Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed had ‘bittersweet’ reaction to Saints trade
The Seattle Seahawks made one of the NFL’s most notable midseason moves by acquiring wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Seattle sent its 2026 fourth and fifth-round draft picks to New Orleans in exchange for the All-Pro playmaker, who is in the final year of his contract.
Shaheed, who began his career with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State in 2022, opened up about the trade during his introductory press conference in Seattle on Wednesday.
“It was a bittersweet feeling, a lot of excitement from my family and from me,” Shaheed said (h/t ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “I’m excited about the journey, excited to be here, and excited to be part of the organization. So far it’s been nothing but welcoming, just feeling good right now.”
So far this season, Shaheed has recorded 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. His career totals stand at 138 receptions for 2,055 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, along with a rushing score and two punt-return touchdowns. Renowned for his blazing speed, the 27-year-old has six career touchdowns of at least 50 yards and ranks among the NFL’s top ten in both air yards per target (13.63) and yards per reception (14.9) since entering the league.
Seattle’s decision to acquire Shaheed addressed both depth and explosiveness at wide receiver. The team had been short-handed, with Cooper Kupp (hamstring/heel), Jake Bobo (Achilles), and Dareke Young (hip) all recovering from injuries.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who coached Shaheed in New Orleans last season, sees him as a seamless fit for Seattle’s vertical passing scheme. His familiarity with Kubiak’s system should allow him to contribute immediately in motion, over-route, and post/corner concepts that exploit defensive spacing and maximize play-action opportunities.
Shaheed also adds another dimension to an already dynamic Seahawks offense. Quarterback Sam Darnold leads the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6) and yards per completion (13.7), while Jaxon Smith-Njigba sits atop the league in receiving yards (948) and yards per game (118.5). Seattle’s seven completions of 40-plus yards lead the league, and Shaheed’s deep-threat ability will stretch defenses even further.
In addition to his offensive role, Shaheed strengthens Seattle’s special teams unit. The 2023 Pro Bowl and AP first-team All-Pro returner posted 25 punt returns for 339 yards and a touchdown, along with 28 kick returns for 1,479 yards that season. Since entering the NFL, he has totaled 64 punt returns for 804 yards and 38 kick returns for 3,891 yards.
While the trade cost Seattle valuable draft capital, general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald view Shaheed as both a short-term boost and a potential long-term asset.
The Seahawks (6-2) host the Arizona Cardinals (3-5) in Week 10.
Browns Give Emphatic Answer on Critical Dillon Gabriel Flaw
On Wednesday at Browns practice there was, no question, a reporter on hand who had an agenda–asking everyone in the orange-and-brown just how it is playing with a quarterback who is undersize. And coming out of college, that was the big flaw most scouts latched onto when it comes to Dillon Gabriel–he is just 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds and a wingspan of 73 inches.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus wrote coming out of the Combine last spring: “Gabriel’s measurables — height, weight, wingspan, hand size, etc. — are all in the 35th percentile or lower among quarterbacks. That’s quite a barrier to developing into a successful NFL signal-caller. He’ll be at a significant disadvantage, and some teams may even be scared off from drafting him.”
It’s only been four NFL games, but some of the concerns about Gabriel before the draft are clearly at play now that he is suiting up for the Browns. Basically, that the guy’s too short.
Browns ‘Would Not Characterize’ Dillon Gabriel Height as a Flaw
Of the three quarterbacks who were used, before the draft, in defense of Gabriel–Bryce Young, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, who are also under 6-feet in height–only Young still has his job. So it’s probably fair to wonder whether Gabriel’s just too short for this business.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was asked whether the problem of Gabriel’s height is showing up on game film. Stefasnki said no, but mostly dodged the issue.
“I understand the question, Tony (Grossi), but I would not characterize it that way,” he said. “We need to play better as an offense. Certainly, there’s areas to improve for a young quarterback, but it’s really on all of us to improve.”
Browns Jerry Jeudy Emphatic in Defense
The Browns can’t force Gabriel to grow three or four inches, of course. But it is impossible to say his height is not hindering him, even if the Browns refuse to acknowledge that. Scouts criticized Gabriel’s lack of deep-throw risks in college and attributed that to his height, and here in the NFL, he has thrown just six balls of 20-plus yards in four starts. There’s been only one completion, and one interception.
At Pro Football Focus, Gabriel has a grade of 46.5, which ranks No. 37 out of 37 graded QBs.
But it was clear that Browns players do not want to get into the business of criticizing Gabriel, even his height. Star receiver Jerry Jeudy was asked whether Gabriel can see his receivers well enough down the field, but Jeudy responded, flatly, “Yes.”
Dillon Gabriel: Deep Balls ‘Got to Happen’
Gabriel was not flatly asked about his height–he was asked that plenty of times before and after the Browns drafted him. But he was asked about the notion of being afraid to throw downfield, which some have directly linked to his lack of size and ability to see deep receivers.
The 1-for-6 number speaks for itself.
“I think there’s just a mixture of things that have to come together to make that happen, that’s myself included,” Gabriel said. “But you know, like we’ve talked about before, explosives, they got to happen. There’s certain categories within a game that you have to win and explosives and you know, being really good on first and second down so that you’re in some third-and-manageables and moving the chain, sustaining drives.
“So that’ll all contribute to that, but no uncomfortability like that’s something that we work on and want to continue to emphasize.”
