Trade History: Seahawks made memorable deals for Largent, Alexander, and Hasselbeck

Whether good or bad, the Seahawks have made some memorable trades in their 45-year history. For every deal that brought in a star such as future NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, future Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck or members of the “Legion of Boom” defense, there has been one where Seattle has traded away a future Pro Bowler (Ahmad Rashad, Tony Dorsett, Ray Rice, and Max Unger) or just made a bad call based on potential (Kelly Stouffer). However, the team acquired its most famous player from the Oilers in 1976, and Steve Largent retired 14 years later holding both team and league receiving records.

Several trades could not find a spot on this list, including the Curt Warner for Bruce Matthews pick swap at the 1983 NFL Draft and the 1996 draft-day trade that ended with Eddie George in Houston and Pete Kendall in Seattle. A 2017 deal with the Texans turned out better for the Seahawks, who received Pro Bowl tackle Duane Brown and a pick that became one-handed dynamo Shaquem Griffin in exchange for tackle Martinas Rankin and cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. In late July, Seattle acquired disgruntled safety Jamal Adams, as well as a 2022 fourth-round pick, from the Jets for safety Bradley McDougald, first- and third-round picks in 2021 and a first-rounder in 2022. Although that trade could make this list one day, it cannot be properly broken down until all the picks have been selected.

Here are the 10 most influential trades in Seattle Seahawks history.

1. August 26, 1976: 

Seahawks acquired: WR Steve Largent

Oilers acquired: An eighth-round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft

The Oilers acquired the fourth-round pick used on Largent in April 1976 after sending quarterback Lynn Dickey to the Packers. Houston already had Ken Burrough and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson as starting wide receivers, and Largent was in danger of being released when he was traded to Seattle. The sure-handed Largent, nicknamed “Yoda” for his ability to catch almost any pass, set team records with 819 receptions, 13,089 yards, and 100 touchdowns, and all three totals were the most in NFL history when he retired in 1989 after a 14-year career. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls, and he was also the first Seahawks player to be named to the postseason showcase when he was honored in 1978. Largent had eight 1,000-yard seasons and led the NFL twice, including 1985, when he posted a career-high 1,287 yards and earned his only All-Pro selection. He was a part of four Seattle playoff teams and he helped the team reach the AFC Championship Game in 1983. Largent was named NFL Man of the Year in 1988 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. After his playing career, he was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma’s first district from 1994-2002, made an unsuccessful run for governor of the state, and is now the CEO of a wireless communications trade association.

In exchange, the Oilers used the pick on Georgia wide receiver Steve Davis, who never played in the NFL.

Assessment: This is the move NFL teams dream about, getting a future Hall of Fame player who was about to be discarded, while only giving up a draft pick that never made it to the NFL. SEAHAWKS

2. September 7, 1976: 

Seahawks acquired A fourth-round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft

Vikings acquired: WR Ahmad Rashad 

Seattle used the pick on Larry Seivers, a two-time All-American at the University of Tennessee who was traded to the other expansion team, the Buccaneers, at the end of training camp. The 1979 fourth-round pick Seattle received for Seivers was sent back to Buffalo as compensation for signing the player involved in this deal, Ahmad Rashad. 

Rashad, who went by his given name, Bobby Moore until converting to Islam in college, was an All-American in 1971 at Oregon, and he was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals with the fourth overall pick the following year. After two seasons in St. Louis, Rashad was traded to Buffalo, where he started for one year, but missed the 1975 campaign with a knee injury. He signed with the expansion Seahawks as a free agent, but Seattle sent him to the Vikings days before the 1976 season began for a fourth-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft (with the pick being sent to Buffalo as compensation for signing Rashad). In Minnesota, Rashad developed into one of the NFL’s top receivers, earning four Pro Bowl selections and reaching the 1,000-yard mark twice. He finished his seven-year stint with the Vikings high on the all-time team list in receptions (seventh with 400), yards (seventh with 5,489), and touchdowns (tied for sixth with 34). Rashad retired after the 1982 season and went on to have a long broadcasting career that included gameday coverage for the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. He also was the host of the NBA Inside Stuff program for 16 years. In addition to his football and broadcasting accolades, Rashad was married to Cosby Show star Phylicia Ayers-Allen, whom he proposed to during the pregame show for the 1985 Thanksgiving Day game between the Lions and Jets.

Assessment: As good as the Largent trade was, this was the reverse. A receiving tandem of Largent and Rashed would have made an offense led by quarterback Jim Zorn formidable, even for an expansion team. Instead, Seattle lost Rashad for nothing. They traded away the selection from the Rashad trade for a pick, which was then given to Buffalo as compensation for the Seahawks signing Rashad as a free agent. VIKINGS

3. May 3, 1977: 

Seahawks acquired: A first-round pick and three second-rounders in the 1977 NFL Draft

Cowboys acquired: The second overall pick in 1977

The first-round pick Seattle acquired from Dallas was Steve August, a tackle who spent nearly eight seasons with the Seahawks. The Tulsa product was traded to the Steelers midway through the 1984 season. He signed with the Jets the following year but retired at midseason. August’s 90 starts at right tackle are still the most in Seahawks team history at the position, and he was in the starting lineup for the 1983 AFC Championship Game, which Seattle lost to Oakland, 30-14.

