Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks’ best trade route to help D may not be at edge

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2023

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks’ best trade route to help D may not be at edge

The moment Uchenna Nwosu left Sunday’s game with a pectoral injury, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense took a major hit.

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Nwosu has been one of the steadier players on this roster, which is why the Seahawks chose to reward him this past offseason with a new, upgraded contract. Not only did he lead them in sacks last year, but he is a steadying presence on the edge, a spot where they have some serious athletic talent but not nearly as much veteran savvy.

So when faced with the prospect of seeing a lot more of the inconsistent Darrell Taylor, the newer-to-football Boye Mafe and the rookie Derrick Hall, it isn’t surprising that most of us immediately started checking the trade possibilities to see if there is a reasonable fit.

Who could be Seattle Seahawks trade options with Nwosu out?

As it turns out, there are a few. Washington could part with Chase Young or Montez Sweat. Carolina might deal Brian Burns. Maybe Minnesota would consider dealing Danielle Hunter (especially if the Vikings lose this weekend). All of those players would fit in Seattle. All of them would provide some semblance of veteran presence and would allow the young pups to stay in the roles that are currently allowing them to thrive.

I would be tempted to deal for any of those four players. But before I would give up much, I’d have to know a few things.

Is this a one-year fix or a candidate to sign a long-term deal? If it’s the former, I would probably lean towards Hunter, a much older player. If it’s the latter, I would have concerns. Burns is going to be very, very expensive, and the Seahawks have not shown a desire to spend long-term at that position. Young is an injury concern that would make a long-term commitment quite risky. Sweat might be the most intriguing in that situation.

Do they even have room for another edge player after this season? My answer would be a soft yes. My assumption is that Nwosu will return without incident (this isn’t a leg injury) and that Taylor will move on. In theory, that leaves one spot open in a four-man rotation, but whomever you trade for would be an every-down player at an every-down price. It’s hard for me to see how that makes sense given the presence of Nwosu, Mafe and Hall.

What other needs must be filled? Even without Nwosu, there is a legitimate argument to be made that the edge is not one of the chief concerns on this roster. The defense has outperformed the offense, and the pass rush has been tremendous after the disaster of the first week. Do the Seahawks have enough weaponry and depth at wide receiver? How healthy can their beat-up offensive line remain? All of those position groups might require more attention – and that’s before you start considering which players might be leaving in free agency (Taylor, Jordyn Brooks and Damien Lewis are among those on which the Seahawks need to decide upon).

You could certainly make a compelling argument for trading for one of the available edge players, but I think there are just enough question marks to push me in the other direction. Instead, I’d like to see them try to get better in the middle of that defense. I’d like to see them trade for Leonard Williams.

BIG CAT SACK
📺: @NFLonCBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/AgKr39Gd34
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 22, 2023

The Giants’ defensive tackle is a perfect fit in Seattle. New York isn’t going anywhere, and he is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound monster who can play all across the defensive line. He’s not yet 30 years old and has been productive throughout his entire career. He’s had as many as 11.5 sacks in a season and as many as 81 tackles. He has played the end, nose and tackle spots on the line. And while Jarran Reed, Dre Jones and the rest of Seattle’s defensive line has improved over last season by leaps and bounds, they lack ideal depth, and it is a position where you can never have enough talent because you can rotate your best players through and keep them fresh.

We have less than one week until the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. The Seahawks are 4-2 and within striking distance in the NFC. And they are about to play an eight-game stretch against some of the better teams (and best defenses) in the NFL. There are lots of players they should consider, but a chance to upgrade the defensive line both short and long-term would still be my top choice.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Video: Football 101 – Where defense still has holes to fix
• Seahawks showing signs of a defense that can win games
• Carroll: Seahawks’ Witherspoon ‘left his mark’ again in Week 7 win
• Carroll: Bobby Wagner ‘having a blast’ as D develops
• Is Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s play a cause for concern?

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

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Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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