For example, If the Seahawks end up with pick #15, worth 1050 points, and they want to trade up to pick #5, worth 1700 points. That means they must also give up roughly another 450 points to make that trade happen. Their 2nd round pick is worth 430. Close enough as long as there isn’t another team trying to get up into that spot. If there is another potential buyer, the Seahawks would be expected to overpay a bit, and throw in an additional pick.

It should also be noted that picks in other drafts, are usually discounted by approximately 1 round for each year. So a 2013 1st round pick is worth roughly what a 2012 2rd pick is worth. A 2014 1st rounder is worth roughly a 3rd rounder in 2012, if that makes sense. So trading away distant picks gives progressively less value.

One of the big debates within the 12th man is whether or not the Hawks should tank games to obtain a higher draft choice, or if they should trade the house to move up in the draft should they win too many games. You can logically argue both sides of each argument, but we all know the average 12th man is too stubborn to budge their opinion on such a pivotal topic. My general attitude is that winning begets more winning, but that’s just me.

Lets take a look at some of the first round draft choice trades from the last three years and see how they helped their teams in the short term, because we all want this team to be good as soon as possible, right? Ok. I’m not going to go into what each trade was traded for and so on, just who was selected in that spot.

2009 #5: Cleveland >New York Jets. Cleveland traded its first-round selection (5th overall, used to select Mark Sanchez) to the Jets for the Jets’ first- and second-round selections (17th overall, traded to Tampa Bay, who selected Josh Freeman; and 52nd overall, used to select David Veikune), Kenyon Coleman, Brett Ratliff, and Abram Elam.
So which end of this trade would you rather the hawks are on? Would you rather have Mark Sanchez, or Josh Freeman, David Veikune, Kenyon Coleman, Brett Ratliff, and Abram Elam? In my opinion Josh Freeman is every bit as good as Mark Sanchez, costs less, and the Browns got 3 guys to provide depth. (After all we should know that other teams’ unwanted players can do with the right coaching.)

2010 #11: Chicago>Denver.  (more…)

What a coup for General Manager John Schneider and Seattle’s front office.

When the Deion Branch-to-New England rumors first started, it was assumed Seattle would receive no more than a late-round pick in any trade. Considering Randy Moss was just acquired by the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick, anything more than a sixth- or seventh-round pick would be ludicrous; Moss dwarves Branch in career accomplishments, late-career potential, physical size, overall skills.

Seattle’s incentive to trade Branch was to get the younger receivers more opportunity to play. Branch hasn’t been dominating or overly effective, so his exit only means players like Deon Butler and Golden Tate will receive additional opportunities on the field.

Like Houshmandzadeh’s departure, this deal is like addition by subtraction for the Seahawks.

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I cannot believe New England gave up such a high pick for him. Branch is in the twilight of his career and proven to be injury prone. On the other hand, there was not a nicer guy in the locker room. His radio show was hilarious, and he just seemed like a nice guy.

Too bad nice guys don’t win football games.

Good Luck Branch and thanks for the 4th round, New England.

The rumors surfaced following speculation from the Boston Herald, and continue today — although recent reports suggest any trade talks are preliminary and nothing more.

Ian Rapoport, a beat writer for the Boston Herald who covers the New England Patriots, fueled speculation earlier this morning via Twitter:

Patriots always in discussions with teams. Considering they lost a WR, that’s a focus. 1 team on preliminary talks is Seahawks

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Of course, some of it could have been obvious hatred towards the best; it is easy to hate the Yankees, Lakers, or other dynasties because of their success.

Watching Pete Carroll parade up and down the field commending his players for big plays made against your favorite football team definitely added salt to the wound. I learned to hate Pete Carroll, and I’m sure several other Seahawks fans would agree with me.

Apparently, some professional players feel the same way.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald published a nice interview with running back Marshawn Lynch, who the Seahawks traded for last Tuesday. Lynch played football at the University of California, another Pac-10 school and Southern California rival.

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Breaking news: I’m reporting seattle has traded for bills rb marshawn lynch for 4th in 2011 and cond pick 2012. Great move for ‘hawks

Jason La Canfora, Adam Schefter, and several other media sources are reporting a similar deal. The Seattle Seahawks have not officially confirmed the trade.

According to other reports, Julius Jones will be released to make room for Marshawn Lynch on the 53-man roster.

UPDATE: According to Adam Schefter, Buffalo will receive a 2011 fourth-round pick and a 2012 conditional pick. The conditional pick is believed to be a sixth-round pick that could become a fifth-round pick based on Marshawn Lynch’s performance.

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Matt Hasselbeck, the current starting quarterback, has been mostly ineffective through the first quarter of the season. At 35 years old and with a contract that expires at the end of the season, critics will point out that Hasselbeck is obviously not a part of the team’s future. With Hasselbeck on the field, it could be argued the team’s long-term growth is inhibited.

Regardless of your opinion, Matt Hasselbeck is still the starting quarterback. But I’m still glad Charlie Whitehurst is a part of the football team.

No matter how good or bad Whitehurst may end up, it is hard to argue his potential. He possesses excellent size, mobility, and a strong arm. As a football prospect, his tangible assets are superb.

Whitehurst’s intangibles are difficult to assess, but I’m happy his potential is in Seattle.

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When Tim Ruskell was in town, his moves were sometimes predictable. Predictable isn’t a great trait for a general manager, but Ruskell was egotistical and very disciplined in his philosophy on building a football team.

Ruskell wanted to obtain players who had won before. He wanted determined players with experience against the best competition, a team-first attitude, and a relentless work ethic. Most importantly, the player had to be of high character, a stand-up citizen, and well-behaved off the field.

