5 players Seahawks could target before the trade deadline

Trade target: J.J. Watt, DE

Now, this is a trade that would set the NFL on fire. It would also make the most sense as the Seahawks need consistent push rushing and J.J. Watt would undoubtedly be able to provide just that.

This trade would have been a lot easier to pull off if Bill O’Brian was still there. Likely could have pulled this off with a bench player or two and a late-round pick considering the head butting O’Brian and Watt had gotten into recently.

Now that the Texans have a competent GM in place, this will be much more difficult. Several things would need to occur. First, the Texans would need to continue losing. This would ensure the team is out of the playoff race and looking toward a rebuild post-O’Brien.

Second, Watt would have to be OK with this trade. He has been a staple of the organization for years. Regardless of the turmoil that has been around as of recent, he is still a face of the franchise and a fan favorite. The team would need to tread very carefully dealing a fan favorite at this point.

Finally, the Seahawks would need to buck up some serious capital.

This trade would cost Seattle its ability to select any players in the first 2 days of the 2021 draft (thanks in part to the Jamal Adams trade). This would hurt long-term. Regardless of how good a veteran is, having a lot of talented veterans on the roster is a hell of a lot more expensive than solid rookies on rookie-scale contracts.

Whether the Texans would accept this offer is another question. O’Brien traded a lot of the team’s draft capital over the next two years to acquire Laremy Tunsil and Brandon Cooks. This trade would give the Texans their earliest pick in the 2021 draft. However, they may simply value Watt over what his true value is due to their allegiances. Again, he is one of the cornerstones of the organization.