. This versatility of roles would be excellent in Macdonald’s defense.

Perhaps, among the options listed here, this is the most complicated to negotiate and probably the most expensive. The fact that he is a first-rounder may make the Jaguars more resistant to trading him, in addition to his fifth-year option.

Andre Cisco, S, Jacksonville Jaguars

Cisco was the first pick of the third round in 2021 and is going into the final year of his contract. He would cost just under $3M for 2024. Trading him would represent another bet on the future. K’Von Wallace is the backup safety and only has a one-year contract, Coby Bryant does not inspire confidence.

Rayshawn Jenkins and Julian Love have contracts for next year; the latter even renewed this season. Both (as well as the entire defense) have been playing a little below expectations.

Trading for Cisco would adapt him to the defense this year and gain a playmaker in the future. Even though he is having his worst season in terms of numbers, it is necessary to look at the context of his team, which only managed its first victory in week 5.

Walker Little, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars

He is another player from the Jaguars 2021 draft class, but unlike Cisco, Little was chosen in the second round. Therefore, Little is also in the last year of his contract. He played at Stanford and was a well-regarded prospect in the draft process, despite having been injured in his penultimate year and opting out during the COVID-19 season.

Any reinforcement is important for our OL. Little has the versatility that could be very welcome for the team. He has 947 snaps as LT, 132 as LG and 44 as RT. In total, he has 47 pressures (35 hurries, 6 hits and 6 sacks), in addition to 11 penalties committed (7 in 2023) and an efficiency of 96.2.

In addition to serving as an option for the interior of the line, Little could compete with Stone Forsythe for the starting RT spot, while in Jacksonville he has only been a backup. Abe Lucas has no return prospects and we also have no information on George Fant. Michael Jerrell has not even been active in games, so he is not a real option.

Brady Christensen, OL, Carolina Panthers

Another name in the last year of his contract, of the 2021 Draft. Christensen was chosen in the third round mainly for his athletic ability that stood out at the Combine with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.85 in OT, 9.97 in OG and 10 as a center.

Another player with good versatility, despite being the Panthers’ starting center, the team should not go too far and may want to capitalize on some trade opportunities. He has had a small injury history, so it is something to keep an eye on. Before John Gilbert brings up this point, he was a late-arriving NFL prospect from BYU and is already 28 years old.

He has 320 snaps as LT, 1064 as LG, 19 as center, 64 as RG and 71 as RT. Christensen committed 13 penalties and had an efficiency grade of 97. In this sample, he gave up 46 pressures that translated into 34 hurries, 6 hits and 6 sacks.

Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE, Carolina Panthers

The Seahawks have a (big) pass rush problem. Uchenna Nwosu is on IR, Derick Hall and Boye Mafe have both been on the Injury Report, with the latter missing games due to injury. Furthermore, the Trevis Gipson trade appears to have backfired, with the former Jaguars player unable to help the defense.

There aren’t many options available in the middle of the season. Most teams will want to keep their edges efficient. The Seahawks can’t afford to trade Haason Reddick and pay a fortune to re-sign him. That limits the team’s options considerably.

One option that could be valid is Jadeveon Clowney. Last year, under Mike Macdonald’s tutelage, he had 9.5 sacks, tying his best mark from 2017. He knows the scheme, the terminology, the terms, the head coach, the city, the franchise. He’s not there to solve all the defense’s problems, but no player could do that. However, Clowney would be a significant upgrade over Trevis Gipson.

According to Spotrac, Clowney would cost the Seahawks just under $1.5 million in 2024. The team would still have the option to cut him in 2025 and free up $8 million. However, it’s worth noting that Clowney likely decided to go to Carolina because he played for South Carolina in college.

Josh Uche, EDGE, New England Patriots

The former second-round pick would cost just under $2M. He had other offers and preferred to stay another year in New England, so his trade could be more complicated.

He wouldn’t just be a cheap reinforcement for our injury-plagued pass rush. Uche would bring a high-speed option to the unit, functioning as a speed rusher that the team lost with the departure of Darrell Taylor. He would be a perfect fit with Mike Macdonald’s scheme. He’s a player I’ve been keeping an eye on since his time at Michigan. Uche has 1,249 snaps including a PFF pass rush grade of 87.8 in 2022, his best season. He has 136 pressures, 21 sacks, 20 hits and 95 hurries.

Jack Gibbens, LB, Tennessee Titans

Gibbens could be a hidden gem. He lost his place with the trade for Ernest Jones at the beginning of the season. He was a UDFA in 2022 and became a fan favorite in the preseason. However, he was cut and later returned to the PS and found his place due to injuries.

In 2023, he assumed a leading role on defense in his best season in terms of number of snaps and stats. Seattle’s ILB position for the future has many doubts and, as we mentioned above, its starters are suffering from some injuries.

He has 10 pressures, 1 sack, 2 hits and 7 hurries. He has 123 tackles and has a PFF run defense grade of 73.7 and 72.9 for 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Calais Campbell, DT, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ season is full of uncertainty due to Tua Tagovailoa’s future and his latest concussion. They’ve already lost Jaelen Phillips, and Tyreek Hill’s name is constantly being thrown around in trade rumors for contenders.

While a Hill trade seems unlikely due to the fact that he could be useful next season, the same cannot be said for the eternal Calais Campbell. The veteran is familiar with Mike Macdonald’s system, having played for the Ravens in 2022. He has two sacks this season (one against Seattle) and has one of the best pass rush grades on PFF.

The Seahawks have always been linked to players similar to Calais Campbell in draft cycles. Just remember the investment the team made for Malik McDowell years ago. This would be John Schneider’s chance to finally get him.

He signed for just $2 million this year and having already played six games off his salary, he would be incredibly cheap to acquire. I also don’t think the Dolphins would ask for much to trade him. One obstacle, similar to the Clowney, would be Campbell’s desire to leave Miami. He went to college in Miami, so he has roots there as well. At 38, would he be interested in continuing to compete, or would he rather end his career where it all began?