On the possibility of the Seahawks trading for Trey Hendrickson
It was interesting to hear Hendrickson speak with quite a lot of emotion this week, reflecting on the damaged relationship he has with the Bengals. It still felt like Cincinnati would eventually get a deal done here. The way he’s speaking, I think that’s less of a formality than I did a few days ago.
There are a few problems if you’re thinking the Seahawks or any other franchise might make a move. The Bengals are notoriously difficult trading partners because they’re run in a unique way by Mike Brown. They’re even more inclined to dig their heels in because the draft has come and gone.
Right now all they can do is weaken their team significantly by trading Hendrickson, at a time when they’re in ‘win-now’ mode. A better run franchise would’ve got this done pre-draft or completed a trade and moved on. Not Cincinnati. They’ve created a mess, pissed off one of their best players and it’s hard to know where they go from here other than paying him, probably at a higher rate than if they’d simply addressed this sooner.
They’ve got form with this, of course. Their two star receivers had their contract situations dragged out far longer than necessary but ultimately reached agreement.
The only way a trade scenario becomes likely, I think, is if tensions between the two parties get even stronger and you get to camp and then the start of the season and no resolution is forthcoming. At that point the Bengals will be staring down the possibility of losing Hendrickson for nothing in free agency, a prospect even they are unlikely to entertain.
At that point a team like the Seahawks would appear viable bidders. They are one of the few franchises who can take on his salary in 2025. They’ve also got history of acquiring players at about his age on an expiring contract, as they did with Leonard Williams most recently and Duane Brown in the past.
Personally I would entertain it. Hendrickson might not have the flashy name value, for whatever reason, of some of his peers — but he is legitimately one of the elite pass-rushers in the game. His production is off the charts. Even just three years of top-tier production could push the Seahawks to contention in the NFC, provided the offense can take a step forward under Klint Kubiak.
For a team that has struggled to draft and develop a pass-rusher of his quality, it could be a solution. Hendrickson is also a strong character fit and someone you’d welcome into your locker room.
The sticking point will be compensation. How much are the Bengals prepared to take for a player who turns 31 in December, who would require an immediate contract extension? Is a team like the Seahawks prepared to pay a second round pick, if they’d even accept that (it is the Bengals) for the opportunity to give Hendrickson +$30m a year in his age 31-34 seasons?
He has been a durable player, featuring in 17 games for the last two seasons while stacking 35 sacks in that period. I get the sense he might be able to play on and make this a calculated gamble and one that’d probably be worth taking in order to add the final piece to a blossoming defense.
Yet the Seahawks might also believe schematically they are equipped to create pressure tactically and that their current collection of players can get the job done. There was no lack of pressure in the final few games of last season, for example. Is there a belief within the VMAC that Boye Mafe and/or Derick Hall can emerge to become this kind of player? I’m sceptical but they might want to exhaust that thought after spending second round picks on the duo.
It’s hard to shake the thought of what a truly outstanding ‘EDGE’ could do for this team though. He could be the kind of acquisition that takes you over the top, as we saw with the moves the Rams and 49ers made in the trade market to reach Super Bowls. The NFC is still somewhat open in terms of who can really push to make the Championship game. This could be a rare opportunity.
That said, it’s hard to imagine anything happens soon. It would probably be later in the year, even despite the fact Cincinnati drafted Shemar Stewart in round one. The most likely outcome is the Bengals do find a way to tie Hendrickson down and if they don’t, negotiating with them could be a pain in the arse. If there is an opportunity to do something, however, it should be considered. The Seahawks don’t lack for young talent or depth but they don’t have enough game-changing blue-chippers.
Why I prefer Rasul Douglas over Shaq Griffin
I’ve got to be honest, I was never a big Griffin fan when he was in Seattle. I thought he was OK as a starter and I didn’t want the Seahawks to give him big money in free agency to stay. He’s since played for five teams in four years and recorded only three interceptions in that period. He’s just bouncing around the league at this point as his career winds down.
Douglas is a year older and might’ve had a down-year by his standards in 2024. However, he’s only a year removed from a tremendous 2023 campaign with the Bills where he had four interceptions in nine games (plus another for Green Bay before heading to Buffalo) and had a PFF grade of 82.2. In the time since Griffin left Seattle, Douglas has 14 interceptions compared to Griffin’s three.
There might be reasons why such a well known, productive player is still a free agent in mid-May. The Seahawks might be doing due-diligence for that very reason. I just think Douglas is a better player and the kind of veteran who can realistically play at a level that is beyond average. At this stage in his career, ‘average’ might be Griffin’s generous ceiling.
