The Seattle Seahawks didn't have to do much this offseason to stay on top. However, that may no longer be the case after watching the Los Angeles Rams send shockwaves through the leagues with the additions of Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett.
Trading for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was the ultimate power move. Rams general manager Les Snead is clearly willing to go the extra mile to make the Super Bowl instead of just hosting it at SoFi Stadium.
As such, the defending champions can't rest on their laurels, and they must make a flashy move of their own. More specifically, they should get the Atlanta Falcons on the phone and work out a deal for Kyle Pitts.
The Seattle Seahawks need Kyle Pitts after Myles Garrett's arrival
The Seahawks are a seemingly flawless team, though they could be a tad stronger in the trenches. Pitts would give them an elite blocker and another big body to try to contain Garrett twice a year, all while also providing a physical mismatch in the open field.
He'd be a significant upgrade over A.J. Barner, though the team could have both of them on the field in jumbo packages. That would also help create running lanes for Jadarian Price and take some pressure off the struggling Anthony Bradford's shoulders.
Pitts just signed his franchise tag tender and is set to make roughly $15 million next season. However, given the uncertainty about his future with the organization, he could still be on the move to a team willing to give him a contract extension. The Seahawks have the financial wiggle room to do so, and they could use another playmaker.
Back in 2022, the Detroit Lions traded T.J. Hockenson and two fourth-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings for a second and a third-round pick. He was also in the final year of his contract and the same age as Pitts, so the Seahawks could probably land him for a similar return.
Granted, Pitts hasn't always lived up to the expectations as the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history. Nevertheless, plenty of that also had to do with the way he was being used, with Arthur Smith not even trying to make the most of his otherworldly physical tools in the passing game. He got better under Raheem Morris and should do much better with above-average quarterback play.
This move might not be what the Seahawks usually do, and they should still like their chances against anybody. However, as they learned in 2015, winning back-to-back Super Bowls is way harder than winning one, and with such a massive and disruptive defensive force in the division, general manager John Schneider may have to break character to respond.
The Seahawks should be considered the team to beat until proven otherwise. However, that doesn't mean they can afford to get complacent, especially with their biggest threat going all-in to dethrone them.
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