ESPN talking head has interesting thought on what Seahawks should do next offseason

There is a lot riding on the rest of the season for the Seattle Seahawks. Sure, that sounds like an obvious and boring line, but more lies beneath. How well Seattle finishes will determine if they go to the playoffs or not, of course, but likely how the team will look for the next few years.

ESPN morning radio host Evan Cohen knows that, too. He also believes Seattle is one of the best-run organizations in the NFL and whatever paths the team takes with certain players will probably be a wise one. Cohen trusts general manager John Schneider, though some 12s might not after many of this past offseason's moves have not worked out.

The biggest questions are what to do about Geno Smith and DK Metcalf. Both are signed through 2025, but both are also probably going to get pay raises starting in 2026. Smith will be closing in on his late-30s so Seattle and other teams might not want to take a great chance of paying him a lot of money. Metcalf will still only be in his late 20s over the next few seasons.

ESPN's Evan Cohen believes the Seattle Seahawks should trade DK Metcalf

Cohen appeared on Seattle Sports 710 AM on Thursday and had a terrific point. He thinks Seattle should choose a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft while still keeping Smith. That is because, according to Cohen, a team should take a quarterback high in the draft when they do not need one, only if the player is great enough to help long term.

This would keep Smith in Seattle at least through next season, and potentially a one-year extension beyond, and then the first-round quarterback would be completely ready to take over in 2026 or 2027. This would make the transition smoother for the quarterback and the team and make sure the Seahawks remain competitive the entire time.

Metcalf is a different issue. Like many pundits, Cohen thinks receivers are around to serve a quarterback instead of serving a receiver. The thinking is to not overpay a receiver. Cohen thinks Seattle should choose a quarterback in the first round in 2025, take a high-end receiver to pair with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the second round, and trade Metcalf while he still has a lot of trade value.

If Seattle does trade Metcalf, the team might certainly want to keep Tyler Lockett around. Losing Lockett, who the team could release and save $26 million, and Metcalf would be a mistake. Even if the Seahawks draft a receiver in the second round, most receivers take a year to acclimate to the league so a rookie receiver should not be counted on for heavy production.

If Cohen is right, Seattle could look very different in 2026. Smith and Metcalf could be gone and replaced by a new long-term quarterback and a new long-term WR2, assuming JSN is WR1. That hopefully all translates into long-term success and another Super Bowl victory.

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