5 biggest trade mistakes for the Seattle Seahawks in franchise history

The Seattle Seahawks have mostly been a better-than-average franchise since the team's inception in 1976. The 1990s weren't a great time for 12s, but many of the teams were just mediocre and not outright awful, save for a year or two. In the early 2000s and since 2010, the team has been among the best teams in the league. And some of the trades that Seattle has pulled off, like the trade sending Russell Wilson to Denver, have paid off extremely well.

But many of the trades over the decades have set the team back a couple of years. For instance, one of the trades that follows is about a quarterback who never played well in his career. Seattle gave up a first-round pick to get him, too. Who knows how things might have turned out had the Seahawks not done the trade.

I also don't have the Jamal Adams trade in 2020 on this list. There is a decent chance that the trade becomes one of the worst in Seahawks history, but that full story has not yet been told. Maybe Adams comes back and stays healthy for a few years and is really productive. Plus, he did get 9.5 sacks in 2020. But what are the five worst trades in Seattle history? My guess is the five that follow.

No. 5 - Seahawks trade for Deion Branch, give up first round pick (2006)

Branch was not a terrible player for the Seahawks, but he was nowhere near a Pro Bowler. But you know who was? The guy the New England Patriots took with the first-round pick that the Patriots got in return for Branch. Part of the problem for Branch is that he was joining Seattle when the team was beginning the precipitous fall after making the Super Bowl in the 2005 season.

Once Branch was in Seattle, the team signed him to a six-year and $39 million deal which was quite a bit in 2006. Seattle expected Branch to be a number one receiver after he had 78 catches for 998 yards for New England in 2005. With the Seahawks, Branch would never come close to those numbers. His best season was in 2006 when he had 53 catches for 725 yards. Those are the kind of numbers a decent WR3 might get, and certainly not a WR1.

Branch spent parts of five years with Seattle. He was no better in the few postseason games he played with the Seahawks than he was in the regular season. In three games, he had 8 catches on 14 targets for 96 yards. In other words, he wasn't any better in the big moments. Worse, Seattle traded Branch back to the Patriots during the 2010 season for a fourth-round choice. Meaning that if you take away Deion Branch from the equation, the Seahawks basically gave the Patriots a fourth-round pick in return for a fourth-rounder.