The Seattle Seahawks have won the Super Bowl and can now turn their attention to which new players they might target this offseason. But you can be sure that general manager John Schneider and his staff have been studying up on pending free agents and draft-eligible college players for quite some time.
Director of pro personnel Willie Schneider (the GM’s nephew) has earned his stripes in recent seasons. Though he may be primarily focused on potential free agent acquisitions from other teams, part of his job is to also stay up on players who might become available in a trade.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently wrote an article in which he identified three potential trade targets for each NFL team. For Seattle, he focused on two perceived areas of need – offensive line and cornerback. In case the Schneiders need a little extra input on these players, let’s take a quick look at who Ballentine has suggested for the Seahawks’ shopping list.
NFL analyst picks out 3 trade targets for the Seattle Seahawks to consider
Ballentine has named Green Bay offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins as a good fit in Seattle, along with a couple of perimeter corners – the Chiefs' Kristian Fulton and Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey.
There is some solid logic behind each player, though it seems to me some are more likely than others.
John Schneider has built a decent offensive line with a solid core of young players who should grow together over the next few years. But there is one problem area looming for next season.
And though the Seahawks’ secondary is good enough to earn nicknames, several corners are pending free agents. If they get major deals from other teams, Schneider needs contingency plans like the ones Ballentine suggests.
Let’s take a quick look at each player and determine how likely it is that he will land in Seahawks country in 2026.
Elgton Jenkins – OL – Green Bay
Four out of Seattle’s five offensive linemen seem to be locks for 2026. The outlier is right guard Anthony Bradford. Bradford has always been a sturdy run blocker, but his pass protection leaves something to be desired.
More importantly, he is a pending free agent next month. There’s a reasonable chance another team or two would like to take a chance on a young, road-grading interior lineman while they accept his limitations in pass pro.
If this were a year ago, Elgton Jenkings would be a dream come true. He is big, talented, and versatile. He can play anywhere on the line, though his move to center in 2025 was not especially smooth.
But Jenkins is coming off a rather serious leg injury that forced him miss most of the second half of 2025. He turns 30 this year, and any team interested in acquiring him will have to perform due diligence on the injury.
Jenkins is a quality player and, unless that injury is far worse than believed, probably would constitute an immediate upgrade. But he has played mostly on the left side throughout his career, and Seattle would want him lining up on the right, opposite Grey Zabel.
I think there's a reasonable chance that Green Bay ends up simply releasing the veteran, which would allow Seattle to negotiate along with any other interested team for his services.
Bottom line is that if Jenkins is forced to take a team-friendly one-year deal as a prove-it season, Seattle would have to be interested. But it’s hard to see them spend a lot of money or draft capital on a player with health concerns.
Kristian Fulton – CB – Kansas City
Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are both pending free agents. It’s hard to imagine both players being back next year. I assume Schneider will prioritize signing Jobe to play on the outside. If Jobe’s price goes beyond Schneider’s comfort level, Fulton would be a very good option.
He has good length and speed. His frame is strong enough to play with NFL wideouts. Fulton looked good enough for KC to give him a two-year deal at 20 million total. The problem is that Fulton was hurt early in 2025 and saw some even younger players step up.
Even when healthy, he didn’t play very much on defense. But I believe in Fulton. That price tag is not outrageous, and if KC is really satisfied with its young talent, it might be willing to accept a small return to get him off the books.
Marlon Humphrey – CB – Baltimore
By this point, Humphrey has become an institution in Baltimore. No one knows that better than Mike Macdonald, who used to coach the Ravens’ defense. He should know as well as anyone whether Humphrey – who turns 30 later this year - can still be elite, or whether he is starting to falter.
The fact is, he didn’t play well last season. But he is just a year removed from a First-Team All-Pro selection. He is the highest-profile player on this list, but perhaps Schneider would be better off standing pat and allowing Macdonald and Aden Durde to experiment with players already in-house.
If Humphrey is fully healthy, he could help Seattle a lot.
But Humphrey and Jenkins are both risky. Veterans coming off injuries are not generally strong bets. Schneider may be able to simply wait out Green Bay and/or Baltimore. The Ravens have a modest cap surplus while Green Bay is currently underwater. Both should be looking to trim salaries.
Fulton may be the best bet. He does not have the pedigree of the others and was nothing special last year. But he is younger, and his 2025 season can be explained by injury. The Chiefs are in salary cap hell and might be looking to sell players very cheaply. If they are, Schneider should be on the phone talking about Kristian Fulton.