For the second year in a row, the Seattle Seahawks acquired a defensive lineman at the trade deadline, though the end result is shaping up to be very different.
In 2023, the Seahawks swung a huge deal with the New York Giants to acquire former Pro Bowl edge rusher Leonard Williams, then signed him to a three-year extension worth $64.5 million in the offseason. Williams has been a tremendous addition to the Seahawks' defense, and was probably the best player on the entire team this season as he had 11 sacks to earn his second Pro Bowl selection.
In 2024, the Seahawks swung a smaller deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire veteran defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old failed to make much of an impact, recording just 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup in 11 games with his new team. He also played just 25 percent of possible defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
Granted, this is far from a fair comparison as Robertson-Harris came to Seattle with far lower expectations, but it goes to show how different the outcomes are.
Rather than extending Robertson-Harris, as it did with Williams, Seattle more inclined to move on from him after just a few months. NFL.com's Matt Okada named the eight-year veteran as a possible cut candidate for the cap-strapped Seahawks this offseason.
"Seahawks players continue to find their way into this article, but given Seattle's cap situation, it makes a lot of sense," Okada wrote. "The 'Hawks traded for defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris in October (sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Jaguars), and he logged a grand total of zero sacks, one QB hit and 13 tackles on 188 defensive snaps in 11 games with the team.
"Seattle can cut the 31-year-old for $6.6 million in cap savings and zero dead money, which feels like a near-automatic move unless they see far greater potential in him heading into 2025."
Robertson-Harris is under contract through 2026, and according to Over The Cap, the Seahawks wouldn't take on any dead money by cutting him. With them already being in the red, it seems like an easy decision to make on paper.
