Seahawks players who could be dealt before the deadline
By Geoff Shull
T: George Fant
George Fant came in to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Through his first 3 seasons in the NFL, Fant has showed continuous growth in both fundamental play as well as leadership. He is about as versatile of a lineman as you can get with the ability to play anything from guard, to tackle, to tight end. During the 2018 season we saw a mixture of offensive line play and tight end play where he truly excelled in pass protection. Per PFF he ended the 2018 campaign with a rating of 72.9 putting him in the upper tiers for pass protection.
Why the Seahawks may trade him away:
With injuries all over the offensive line Seattle has really had to rely on bench play to keep Russell protected. Fortunately, a few of the bench players have been up to the challenge, Jamarco Jones has played at both guard spots as well as right tackle. Over the past two starts Pete Carroll has been very high on what he has seen from his second-year pro. In fact Pete openly said that the competition is on once DJ Fluker returns, indicating Jones may have stolen the starting position. Joey Hunt has filled in at both guard and center and has performed admirably. The Seahawks are also getting back Phil Haynes our 4th round selection in the 2019 NFL draft from the PUP.
Fant is on the last year of his deal and unless the Seahawks envision him as the starting right tackle going forward, they should look to sell high on him once Duane Brown comes back from injury.
Why other teams will trade for him:
The offensive line position is one of the most burdensome for teams to acquire. So difficult that decent lineman rarely hit the open market in the off-season. The players that do, typically get over paid simply due to the lack of talent available. For an offensive line needy team, this could be an opportunity to trade for a promising prospect and see how the player molds into the system before having to spend big money. It wouldn’t be surprising if Fant commands at least a $10 million a year deal in free agency. If you could get a test drive for a promising young player before paying, wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity? That’s precisely what this is.
Top destination:
Browns: The Browns offensive line has been one of the worst in the NFL through the first 7 weeks, allowing 16 sacks. GM John Dorsey has said he needs starting left tackle Greg Robinson to be more consistent, indicating Robinsons starting job may be in jeopardy. Its no secret the Browns have also been very active trying to pry away star LT Trent Williams from the Redskins. The attempts thus far have failed, and the Redskins are saying they are unwilling to trade the 7 time All Pro this season. Once Duane Brown is back, the Seahawks could look to cash in on a team desperate to turn the corner. I could see a late 3rd or early 4th round pick being traded for George Fant.
Other potential destinations:
Titans, Dolphins, Chargers, Dallas
dark. Next. Seahawks could be in real trouble
At 5-2, the Seahawks are definitely in the buyer’s market when it comes to trades. That doesn’t mean they might not be willing to move some of their current players to add draft capital to their cache for next year. Or for that matter, to complete a deal for a talent that can improve the team this season. Just remember, John Schneider is always ready to surprise us.