The Seahawks disastrous history of acquiring offensive stars
By Ty Gonzalez
Over the last decade or so, the Seahawks have acquired a few big names at skill positions. For one reason or another, it’s been a disaster every time.
The Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have hit more than they’ve missed when it comes to personnel. Their success has predominantly been internal, whereas acquiring offensive players through free agency or trade has been a different story.
While you may be thinking, “But Ty, they hit the jackpot by signing Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril in 2013.” That’s true, but they’re defensive players, and today we’re talking about running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, silly.
Yes, the Seahawks hit on Bennett and Avril in 2013. But that same year, John Schneider sent the Minnesota Vikings their first-round pick (which became Pro Bowl cornerback Xavier Rhodes) for a guy named Percy Harvin.
While Harvin played a key role in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVIII victory, well… you know how the rest of his career in Seattle panned out.
The Deion Branch problem
Harvin wouldn’t be the first or the last skill player to implode for the Seahawks. No, this trend began to rear its ugly head roughly 12 years ago, when the Seahawks traded for former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch.
Branch was coming off of a near-1,000 yard season in 2005 and was looking to be properly compensated. This led to an inevitable holdout which, as we’d all expect, Bill Belichick was unwilling to oblige by.
The Seahawks acquired Branch for a first round pick (sound familiar, right?) and signed him to an egregious six-year, $39 million deal.
At his best, Branch was a mediocre second or third option in the Seahawks’ passing game. Injuries plagued him from 2007 onward and he was eventually traded back to the Patriots by John Schneider in 2010.