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Salk: How a DK trade could solve Seattle Seahawks' roster issues

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2024

Salk: How a DK trade could solve Seattle Seahawks' roster issues

The Kansas City Chiefs just won a Super Bowl with a roster that looks almost nothing like the Seattle Seahawks’ 53-man composition.

Three Takeaways: Seahawks coach Macdonald sits down with Brock & Salk

That, in and of itself, isn’t a problem – after all, there are plenty of ways to design a team to win championships in the NFL. But it’s worth noting that in winning back-to-back rings, they have quieted much of the talk about limiting your quarterback’s paycheck to a certain percentage of your salary cap budget.

How did they 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.@UnSportsESPN
— Evan Cohen (@EvCoRadio) February 12, 2024

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. 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.

Shaking up the Seattle Seahawks roster

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?

If so, I’d be really tempted.

A second pick in the first round would give the Seahawks the opportunity to select a quarterback without sacrificing the investment necessary along the line of scrimmage. There are six potential first-round quarterbacks in this draft, and the experts believe next year won’t be nearly as deep at the position.

A second-round pick would allow them to attack another position of need and get better at the spots most important to their incoming coach.

What does Mike Macdonald want?

That is just one way to do it. The Seahawks could certainly attempt to use all three picks along the line or at linebacker, and either stick with their current quarterback options or acquire someone like Justin Fields. The machinations are nearly infinite. But in order to create the type of team that it seems Macdonald wants, they would have to give up something to acquire the assets they need.

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.

More on the Hawks

• Seahawks’ Macdonald details what drew him to OC Ryan Grubb
• Why Joel Klatt thinks J.J. McCarthy fits as Seattle Seahawks QB
• Huard: Good, bad and ugly of Seattle Seahawks getting OC Ryan Grubb
• Kurt Warner details Seahawks’ dilemma with QB Geno Smith
• ESPN’s Graziano: Seattle Seahawks not alone in thinking Macdonald is ‘a star’

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Seattle, WA

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.

But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.

Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?

The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.

Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.

When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?

The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.

They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.

When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.

The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.

They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.

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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

Published

24 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

No matter how the playoffs go for the Seatte Seahawks, general manager John Schneider and his team are looking at a very busy offseason ahead.

In addition to their usual preparations for the 2026 NFL draft, Seattle has a ton of important players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. That list includes special teams superstar Rashid Shaheed, running back Ken Walker and defensive standouts Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant.

It’s going to be really difficult to keep that entire group together, even with a lot of cap space projected to be open in 2026. The Seahawks may have to create room with some salary cap casualties after the season is over.

On that note, Over the Cap has listed a pair of Seattle players as potential cap casualties. Let’s review both of them.

OLB Uchenna Nwosu

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) dives for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) in the second half at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Coming in at No. 46 on OTC’s list is veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit just over $20 million. Nwosu has been valuable when he’s on the field but he’s also missed a ton of time due to injuries and it will be difficult to justify his cap hit with so many other players to pay.

Seattle can save a little over $11.5 million if they cut Nwosu, before June 1 or after. However, they would also take on a dead money hit north of $8.5 million, which takes a lot of the flavor out of those cap savings.

In 45 games with the Seahawks, Nwosu has tallied 19.5 sacks, 52 QB hits, 24 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.

That’s a lot of good production across the board as an all-around defender, but he’ll turn 30 years old before next season is over and there are a lot of mouths to feed for Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Over the Cap projects there’s a 58.5% chance that the Seahawks will wind up cutting him. Our best guess is that will be the case, especially if they want to pursue someone like Maxx Crosby on the trade market.

K Jason Myers

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) kicks a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi’s Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The only other Seahawks player who made the list (at No. 77) was placekicker Jason Myers, where the team has an interesting choice to make.

Myers has been around since the 2019 season and he’s come through for them more often than not. In 117 games he’s converted 200 of 232 field goal attempts, coming out to 86.2%. On extra point attempts he’s gone 292/307 for 95.1%.

Those are very solid numbers for an NFL kicker, and when you have a solid option at this position you don’t mess with it.

Another factor working in Myers’ favor is that Seattle really can’t save all that much money by cutting him. According to OTC’s numbers the Seahawks would create $5.1 million in cap room by cutting him, with a dead money hit of $1,875,000.

Five million might get Seattle a decent backup for their interior offensive line, or another contributor to Mike Macdonald’s defense. It’s not enough to really move the needle for this roster, though.

OTC gives it a 52.5% chance that Myers will get cut, but we don’t see that happening. If they want to lower his cap hit, the Seahawks can create a little over $3 million for 2026 with an extension. That’s the only move they should be looking to make at this spot.

Kraken Extend Streak In Comeback OT Loss | Seattle Kraken

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Kraken Extend Streak In Comeback OT Loss | Seattle Kraken

And while Dunn’s head coach insisted afterwards he doesn’t believe in “measuring stick games” the Kraken measured up fairly well in this one considering they played a pretty poor first period and needed half of the second frame to get any type of offense going against the league’s No. 2 defensive unit.

But they eventually got it going and the salvaged point, as Dunn mentioned, was huge in that it allowed the Kraken to remain in third place in the Pacific Division – just two points behind leaders Vegas and Edmonton – as they now embark on a five-city road trip. They extended their points streak to 10 games in the process, going 8-0-2 that stretch to transform a season hinging on the brink.

Mats Zuccarello got the overtime winner for Minnesota, converting a Kirill Kaprizov pass off a 2-on-1 break after the Kraken had been foiled just moments prior on their own odd-man rush. That foiled an outstanding night for Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, who’d made several huge stops in both overtime and the third period to keep things tied, as well as prior to that frame to give his team the shot at a comeback.

The Kraken had spent the past week filling opposition nets with pucks but waited until the final 17 minutes to score their first goal of this game. By that point, they’d been trailing 2-0 since a pair of 42-foot wrist shot goals by Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber in the first period silenced the home crowd.

“The first period was awful, and our execution was probably the biggest part of that,” Dunn said. “It’s just tough when you’re chasing the game a little bit to start the game. So, we kind of set ourselves up for the second period to come out and play the right way and I thought as the game went on, we got a lot better.

“And I thought it was a pretty competitive game both ways. A lot of chances both ways.”

Grubauer kept things close from there, stopping 31 of 34 shots on the night to give his team a chance to get back in it.

Adam Larsson then got the Kraken on the board three minutes into the final period with a slap shot goal from the right circle after Dunn had rung one off the post on a prior blast seconds earlier. And the Kraken weren’t done yet.

The Wild ran into penalty trouble not long after and the Kraken capitalized on the power play with Matty Beniers banging home a net front rebound off a Jared McCann shot that lifted the home side into a 2-2 tie and sent the Climate Pledge Arena crowd into a frenzy.

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