Seahawks need Trent Williams much more than Taco Charlton

The Seahawks need help on their lines, and one name is already out. That’s okay, as they could really use Trent Williams a lot more than Taco Charlton.

Several high-profile players have made it clear they want a new NFL address this year. I cannot remember when so many players have demanded to move on. Earl Thomas asked about a million times, but he’s still one guy. There were two interesting players for the Seahawks, defensive end Taco Charlton and left tackle Trent Williams. Charlton could have been useful, but Williams is the guy the Hawks really need. But should they go after Williams?

Charlton was released by the Dallas Cowboys and picked up from waivers by the Miami Dolphins. Considering his performance, it’s just as well the Seahawks couldn’t get him. The 2017 first-round pick only got seven starts in two seasons. He didn’t do much on the field, as he has just four sacks and 11 quarterback hits in his career. The Boys made him a healthy scratch for the first two games, which prompted Charlton to tweet a message demanding his freedom. I wonder how happy he is now.

There were always problems with the scenario bringing him to the Seahawks. As we saw, there were a lot of teams ahead of the Seahawks. Seattle was 21st in line, far behind a lot of teams more desperate to establish a pass rush. I have to say, I’m not too disappointed Seattle couldn’t land him.

More than anything, it came down to whether the Hawks actually needed him. It’s always good to have depth, especially when neither Ezekiel Ansah nor L.J. Collier have played a single down. Both are expected back soon, thankfully. The pass rush could be better, but Seattle does have six sacks in two games without the two players projected to start going into training camp. Thank you Quinton Jefferson! With limited resources, the Seahawks have a greater need to address, and that’s the offensive line.

More from 12th Man Rising

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

The Seahawks haven’t gotten the best play from their offensive line. Russell Wilson has been amazing so far, as you surely know. I don’t know how long he can continue his amazing level of play with mediocre protection, though. He’s been sacked eight times already. Dan Marino once played a full season with fewer sacks. So a little help would be nice.

Enter Trent Williams. He’s a seven-time Pro Bowler; I’m pretty sure any team would welcome help of that caliber. Unlike Charlton, Williams is still under Washington’s control. The Skins reportedly turned down an offer of a first-round pick from the Patriots prior to the season. Since he’s sitting out and they’re getting nothing out of him, they may be more motivated now.

The problem is that a lot of teams are desperate for help at left tackle. The Pats still need help, as do the 49ers. While the Seahawks could certainly use Williams, left tackle is already rock-solid with Duane Brown. One of them would have to move to right tackle. I doubt that Seattle would be willing to pay the premium that other teams would pay, as they’re not in the predicament of so many other teams. The average cap money allocated to the left tackle position is $7.5 million. For the right tackle, the average allocation is $3.4 million.

In the case of Williams, his cap hit is only $3.5 million this year. But in 2020, it will be $14.7 million. That’s a lot of money for a right tackle. Duane Brown is scheduled to make $12 million next year. While Williams would be a major boost to the line, I just can’t see the Seahawks in this one. Washington wants too much, and there are far too many teams that desperately need a left tackle. It would be nice, but I don’t expect we’ll see Williams in navy and gray.