The Seattle Seahawks are pretty much set defensively as far as their personnel goes. Assuming that they don't get completely stupid and allow Ernest Jones to walk in free agency, they should be able to focus most of their offseason attention on upgrading their offense.
On that score, there's a ton of work to do. First they either have to cut/trade or extend Geno Smith in order to get out of salary cap hell. Then they'll have to find a new WR3 to replace Tyler Lockett, who's likely a cap casualty. They also have to radically improve their interior offensive line rotation.
Once all that's done, they could also use an upgrade at tight end, where their returns have been dismal for several seasons in a row. Things hit rock bottom in 2024 as Noah Fant posted just one touchdown to go with 500 receiving yards. That follows an underwhelming 2023 season that saw Fant total just 414 yards and go scoreless.
Fant will probably wind up getting cut for cap savings, but the Seahawks should at least explore trading him so they can get something in return. According to TWSN, Fant is the one player most-likely to get traded by Seattle this offseason.
TWSN on Seahawks trading Noah Fant
"Kubiak also mentioned that tight ends would play fullback. Fant’s blocking grade in 2024 was 54.8, ranking 47th out of 69 tight ends. His receiving numbers (48 receptions, 500 yards, one touchdown) also didn’t stand out. As a result, I could see a more pass-heavy team trading for Fant in exchange for a skilled blocking tight end. Or, if Mike Gesicki walks, Fant might be a typical “rental” the Bengals love to use at tight end."
The benefits of trading Fant are obvious on the Seahawks' part. According to Over the Cap, doing so would save them almost $9 million in salary cap room with a dead money hit about half that much. The obstacle of course is finding a team that's willing to trade for a guy who's averaged half a touchdown over the last two seasons.
If the Bengals do let Mike Gesicki walk then Cincinnati could be a potential trade partner, but from our perspective the Carolina Panthers make more sense. For one thing, they might be the only team that's gotten less production at tight end over the last five seasons than the Seahawks. For another, they have a connection to Seattle via head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan, both of whom came up under Pete Carroll.
Getting even a seventh-round pick in return for Fant would have to be considered a win. From there, the Seahawks should finally invest some real draft capital at this position to replace him.
