Before getting into the trade market thoughts, be sure to check out my latest visit with Puck Sports below:
I made a point on the Seahawks Collective this week that I think is worth repeating. The moment an impact guard is traded days before the NFL deadline, will be the first time it happens.
There’s such a dearth of quality offensive linemen in the league that it’s fanciful to think any good player would be dealt. It’s one of the areas you protect at all costs. Whatever stage of the rebuild you’re at, you keep good O-liners. That feels like it should be written in stone.
There’s a reason why only Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller were being linked with moves away. Bitonio is nearing the end having just turned 34. He won’t be a Brown next year. They’re already embracing a youth movement and gathering stock for him would make sense. It’d be a short-term move for any buyer and so far, nobody has bitten. Teller has been a poor pass-protector this year and is also coming to end of his time with the Browns. He turns 31 next month.
Neither player feels like an option for the Seahawks. Bitonio has one total snap at right guard in his long NFL career. Teller is most commonly known in Seattle as the person whose dirty play injured Uchenna Nwosu in a pre-season game. There’s more chance they sign Penn & Teller to play guard than Wyatt Teller.
Are there any other options?
PFF put out an article this week talking about ‘fairytale’ trades. They had the Seahawks acquiring Peter Skoronski. It’s a lovely thought but there’s a reason why the article uses ‘fairytale’ in the title. It’s completely unfeasible.
There’s surely no way in high hell the Titans are going to trade away one of their few good young players whose job it is to protect their investment in Cam Ward. You could make a case that Skoronski is about as untouchable as Ward. There’s zero chance of this year’s #1 overall works out if they trade away a building block offensive lineman tasked with protecting him.
I can’t even imagine what it would take for Tennessee to answer the phone. Two firsts? Maybe a first, a second and a good player? Either way, this isn’t likely for someone who hasn’t played a snap at right guard in his career. The Titans would be absolutely crazy to accept anything less than a massively inflated offer and even that might not be enough.
Jeremy Fowler today mentioned Cesar Ruiz might be available. I was a big fan of Ruiz during his Michigan days. His career has surprisingly under-delivered given his original potential. He ended up moving from center to guard. For a technician with outstanding explosive traits, I thought he was destined for the top. He’s been inconsistently decent, not great.
That might appeal to Seahawks fans and part of me is admittedly curious. Could you get him going? He’s only 26. There’s still time.
It’s worth noting his best zone-blocking season was in the Klint Kubiak system last year. He also played right guard. Yet he only generated a 70.5 grade. He was hardly playing at an elite level in zone. It is better than Anthony Bradford’s current 55.0 grade though.
His base salary is tiny for this season and it’s $9.5m for the following two seasons. That is manageable.
This is a trade that would make some sense — but it comes down to price. You’re not paying a high price for Ruiz. This would have to be a situation where the Saints are in a rebuild mindset and are willing to sell-off assets who aren’t part of the long-term plan. Having used high picks in back-to-back years on Kelvin Banks Jr and Taliese Fuaga, they might feel like they can find fits at guard. Ruiz isn’t playing well this year in their system. It might be a case of everyone preferring a change of scenery.
Are they prepared to do what the Patriots are doing though and cheaply sell off players who don’t fit? The reported demand of a third round price for Rasheed Shaheed suggests they’re more inclined to take the piss and miss out. For a Keion White price, getting Ruiz — who knows the blocking system and has played right guard in it — that would make some sense as a shot to nothing. You’re not giving up a third or fourth rounder though.
Fowler listed a bunch of Saints who could be available. I’d be very interested in linebackers Pete Werner, who I liked at Ohio State, and Demario Davis, who would fit the personality of this team like a glove. I’d be interested in Shaheed and Chris Olave too, just at the right price.
New Orleans feel like the best possible business partner. If they were prepared to sell off Ruiz, Werner and Davis — I’d make a call. I sense, though, they might overplay their hand.
The news today on Julian Love suffering an injury setback also makes you wonder if safety needs to be a position where they bolster. The only safety listed on ESPN’s recent top-25 trade possibilities was Kyle Dugger and he’s already been dealt to the Steelers. I suggested it a few weeks ago and I’d still look into it. Call the Miami Dolphins about Minkah Fitzpatrick.
