One of the bigger questions of the Seattle Seahawks' offseason is whether they will truly entertain a trade of wide receiver DK Metcalf. The wideout has great physical traits, of course, with his elite speed, size, and strength. He also is not the best route-runner, and while his numbers are good, they are not great.
But the reason to move Metcalf would be because he is one of very few Seahawks with trade value. Another might be cornerback Devon Witherspoon, but Witherspoon is still on his rookie contract and not nearly as expensive as Metcalf. The corner is not going anywhere else anytime soon, but the wide receiver might.
Because it's a bit of the silly season in the NFL as the season is over for every team except for one, this means there is a lot of specualtion about what the non-Super Bowl teams could do to get better. For Seattle, a team well over the projected salary cap means releasing expensive veterans or potentially trading productive players such as Metcalf and quarterback Geno Smith.
Proposed trade of Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf to the Patriots shouldn't be enough for Seattle
Perhaps, neither of those last two things happen. But there is at least a chance they could.
General manager John Schneider cannot afford to get rid of a good player simply to make the salary cap better, however. The GM needs to get quality in return. There is little chance that Metcalf or Smith would bring a first-round pick back in a trade, but at least one second-round choice coupled with something else might do the trick.
One recently proposed trade by Patriots Wire has New England adding Metcalf but only giving up on a second-round pick in return. This is certainly not enough, nor would it match what other high-end receivers have brought back in trades recently.
Since 2020, only one top receiver has brought back a single draft pick in a move that was not a first-round choice, and that was only because the Buffalo Bills were so desperate to get rid of Stefon Diggs that they gave the Houston Texans Diggs, two draft picks for a second-round selection. The Seahawks are not that desperate to have Metcalf gone.
The Patriots might be able to get Metcalf for a second-round pick, but New England would also need to add at least one more later-round choice. Is a second-rounder and fourth-rounder enough for Schneider to part ways with the Seahawks' star receiver? Maybe, but a single second-round choice shouldn't be enough.