Three Seahawks who should be untradeable in the next two seasons

The Seattle Seahawks have a much younger roster than only a few years ago. This is both good and bad, of course, as young talent has the potential to turn into greatness. But "potential" is simply something one has before accomplishing anything.

12s should be excited that Seattle has a new head coach, though. Mike Macdonald likely has a better ability to take a young group of players, streamline the message to them, and get them to be a cohesive and efficient unit than Pete Carroll by the end of Carroll's time in Seattle. Macdonald should also excel at fixing some glaring issues such as linebacker coverage and third-down defense.

Among the young group of players, though, several should be untradeable. A team cannot build long-term success if they are constantly losing pieces that would help them in several years. Below are three players that the Seahawks should not entertain trading any time soon.

Three Seattle Seahawks who should be untradeable

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon

If this list of Seahawks who are untradable was only limited to one player, Witherspoon would be that guy. He simply does too many things at an elite level and that is based only on his rookie season. He should improve further under new head coach Mike Macdonald and be used in just as many ways as he was under former coach Pete Carroll. The 23-year-old cornerback can play in the slot or on the outside and do each well.

Witherspoon made the Pro Bowl in 2023 after having 3 sacks, 16 passes defended, and allowing a solid 87.9 quarterback rating when targeted. He became the first person in NFL history to have multiple sacks plus a 95-plus yard interception return for a touchdown in the same game when he did so against the New York Giants in Week 4. While that was his only interception on the season, he likely will learn better about when to take chances to pick passes off in the future.

One of the more entertaining things to watch this coming season for 12s will be how creatively Macdonald uses Witherspoon. We already know he can be moved around as Carroll and former defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt did that. But as Macdonald excels at disguising his defenses before the snap, where Witherspoon lines up just before the snap might not be where he ends up once the play is underway.

Edge rusher Boye Mafe

Seattle decided not to take an edge rusher at any point in the 2024 draft. That means they have hopes that backups Darrell Taylor and Derick Hall will be better in 2024 and beyond, but not choosing an edge rusher shows ultimate faith that starters Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu should be terrific. Mafe grew into his own in 2023 and tripled his sack total from his rookie year.

While Mafe's production did fall off late in the year, he also got little help from the other side after Nwosu was lost for the season after injuring his pec in Week 7.

NFL teams generally do not trade young and productive edge rushers and Mafe won't turn 26 until November 30. Under Mike Macdonald, Mafe should have an even better - and more consistent - season than in 2023. Double-digit sacks and 30 quarterback hits are definitely within reach for Mafe. That goes for 2024 and well beyond.

Left tackle Charles Cross

NFL teams are constantly looking for good left tackles and once a team has one there is little reason to give them up. Maybe a player ends up having a contract dispute with the team or some other off-field issue, but for the most part, a young and good left tackle is going to be with their first team for several seasons. Charles Cross was taken by Seattle in the 2022 draft and while he hasn't yet become a Pro Bowler, he also has not been a bust.

Cross has also improved each year in his first two seasons. He allowed fewer quarterback pressures in 2023 than in 2022 and one fewer sack. While he might not yet have performed as well as Seattle hoped, he is at least trending in the correct direction.

He also may have better coaching in 2024 as the Seahawks have a new offensive line coach in the person of Scott Huff. 12s should get used to Cross being the starter in Seattle because, barring injury, he is going to be the team's left tackle for at least most of the next decade.

More Seattle Seahawks news and analysis