Ruskell’s philosophy landed players like Deion Branch, Patrick Kerney, and Julius Jones. In the NFL Draft, Ruskell opted for experienced, “safe” picks like Kelly Jennings, Lawrence Jackson, and Aaron Curry.

We knew what to expect when Tim Ruskell was in charge. The new regime, however, is still somewhat mysterious.

We had no idea what to expect in last April’s draft. Some people thought John Schneider would submit to Pete Carroll and favor players from Southern California and the Pac-10 Conference. Others assumed the Seahawks would significantly reach for a quarterback like Jimmy Clausen or Tim Tebow.

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On Sunday, the Seahawks continued to churn and trim their roster, cutting several veterans and signing players released by other teams around the league.

Here is a quick list of who the Seahawks released yesterday:

Jordan Babineaux had been with the Seahawks since 2004 after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. For most of his career, Babineaux excelled as the third cornerback in nickel packages; his ability to make timely plays earned him the nickname Big Play Babs. Last season, Babineaux started all 16 games for the Seahawks as a safety. He will be remembered most for the game-saving tackle made on Tony Romo following a fumbled snap in the 2007 NFL Playoffs.

Kevin Ellison, who played for Pete Carroll at the University of Southern California, was acquired by the Seahawks after being released by the San Diego Chargers following an off-field indiscretion. As a rookie in 2009, Ellison started 9 games at safety for the Chargers. Ellison is a former sixth-round pick who most expected to be cut the day before.

Julius Jones is definitely not a fan favorite, but he has lasted several years in Seattle despite regime turnover and fan criticism. Jones started 24 games for the Seahawks in two seasons after leaving Dallas as a free agent in 2007. In Seattle, Jones rushed for 1,361 yards and averaged just over 4.0 yards per carry. Nothing is confirmed yet, but several reports say Jones will be released. If he is on the roster after Monday, his base salary of $2.45 million in 2010 becomes guaranteed.

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Regardless of the report, most analysts are still reporting a trade won’t happen; it will be too difficult to move Houshmandzadeh’s $7 million guaranteed salary.

If you’re optimistic, however, it is a good sign that teams have made offers (if the report is accurate). If the Seahawks are truly committed to dumping Housh, trading him would be the best route. By releasing him, the Seahawks are on the hook for millions of dollars and lose their leading receiver from 2009 without compensation.

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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For now, the Seattle Seahawks are supposedly committed to the young players on their roster. But with Houshmandzadeh presumably leaving town, there are widespread rumors the Seahawks will seek another younger, more capable replacement.

The Seahawks have obviously been interested in acquiring Vincent Jackson from San Diego for some time. According to rumors, Houshmandzadeh’s release could be a step towards a possible trade that would bring Jackson to Seattle.

Seattle was given permission last month to speak with Jackson’s representatives – to discuss contract details, presumably – but nothing materialized in terms of a trade. The Seahawks reportedly balked at Jackson’s request for a five-year, $50 million contract.

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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks are prepared to move forward without Housh:

The Seattle Seahawks will cut ties with T.J. Houshmandzadeh by trading or releasing him, according to two league sources, and it will promote former Detroit first-round draft pick Mike Williams into its starting lineup for a Sept. 12 game against San Francisco.

A trade would obviously be the most preferable option for the Seahawks. By trading Houshmandzadeh, the Seahawks would not only receive compensation – albeit minimal – they would also be able to dump his large contract on another franchise.

But Houshmandzadeh’s contract, signed last year while Tim Ruskell was making decisions, makes a trade unlikely.  Houshmandzadeh is guaranteed over $7 million in 2010 and has four years remaining on his original five-year deal.

By releasing Housh, the Seahawks would be on the hook for his guaranteed 2010 salary. Even though Paul Allen’s pockets seem bottomless, $7+ million is a lot to pay a player who isn’t on the team.

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Besides considering a “second shot” at acquiring Houshmandzadeh, Judd Zulgad, who wrote the article, mentions that the Seahawks could be looking to create room for another big-contract player: Vincent Jackson.

The Seahawks have been rumored to have serious interest in acquiring Jackson from the San Diego Chargers, but the price of compensating San Diego and a new contract may be too high.

From Zulgad’s article:

Now it appears the Vikings could have another shot at Houshmandzadeh – if they are interested. The Seahawks are actively shopping Houshmandzadeh, according to NFL sources. The story was first reported this afternoon by Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network.

Seattle is believed to be trying to unload Houshmandzadeh because it would like an opportunity to clear salary cap space to potentially add disgruntled San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson in a trade. Houshmandzadeh is due to make $7 million plus guaranteed this coming season.

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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According to Huard, Houshmandzadeh is a better fit as a slot receiver. Houshmandzadeh, however, may not be willing to accept a lesser role with the Seahawks. If his attitude becomes problematic and he doesn’t fit into future plans, the Seahawks might actually benefit from cutting him.

Last year, Houshmandzadeh signed a five-year deal, $40 million contract with the Seahawks. It wasn’t John Schneider’s deal, but the team still has a lot invested in Houshmandzadeh. Cutting him seems pointless, especially considering he is guaranteed more than $7 million in 2010.

Houshmandzadeh may be a  better fit in the slot, but he was still Seattle’s most productive receiver in 2009. Though his statistics weren’t Pro Bowl worthy, Housh did catch 79 passes for 911 yards.

If the Seahawks cut Houshmandzadeh, they would be on the hook for a ton of money and lose their most productive receiver from the previous season. Planning for the future is okay, but dumping Houshmandzadeh without compensation seems foolish.

Today, several sources have reported the Seahawks are actively shopping Houshmandzadeh. They’re only rumors now, but a trade makes sense for Seattle if they’re looking to move forward without T.J.

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