Rebuilding The Hawks: Trade Metcalf?
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2024 11:58 am
Interesting article by Mike Salk of Brock and Salk. He's saying EXACTLY what I've been harping on for the past several years: Quit dumping resources into wide receivers and running backs. Trade DK Metcalf. Here's the guts of the article:
How did they (Chiefs) do it? By drastically limiting their expenses at the offensive skill positions.
New ESPN Radio morning host Evan Cohen had this observation following the game, posting this on X:
"I totally get the sentiment that the Chiefs won in a down year for them but I would argue they are built exactly the right way. HOF QB, HOF TE, elite defense. No $ spent on WR's / RB's. Perfectly done IMO."
He’s right. Essentially, the Chiefs built around their star quarterback by eschewing the traditional wisdom of finding him top-tier weaponry and instead spent their resources on the parts of the game he can’t affect: the defense and the offensive line. They counted on Mahomes’s skill to make the “pedestrian” skill position players better. Obviously, it worked.
The Seahawks are built very differently. They have spent their resources on the exact positions KC ignored. Both teams have the quarterback at the top of their spending list, but that’s where things change.
Offensively, the Seahawks are spending more than $40 million a year on their two starting receivers, not to mention used a first-round pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and two second-round selections on running backs. (Edit: And don't forget about our first pick in the 2021draft, Dee Eskridge) DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are the highest paid non-quarterbacks on the offensive side of the ball.
By contrast, the two most expensive Chiefs after Patrick Mahomes are guard Joe Thuney and tackle Jawaan Taylor. And they invested heavily on defense in the past two drafts.
So what should Seahawks general manager John Schneider and new coach Mike Macdonald do? Certainly, they can stick with their current approach and try to make small changes along the margins. This would make sense especially if they believe the new coaching staff can optimize some of the players they already have on the line of scrimmage.
But what if they want to shake things up? What if they want to really rejigger the construction of this roster? My suggestion is that it would work best if they traded DK Metcalf.
Remember, the Chiefs had a decision to make just two seasons ago with Tyreek Hill, a receiver generally believed to be superior to Metcalf. Rather than pay him, they traded him to Miami for five draft picks. They’ve turned that trade into cornerback Trent McDuffie, receivers Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice, tackle Darian Kinnard, and defensive tackle Keondre Coburn, and they still have one more pick to go.
Since that trade, they have won two Super Bowls while going 7-0 in the playoffs.
The Seahawks’ roster has some major needs. With the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, they could certainly use help on the offensive line, on the defensive edge, at linebacker, and – depending on your point of view – at quarterback. They currently don’t select a second time until No. 78 in the third round.
I don’t know exactly what Metcalf would be worth, but the A.J. Brown trade would be a good starting point. During the 2022 offseason, he went from Tennessee to Philly for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks (a first- and third-rounder). Metcalf might not be quite the player Brown is, but he has already gotten his money, which means the acquiring team wouldn’t need to pay his signing bonus nor risk a situation in which he walks away after one year. Could that make his value something akin to a first- and second-round pick?
The Seahawks’ roster has some major needs. With the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, they could certainly use help on the offensive line, on the defensive edge, at linebacker, and – depending on your point of view – at quarterback. They currently don’t select a second time until No. 78 in the third round.
I don’t know exactly what Metcalf would be worth, but the A.J. Brown trade would be a good starting point. During the 2022 offseason, he went from Tennessee to Philly for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks (a first- and third-rounder). Metcalf might not be quite the player Brown is, but he has already gotten his money, which means the acquiring team wouldn’t need to pay his signing bonus nor risk a situation in which he walks away after one year. Could that make his value something akin to a first- and second-round pick?
I think DK Metcalf is a phenomenal talent and a joy to watch. But he plays a position that is replenished seemingly every season in the draft – wide receivers are everywhere! And it would help them go after the positions where its harder to find top talent and which would arguably help them win more games.
