I’m wary of writing this article because an hour later it’ll look slightly ridiculous if the Seahawks do in fact make a trade. Yet having fully expected some movement, I’m now not so sure.

For the last two years they’ve made a splash. Ernest Jones 12 months ago, Leonard Williams the year prior. Before that the likes of Quandre Diggs and Carlos Dunlap were added.

They may make a smaller deal this year but I’m not sure it’s going to be easy to make a big move.

For starters, it seems like there’s a lot more competition. Pretty much any team with a winning record is being touted as a buyer in the media. It’s possible this has created a stalled market.

If you have a lot of interest in a certain player for example, the selling team is likely to increase the asking price. Yet the kind of business that typically takes place before the deadline is a rental trade — deals done with the potential to be short-term, tempering the value.

You need a realistic seller and a generous buyer. The Seahawks were very aggressive in giving the Giants a second rounder and the Titans a fourth rounder for Williams and Jones. You’re not going to be as aggressive for a lesser talent you don’t envisage re-signing.

We might see some veterans moved on who are expected to be cut in the off-season. Cincinnati’s Logan Wilson is a case in point. The Bengals might as well get anything for him. He isn’t playing well and they’re moving on to two younger linebackers.

Anyone more exciting or impactful though isn’t going to come cheap.

In terms of a selling team, you need someone who is resigned to their fate already this season. It perhaps helps if they’ve recently changed GM too, putting someone in charge who inherited a roster full of players he’s open to parting with.

The Jets and Titans fit this category. However, is there anyone on either roster who would interest the Seahawks?

Tennessee just traded Roger McCreary to the Rams. There’s been talk that anyone not named Cam Ward or Jeffery Simmons is up for sale. It’s hard to imagine who the Seahawks would want on that roster though, especially after cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was placed on injured reserve.

The Jets appear inclined to shift the likes of Jermaine Johnson — a player who wasn’t considered by the Seahawks in round one of the draft and who fell due to perceived character concerns. Breece Hall is another name linked with other teams but the Seahawks don’t need another running back.

Meanwhile another potential seller in the Dolphins won handsomely at the weekend, which, rightly or wrongly, could put a thought in their mind to not have a fire-sale.

The Saints might be your best bet. I’d love to acquire Demarios Davis (one of my favourite players in the NFL) and I’d be open to adding Pete Werner — but is the price-tag realistic? New Orleans reportedly wants a third rounder for Rashid Shaheed. That doesn’t suggest they are prepared to be realistic.

The Bengals might be open to trading Trey Hendrickson after he suffered another hip injury on Sunday, plus the loss to the Jets puts their season into perspective. Yet is he worth spending, say, a second rounder on if he’s now banged up, turning 31 in December and a difficult player to place in the rotation when Derick Hall returns?

Ideally the Seahawks would be able to improve their linebacker or cornerback depth instead but the options appear limited. They clearly want to trade Tariq Woolen — a player who just doesn’t seem to fit Mike Macdonald, whether that’s on the field or off it — but they too might be wary of losing depth for a player who might only bring in a late round flier.

If an aggressive move was available to the Seahawks I would go for it. They are clearly in the mix in a wide-open NFL season. The 2026 draft class is looking mediocre. I’m just not sure if there’s much out there. ESPN’s top-25 trade candidates article didn’t exactly bring up a bunch of tantalising names.

It’s possible I just reverse-jinxed a trade into existence — but I’m less optimistic than I was a couple of weeks ago.