Seahawks Predicted to be Top Buyer at NFL Trade Deadline
There’s still plenty of time in the 2025 regular season. But with Week 5 looming, the NFL trade deadline is actually quickly approaching, which means the teams most likely to be buyers is coming into focus.
On Thursday, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the Seattle Seahawks one of his five teams most likely to be buyers at the NFL trade deadline.
“With Sam Darnold thriving as the new gunslinger and Mike Macdonald still directing a physical defense, they might be the clear favorites to survive a crowded NFC West race,” wrote Benjamin.
The CBS Sports analyst didn’t mention any specific potential Seahawks trade targets. But presumably, Seattle will seek offensive upgrades.
Could Seahawks Shop for Offensive Players at NFL Trade Deadline?
Entering Week 5, the Seahawks are ranked second in points allowed and sixth in rushing yards yielded.
Seattle is just 18th in passing yards allowed, but the team should improve in that area once all of its defensive backs return. Defensive backs Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori have all missed at least one of the first four games this season.
Although Seattle’s pass defense is in the bottom half of the league, the unit has performed better in other categories. Most notably, the Seahawks are seventh in net yards allowed per attempt. That’s because they are sixth in the NFL with 12 sacks in four weeks.
With all that in mind, the offense probably has greater needs. The Seahawks are 13th in passing and 18th in rushing entering Week 5.
It’s never a bad idea for NFL teams to add another pass-catching weapon. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the Seahawks with 26 catches and 402 receiving yards. But only one other player has more than 82 receiving yards for Seattle this season.
It’s often difficult to integrate an offensive lineman into an NFL lineup midseason. But the Seahawks could show interest in offensive line depth.
Seattle sits in the middle of the pack in sack percentage allowed after four games.
Seahawks Could Use CB Riq Woolen as Trade Chip?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday other NFL teams could be “monitoring” Riq Woolen on the NFL trade market.
Some pundits, such as The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell, found the report to have odd wording. It’s possible Rapoport’s report was actually from a source in the Seahawks organization who is trying to increase interest in the cornerback.
But shopping Woolen for a different piece could make sense for the Seahawks. As long as the team’s cornerbacks are healthy, Seattle doesn’t have a lot of use for the fourth-year cornerback.
Perhaps a team on the trade market is interested in the cornerback as a rental player. Woolen is on an expiring contract and will become a free agent next spring.
However, there could be complications for the Seahawks if they try to trade Woolen. More than likely, only contender will show interest in the cornerback because he’s a rental. Contenders typically want to give up draft picks, not players, in NFL trade deadline moves.
The Seahawks, though, probably don’t want a draft pick at the deadline because they are also a contender.
So, to find a perfect trade partner for Woolen, the Seahawks will have to seek a team who needs a cornerback and has a different player Seattle could use. That other team will also have to be willing to give up that player the Seahawks want.
Broncos QB Bo Nix Urged to Take Critical Next Step as Eagles Loom
The Denver Broncos got the version of Bo Nix they hoped for in Week 4 after an uneven start to the season. It was against a beleaguered Cincinnati Bengals team. However, there is progress to be made for the second-year QB.
Nix and the Broncos face the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, and his comments on the matchup suggest he understands what is required of him.
That is good news for the Broncos.
Bo Nix Urged to Take Critical Next Step for Broncos
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider highlighted Hall of Famer Troy Aikman raving about Nix during one particular “play worthy of gold jacket praise” during which he found Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims before halftime in Week 4 against the Bengals.
The Broncos got into range for a field goal. But Nix and Co. took advantage of an offsides call on the Bengals by finding Courtland Sutton for a touchdown.
Kosmider believes the entire sequence highlighted what the Broncos need from Nix consistently.
“Before turning attention toward their fast-arriving match with the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, there was an urgency to identify the things that could be built upon,” Kosmider wrote on October 1. “For Nix, it starts with the brilliant execution of a two-minute drive that helped the Broncos more or less close the door on the Bengals.
“He was decisive, quick and accurate. Mostly, he was visibly calmer than he was during some of the late-game situations on the road in which the Broncos came up short the previous two weeks.”
“The decisiveness with which Nix delivered the ball, trusting both the protection in front of him and what his eyes were seeing with the defense, was encouraging,” Kosmider wrote. “Nix can undoubtedly make plays on the move.
“But he must continue to make progress from the pocket to become a more consistent passer.”
Through four weeks, Nix has completed 65.7% of his passes for 861 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.
Bo Nix Knows Broncos Must Be Sharper Against Eagles
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos looks to pass against the Indianapolis Colts.
Nix and the Broncos are on the road for this game against the Eagles, adding another layer of difficulty for the entire group.
The QB understands that the Broncos must be sharper than they were in Week 4.
“It’s a short week. So, we don’t have much time to think about [the win]. We’re going to be in Philly soon. So, it’s an important week. We have to get back to the basics, and really figure out what’s holding us back, and why we still have penalties, and how we can avoid certain situations. And they’re going to be a good defense. They have been for a while. They’re going to have good players. They’re going to have good scheme,” Nix told reporters on September 29.
“We have to do a good job. We’ve got to play really efficiently and make explosive plays, find a way to create explosive plays. We’ve got to just do a good job. And it’s going to be tough, but that’s why we practice throughout this week, and it’s going to be important.”
“The next step for Nix is creating a similar performance on the road against a good defense,” Kosmider wrote. “That chance awaits Sunday in Philadelphia.”