The Seahawks are a good team with a good roster. If they want to be a great team with a great roster, they might need to take some chances to make it happen. Trading Metcalf would certainly be risky, but the rewards could certainly justify the gamble.
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1772695/ ... ks-roster/
How did they (Chiefs) do it? By drastically limiting their expenses at the offensive skill positions.
New ESPN Radio morning host Evan Cohen had this observation following the game, posting this on X:
"I totally get the sentiment that the Chiefs won in a down year for them but I would argue they are built exactly the right way. HOF QB, HOF TE, elite defense. No $ spent on WR's / RB's. Perfectly done IMO."
He’s right. Essentially, the Chiefs built around their star quarterback by eschewing the traditional wisdom of finding him top-tier weaponry and instead spent their resources on the parts of the game he can’t affect: the defense and the offensive line. They counted on Mahomes’s skill to make the “pedestrian” skill position players better. Obviously, it worked.
The Seahawks are built very differently. They have spent their resources on the exact positions KC ignored. Both teams have the quarterback at the top of their spending list, but that’s where things change.
Offensively, the Seahawks are spending more than $40 million a year on their two starting receivers, not to mention used a first-round pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and two second-round selections on running backs. (Edit: And don't forget about our first pick in the 2021draft, Dee Eskridge) DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are the highest paid non-quarterbacks on the offensive side of the ball.
By contrast, the two most expensive Chiefs after Patrick Mahomes are guard Joe Thuney and tackle Jawaan Taylor. And they invested heavily on defense in the past two drafts.
So what should Seahawks general manager John Schneider and new coach Mike Macdonald do? Certainly, they can stick with their current approach and try to make small changes along the margins. This would make sense especially if they believe the new coaching staff can optimize some of the players they already have on the line of scrimmage.
But what if they want to shake things up? What if they want to really rejigger the construction of this roster? My suggestion is that it would work best if they traded DK Metcalf.
Remember, the Chiefs had a decision to make just two seasons ago with Tyreek Hill, a receiver generally believed to be superior to Metcalf. Rather than pay him, they traded him to Miami for five draft picks. They’ve turned that trade into cornerback Trent McDuffie, receivers Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice, tackle Darian Kinnard, and defensive tackle Keondre Coburn, and they still have one more pick to go.
Since that trade, they have won two Super Bowls while going 7-0 in the playoffs.
The Seahawks’ roster has some major needs. With the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, they could certainly use help on the offensive line, on the defensive edge, at linebacker, and – depending on your point of view – at quarterback. They currently don’t select a second time until No. 78 in the third round.
I don’t know exactly what Metcalf would be worth, but the A.J. Brown trade would be a good starting point. During the 2022 offseason, he went from Tennessee to Philly for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks (a first- and third-rounder). Metcalf might not be quite the player Brown is, but he has already gotten his money, which means the acquiring team wouldn’t need to pay his signing bonus nor risk a situation in which he walks away after one year. Could that make his value something akin to a first- and second-round pick?
The Seahawks’ roster has some major needs. With the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, they could certainly use help on the offensive line, on the defensive edge, at linebacker, and – depending on your point of view – at quarterback. They currently don’t select a second time until No. 78 in the third round.
I don’t know exactly what Metcalf would be worth, but the A.J. Brown trade would be a good starting point. During the 2022 offseason, he went from Tennessee to Philly for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks (a first- and third-rounder). Metcalf might not be quite the player Brown is, but he has already gotten his money, which means the acquiring team wouldn’t need to pay his signing bonus nor risk a situation in which he walks away after one year. Could that make his value something akin to a first- and second-round pick?
I think DK Metcalf is a phenomenal talent and a joy to watch. But he plays a position that is replenished seemingly every season in the draft – wide receivers are everywhere! And it would help them go after the positions where its harder to find top talent and which would arguably help them win more games.
The Seahawks are a good team with a good roster. If they want to be a great team with a great roster, they might need to take some chances to make it happen. Trading Metcalf would certainly be risky, but the rewards could certainly justify the gamble.
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1772695/ ... ks-roster/