Every season, it seems as if there is speculation about whether Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf will be traded. The same holds true of Tyler Lockett. Yet, both players have remained with Seattle and both are likely to still be with the Seahawks after the trade deadline at 1 pm PT on November 5 is over.
The question is whether Seattle should trade Metcalf or Lockett. Does the team have a real chance of winning at a high level this year? Could what Lockett or Metcalf bring back in a trade help the team be even better for several seasons beyond this one? The answer to the question when it comes to Lockett is "unlikely." He probably wouldn't bring anything higher than a third-round choice back.
Metcalf could be a different story. Seattle might be able to get a first-round choice from another team. More likely, Seattle might get a second-round pick for the receiver, especially as he is currently dealing with a knee injury and has missed the last two games, and a second-round draft pick would not be worth trading the mercurial receiver.
DK Metcalf is not going to be traded by the Seahawks according to one NFL expert
12s do not need to worry about a Metcalf trade occurring, though, according to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. In the hours before Seattle's game with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9, Garafolo said Metcalf is off the table for Seattle. The Seahawks plan on holding on to him now and probably through the remainder of his contract that runs through 2025.
Garafolo said he checked with a "high-ranking Seahawks official" about the possibility of Metcalf being traded and he was given the reply of "nope." Of course, things could change, and maybe the official simply did not want to give Garafolo a real answer, but Metcalf staying with Seattle simply makes too much sense.
He is the best receiver the team has. His ability to scare opponents with an explosive play is far greater than any other Seahawks receiver. That means teams are forced to scheme for him more than they would Lockett or Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Metcalf's presence makes JSN and Lockett better and potentially more productive.
As 12s saw last week, though, a Seahawks offense without Metcalf is far more limited and reliant on a shorter passing game. This means teams play closer to the line of scrimmage and that could limit what Seattle does running the ball as well. Metcalf is only 26 years old. He needs to be in Seattle for at least another four years.