Proposed trade remakes Seahawks defensive line into one of the best in the NFL

The trade also assumes Seattle will re-sign Leonard Williams.
Jane Gershovich/GettyImages
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New Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is going to want to remake Seattle's defense into his image. He has no allegiances to players such as the ones that Pete Carroll had built up over many years. Macdonald is going to see the team with a fresh view and Seattle needed that.

One unit that definitely must be repaired is the defensive line. Seattle was awful against the run in 2022 and didn't get much inside pressure either. This past season, Seattle was a bit better in terms of pass rush from its defensive line, but after starting the season decently against the run, in the final 12 games of the season, Seattle had the worst run defense in the league.

Maybe simply changing the coaching staff will help to some degree. Former defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt appeared incapable of remedying whatever was ailing Seattle's defensive front. Hurtt also did not get much help from Carroll either as the defense continued to get worse but there were no real adjustments made. One proposed trade by FanSided's Terrence Jordan would fix Seattle's ills, however.

Trade idea has Seattle Seahawks adding DeForest Buckner

In the trade, the Seahawks would add DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts for draft picks (Jordan does not give specifics as far as whether Seattle would give up a first-round choice or something else), plus potentially tight end Will Dissly and safety Jamal Adams. Of course, any team that adds Adams and Dilly (and please, take Adams away if the other team wishes) would have to have a lot of extra cap room, and the Colts have that as they are projected to be $79,250,395 under the salary cap this offseason.

What makes the trade too good to happen for Seattle, though, is that Jordan suggests the Colts could move Buckner but still pay a portion of his contract. Buckner has a cap hit of $22.75 million in 2024 and Seattle is unlikely to be able to afford that. While trading Adams and Dissly could help, the other issue with the idea is that Jordan believes the Seahawks can bring Leonard Williams back as well. Williams was graded as Pro Football Focus's (subscription required) 22nd-best interior defensive lineman in 2023 and Bucker was 12th.

Imagine a Seattle defensive line that features Williams, Buckner, a likely improved Dre'Mont Jones (due to Mike Macdonald working with him), and Jarran Reed. That would be extremely formidable. But Seattle being able to re-sign Williams while adding Bucker and getting rid of Adams seems like too much of a good thing. Jordan's idea is fantastic but likely illogical.

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