Just days after trading away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the question is whether the Seattle Seahawks should fight to remain competitive or hit the proverbial reset button.
They may not really have the capital to go out and get a good quarterback, and even if they were to pull that off, it’s doubtful that a new QB would be capable of leading them back to the Super Bowl.
If Seattle does indeed blow it up and start over, their most valuable commodity appears to be star wideout DK Metcalf, who is just 24 and may continue to get better in the next few years.
One insider feels the team could receive some tremendous value in return for him.
The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar suggested the Seahawks could acquire an early first-round draft pick in exchange for DK Metcalf. #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/ktQCg4XnLn
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) February 25, 2022
In addition, Metcalf has reportedly been upset about head coach Pete Carroll’s desire to run the football more, now and for the foreseeable future, something which also led to Wilson’s exit.
Pete Carroll's ideal game is when his RBs run for 150 yards, his defense gets 2 takeaways, they punt & kick well & his QB has 23 att
how many times in NFL history has a HC ran a 9x Pro Bowler & Super Bowl Champion QB out of town because he didn't want to throw the ball? https://t.co/T7oLZ0xsFl
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 16, 2022
The wideout be a free agent next offseason, and it is a fair question if the Seahawks would want to commit big bucks to him while launching a sincere rebuilding project.
Which teams could be the best candidates for getting a Metcalf trade done?
3. New England Patriots
After Tom Brady left New England, it seemed that the team could be in for a long-term rebuilding process. But with rookie QB Mac Jones emerging as a star right away, that process may take much less time.
Metcalf could give Jones the reliable downfield target that could speed up the development of his game and confidence. He could also give head coach Bill Belichick the luxury of not having to depend on the ground game so heavily.
Remember that Monday night game against the Buffalo Bills in which Jones only threw three (!) passes the entire game? That’s not a consistent recipe for success.
If Belichick proposes a package that Seattle agrees to, Metcalf could make the race for the AFC title even more interesting than it will already be.
2. Cleveland Browns
With Deshaun Watson on board, and Baker Mayfield on his way out, the Browns may want to go all-in after also acquiring Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys.
Cooper and Metcalf could give Watson, who has been one of the NFL’s better signal-callers, a killer combo that will help stretch the field. With Nick Chubb opening things up with his ability to gain yards on the ground, the Browns could have a very potent offense if they were to get Metcalf.
According to Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut.com, Cleveland has the draft capital and cap space to not only acquire Metcalf, but to also keep him in the fold past this upcoming season.
1. Denver Broncos
This may sound highly unlikely at first. Why would Seattle want to do another trade with Denver, let alone help them build a Super Bowl team?
But such a trade would reunite Metcalf with Wilson, while giving the Broncos a legitimate game-changing wideout they can rely on from week to week without requiring Wilson to build new chemistry with all of his receivers.
They already have a couple of receivers in Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton who many like, but neither seem like world-beaters at this point.
The Los Angeles Rams proved that going all-in does work by winning the Super Bowl last month. Perhaps John Elway should give the Seahawks a call and see if they’d be willing to let go of Metcalf.
NEXT: Seahawks Remain Far From Deshaun Watson Talks