Seahawks can quietly pull off a training camp trade that changes everything

The Seattle Seahawks have made some great strides to improve the roster this year, but there's at least one more trade that would go a long way toward making the team a true contender.

The predictions for the Seahawks 2025 season are all over the map. Some 12s see them going 14-3, while one prognosticator made the dubious claim that they'll go winless. Did I say dubious? Sorry. I meant laughable. Sure, there are concerns, but 0-17?

One of the moves John Schneider can make to ensure his team records at least one victory is to upgrade the offensive line. particularly at guard. Drafting Grey Zabel was an immediate upgrade on the left side, but the right guard is still a major question mark.

The hope is that better coaching and schemes will be all the improvement needed. With proven personnel, those changes could reap even larger benefits. So I think a trade is in order.

Seahawks should trade Noah Fant for the Jets John Simpson

Yeah, yeah, I know, 12s. Some of you must think that Noah Fant is my new Darrell Taylor. For the record, Taylor was a one-trick pony who performed that trick far too infrequently. Ask the Da Bears how much they love him after last year's magnificent three-sack season, two in his first game.

My issue with Noah Fant is that he's overpaid. John Schneider must think he's a guard at this point. He scores about as many touchdowns as you might expect from a guard, so that would make sense. Yes, he's a fine player, and might still be the best tight end on Seattle's roster. But rookie Elijah Arroyo and second-year player A.J. Barner aren't far behind, if at all.

If it weren't for the fact that Fant carries the second-highest cap hit on the team, I'd love to have him in Seattle all year. But when you consider that the Seahawks have a great need on the offensive line and excellent depth at tight end, it seems foolish to me not to apply those resources to the greater need.

With the trade between the Dolphins and Steelers, I agree that Fant is now a bigger trade target than ever. Miami could have been a trade partner but opted to bring Darren Waller out of retirement instead. Sounds like a Dolphins move if there ever was one. But that doesn't mean there still aren't potential deals to be made.

One potential deal I find intriguing is with the New York Jets. On paper, this might seem to be an odd move of New York for the fans of the J-E-T-S. They just upgraded their offensive line by drafting offensive tackle Armand Membou. So why would they trade away starting guard John Simpson? Well, I see three very good reasons for this.

First, their tight end group is atrocious. Jeremy Ruckert is their best remaining option, and he's only caught 35 passes in three seasons. Starter Tyler Conklin is with the Chargers now, and Fant would have been an upgrade over him. Maybe the Jets' new GM, Darren Mougey, isn't quite the idiot that his predecessor was, but even he must realize the team needs to improve at tight end.

Second, as good as Simpson is, New York has a capable replacement on the roster. Tackle Max Mitchell had to slide over to guard against the Texans last year and had one of his better performances. He's practiced at tackle and guard throughout his career and should be ready to step up for New York.

The third reason I think the Seahawks could pull this trade-off is - come on, man, this is the team that thought Aaron Rodgers would lead them to the playoffs. Yes, they have a new general manager, but he's their fifth in just 12 seasons. Is there truly any reason to think they would balk at trading a starting guard?

Now let's get to what the 12s care about. Why would this be a good move for the Seahawks? John Simpson played over 1,000 snaps last year and allowed just three sacks, six quarterback hits, and 20 pressures overall. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the 11th-best guard in the league last year.

They graded him even higher at run-blocking than at pass protection. And we all know the Seahawks are going to focus on the run more than ever.

The Seahawks get a massive upgrade at guard, and the Jets get a huge upgrade at tight end. The financial numbers work in Seattle's favor as well, but not so much that New York might shy away from the deal. Fant has a cap hit of $13.4 million, while Simpson's is a far more palatable $6.7 million. Seattle has to eat $4.5 mil of Fant's cap hit in a trade.

Seattle currently has $30.3 million in cap space, while New York has just under $37 mil. The trade would give the Seahawks a net gain of $2.9 million, and cost the Jets $5.0 million, due to the amount of dead cap each team would absorb.

That $2.9 million might not be much, but every little bit helps when you hope to land a player like Trey Hendrickson. The Jets win, the Seahawks win, and the 12s win with this deal.