The Seattle Seahawks sport one of the best pass rush units in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. Most of that is coming through via pressure rate on four-man rushes, rather than the tried and true method of all-out blitzes that result in sacks.
Under head coach Mike Macdonald, Seattle hasn’t had many issues affecting opposing quarterbacks, even without a star talent the talking heads would love to rave about. But that doesn’t affect much outside of perceived respect. Nonetheless, the opportunity to build on an established strength isn’t always a bad thing.
While the NFL picture hasn’t fully taken shape, some aspects are already more obvious than not, meaning some key trade targets around the league could be up for grabs. And with that being the case, the Seahawks could build on their top strength if they feel so compelled.
Seahawks don’t need to, but one sneaky trade could change everything
ESPN recently highlighted a few players, teams, and scenarios that could shake up trade discussions as the deadline approaches, which is November 4. The Seahawks weren’t mentioned in any regard, but there is a new pass rush specialist for teams to target: Miami Dolphins 2021 first-round pick, Jaelan Phillips.
The Dolphins fell to 0-3 after losing Thursday night to the Buffalo Bills, so most are expecting a fire sale on the horizon. The future outlook in Miami probably doesn’t include Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, or Tyreek Hill. But if everything is headed toward a total rebuild, Phillips could be worth pursuing for any team that needs a boost in the pass rush department.
Phillips has struggled to stay healthy, yes, but when he’s been on the field, he’s been rather successful. He has 23 sacks in 49 games played, 32 starts.
So why does Seattle need him? The simplest answer is to bolster the strength of the defense at a low cost. Phillips is playing on his fifth-year option without a long-term deal in hand, and coupled with his injury history, he could be had for much cheaper than any trade for Trey Hendrickson or Micah Parsons you saw during the offseason.
Of course, in Seattle, Phillips wouldn’t be an every-down defender. Instead, he’d provide a more reliable option to turn pressure into sacks on passing downs. After all, Seattle leads the league in pressures and pressure rate through two weeks, but has only four sacks to show for it, and none of them belong to a true edge rusher.
It’s at least something worth monitoring for Seattle as the trade deadline approaches. Certainly, it doesn’t seem like the most likely move the team could make in the middle of the season. But, as the season wears on, if the Seahawks are bringing enough pressure, but not necessarily getting home to the quarterback, taking a late-season rental on Phillips might not be a terrible idea.