I recently wrote an article about how inevitable the trades of Geno Smith and DK Metcalf appear in hindsight. Between the time I wrote it and the time it was published, two of my fellow 12th Man scribes wrote pieces about how inane it would be to trade Kenneth Walker III, as had been proposed in a bit of recent speculation on Bleacher Report.
It got me wondering whether the Seattle roster currently has any players who should be deemed off-limits when considering trades this offseason.
These things can change quickly. No one would have blanched at the concept of trading Geno Smith a year ago, but Metcalf? Had you polled the 12s at the beginning of the 2024 season, I suspect the receiver would have been considered the least tradeable player on the squad. Even fans who had begun to sour on him would have had him in the top three.
These Seahawks do not need to be going anywhere in a trade
Eight months later, he’s an afterthought.
So, if you’re John Schneider, which players on the roster now make you laugh when an opposing GM mentions them in trade talks?
It isn’t necessarily your best player or players. Talent is paramount, sure. But age, contract, and position all figure into the equation. Kyle Hamilton may be the best safety in the league, but I expect Baltimore would trade him sooner than the Chargers would give up Justin Herbert, even though Herbert may only be the fifth or sixth best quarterback.
QBs matter more than safeties. (For the record, Baltimore is not trading Kyle Hamilton. If they were, Mike Macdonald would have already offered half his roster.)
Do not overlook age and contract when considering this. You may consider Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen the best quarterbacks in the league. Maybe you are still riding with that Mahomes guy in KC. None of them are about to be traded, but if we are ranking everyone, I suspect the Washington Commanders would hold onto Jayden Daniels more tightly than would those clubs with better quarterbacks. Daniels’ age and contract make him even more valuable right now.
So if we’re ranking Seahawks players by how “off limits” they are, who do you have at the top of the list? For me, the roster breaks down into three tiers. Those who are truly off limits. Those who are mostly off limits. And everybody else. Keep in mind, we’re talking about realistic trade scenarios. Hypothetically, a team could offer enough talent and/or draft capital to pry away anyone, even those elite QBs. But it isn’t going to happen.
In a realistic world, here’s how the Seahawks roster breaks down:
Off-Limits
Devon Witherspoon, cornerback
Devon Witherspoon is an elite player at a high-value position who is just 24 years old. I don’t care that he has only one career interception; he is not going anywhere.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver
John Schneider felt comfortable trading Metcalf because of what JSN did in 2024—an emerging star even younger than Witherspoon.
Charles Cross, left tackle
You don’t trade a quality left tackle who is 24 years old, and when he is your only reliable offensive lineman, you really, really, really don’t trade him.
Julian Love, safety
I’m not sure Love is in this category. He has been a very good player for Seattle in the middle of what should be his prime, and he is signed for two more years at a decent price. I have him here because I think Mike Macdonald truly values what an all-field safety means to his defense, and unless he thinks he has someone even better in the wings, he will not move Love.
Sam Darnold, quarterback
This one is entirely situational. I am worried about how Darnold will perform in Seattle’s offense in 2025. But he is their starting quarterback, and they are not going to magically get a different one before the start of the season. All bets are off for 2026, but he cannot be traded this season.
Mostly Off-Limits
Leonard Williams, defensive end
Let’s get this out of the way – Leonard Williams is the best football player on the Seattle roster. The only reason you would at least listen to an offer is that he will be 31 when the 2025 season kicks off, and if you have the chance to get a lot of draft capital in return, it might be the smart move.
Byron Murphy II, defensive line
Murphy is the exact flip side of Williams. At this point, he is all potential. Based on performance alone during his rookie season, the former Texas Longhorn does not have anything locked up, but it’s hard to imagine Macdonald giving up on such talent this early.
Ernest Jones IV, linebacker
Jones was seen as something of a savior for the Seahawks’ defense last season. He is a young tackling machine who just signed a new contract at a good price point.
Coby Bryant, safety
Seattle signed Rayshawn Jenkins to start at safety last year. They signed K’Von Wallace to provide depth. The 25-year-old Bryant easily beat both out by mid-season. He and Julian Love give the Hawks a dependable young tandem at the backend of the defense.
Kenneth Walker III, running back
This is the player who got my colleagues riled up. Walker is an upper-echelon talent in a league where running backs are suddenly regaining respect. Even at a position with a very short shelf life, he is young enough to expect several more seasons of quality production. Could he be traded? Sure. Will he be? The compensation would have to be very high, and that is not likely to happen.
The Edge Situation
In a vacuum, I would consider Derick Hall and Boye Mafe for this tier. Seattle's multiple good young edge rushers, alongside veterans like Uchenna Nwosu and the newly acquired Demarcus Lawrence, actually increase the chances of someone being traded. Based on his age and the 2024 season, Hall would be the most off-limits, but I suspect John Schneider would listen to offers for any of these edge players.
Everyone Else
Understand, some of the players clumped into this final category are talented veterans. Some are youngsters with excellent potential. Newly signed vets like Cooper Kupp and the aforementioned Demarcus Lawrence are not going to be traded. But they certainly aren’t off limits. The same applies to young players like Riq Woolen and A.J. Barner. Well, I think it applies to Woolen. I’m not really sure about that one.
One thing I am sure about is this…
In the media, we have totally different criteria for what makes a player off-limits. At the top of my own personal “off-limits list” is guard Anthony Bradford. This is partly because I may be the only person associated with the Seahawks who still thinks Bradford could develop into a legitimate starting-caliber lineman in the NFL. But it’s more out of sympathy for all the other writers who would have to find a new whipping boy on whom to blame all of Seattle’s offensive woes were Bradford to depart.