Everyone and their sister can come up with fun NFL trade proposals this time of year. The question is whether they make sense. Few do, especially when it relates to the Seattle Seahawks. Many of the proposed trades seem to help the other team more than Seattle.
Such is not the case with a recently proposed trade by Bleacher Report that involves quarterback Geno Smith. Smith has been rumored to go several places this offseason, including to the Las Vegas Raiders to be reunited with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Moving the quarterback now makes sense to a degree for Seattle, but he might not bring much back in return.
That might change if Seattle can group a trade package together that includes Smith and draft picks, especially Seattle's first-round pick (number 18 overall). Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade that would send Smith to the New York Giants, where he was a backup to Eli Manning for one season in 2017.
One trade proposal involving Geno Smith has the Seahawks entering rebuild mode
Giants fans should have no reason to truly dislike Smith, whereas New York Jets fans might because Smith only appeared in two games for the Giants.
To be sure, Smith would be a better option for New York than any quarterback the Giants have had in several seasons. The team took a huge step back this season but was competitive before 2024. In other words, they likely are not far off from being decent again. New York would not be in a position to win a Super Bowl with Smith, of course, but he could be a bridge quarterback to help the team rebuild more quickly.
Our purpose here, though, is what would be good about the trade for Seattle. It gets a bit tricky. In return for Smith, the Seahawks' first-round pick in 2025, and a 2025 third-round choice, Seattle would get offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, the Giants first-round pick in 2025 (number three overall), and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Eluemunor has experience at left and right tackle, but he would expected to be a backup to Charles Cross and Abe Lucas with the Seahawks.
Seattle getting the number three pick while giving up Smith means the Seahawks would almost certainly choose quarterbacks Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Either could start for Seattle in 2025, though they might also backup Sam Howell for part of the season. They would be the full-time starter by 2026, though, and the hope is that the team would be closer to championship form as well.
The issue is giving up Smith and the third-round pick might be too much (swapping first-round choices would be a given). Ward nor Sanders is a sure-fire good QB in the NFL. General manager John Schneider would be risking his job and the near future of the franchise if Sanders or Ward would make the team better than they are with Smith. There is no guarantee of that happening.