Two of the picks from this deal became Tom Lynch and Terry Beeson. Lynch was a guard from Boston College who played 61 games on the left side with the Seahawks. He signed with the Bills in 1981 and was a reserve with the team until he retired in 1984. Beeson was a starter at middle linebacker throughout his five seasons in the Pacific Northwest, and he set a team record with 153 tackles in 1978. Beeson joined August as a participant in the 1983 AFC Championship Game. He played one season with the 49ers and two in the United States Football League (one each with the Oklahoma Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls) before he retired in 1985. The final second-round pick was traded back to Dallas for Duke Fergerson, a former San Diego State wide receiver. Although he spent most of his three-year Seattle tenure on special teams, Fergerson totaled 32 catches and two touchdowns. He played with the Bills in 1980 and, after nearly two years out of the NFL, had a failed comeback with the Rams in 1983. After his retirement, Fergerson worked in financial services and politics, and he is responsible for organizing high school football in Harlem.

Tony Dorsett won the Heisman Trophy in Pitt’s National Championship season in 1976. The three-time All-American totaled 2,150 yards rushing that season and 6,526 overall, which were the most in both categories in Division I college football history at the time (he now has the 11th-most yards in a season and is second behind Ron Dayne’s 7,125 overall). After being selected with the second overall pick in 1977, Dorsett spent his first 11 seasons in Dallas, reaching the 1,000-yard mark eight times. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1981, when he posted a career-high 1,646 yards. Dorsett added more than 1,300 yards rushing in the postseason, including 66 and a score in the Super Bowl XII victory over the Broncos as a rookie. His Dallas totals of 12,036 yards and 72 touchdowns were the most in team history until he was passed by Emmitt Smith in the late 1990s. Dorsett also set an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown run in 1982 (which was tied by Derrick Henry in 2018).

Assessment: Despite the productivity August and Beeson gave Seattle, Dorsett became one of the NFL’s greatest rushers. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1977 and was selected to both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame in 1994. COWBOYS

4. April 22, 1988: 

Seahawks acquired: QB Kelly Stouffer

Cardinals acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, as well as first- and fifth-round picks in 1989

Stouffer was a Colorado State quarterback who was taken sixth overall by the Cardinals in 1987. However, the two sides could not agree on a contract, and he sat for what turned out to be the team’s final year in St. Louis. Stouffer was a part-time starter throughout his five seasons in Seattle, where he competed with veteran Dave Krieg and ineffective Jeff Kemp for playing time. The Seahawks went 3-3 with Stouffer starting in 1988, but Krieg came back from injury to lead the team to the playoffs. Stouffer had a 5-11 record and totaled 2,333 yards, seven touchdowns, and 19 interceptions in the Pacific Northwest before he was released in 1992. He retired after failed tryouts with the Dolphins in 1994 and the Panthers in 1996, and he has been a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC since 2012.

Phoenix used the 1988 pick on Chris Gaines, a Vanderbilt linebacker who was cut by the Cardinals in training camp and played four games with the Dolphins as a rookie for his only NFL experience. Gaines spent the next three years with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts before he was forced to retire in 1991 with osteoporosis in his ankle. The 1989 picks became Joe Wolf and David Edeen. Wolf was an offensive lineman at Boston College who played 94 games as a part-time starter at guard and tackle over his nine-year career. He retired after the 1997 season. Edeen was a defensive end from Wyoming who never played in the NFL. He spent two seasons with the New York/New Jersey Knights of the World League of American Football (later called NFL Europe) before retiring in 1992.

Assessment:  Stouffer was destined to either be a great draft pick or a bust, and there were signs pointing to either one of those outcomes. Neil Lomax was nearing the end of his career in St. Louis, so Stouffer could have had the opportunity to succeed had he not let money get in the way. Instead, he could not supplant Dave Krieg as the starter in Seattle, and this deal goes down as one of the worst in the franchise’s history. Although Gaines and Edeen never played in Phoenix, Wolf's lengthy tenure, even as just a part-time starter, is enough to win the trade. CARDINALS

5. (Part One) February 18, 1997: 

Seahawks acquired: A first-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft

Bears acquired: QB Rick Mirer and a fourth-round pick in 1997

The Seahawks sent the acquired pick along with three others to the Falcons for two draft choices, including the third overall selection. The second pick in the Atlanta deal was also traded, and both of those moves will be broken down separately.

Mirer was a high school All-American and a talented player at Notre Dame who was billed as the “next Joe Montana.” However, he became just another college star who was an NFL bust. In four seasons with Seattle, Mirer was just 20-31 as a starter, and his totals of 9,094 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions left a lot to be desired. He lasted just one year in Chicago after the trade, with an 0-3 record, no touchdowns, and six interceptions. Mirer lost his starting job to Erik Kramer and was released after the 1997 season. He played one year with the Jets and two each with the 49ers and Raiders before he retired in 2004. The fourth-round pick was Northwestern running back Darnell Autry, who finished fourth in the 1995 Heisman Trophy voting (won by Ohio State running back and future Tennessee Titans star Eddie George). Autry had 319 yards and one touchdown in 1997 with the Bears, but he did not play again until 2000, when he signed with the Eagles and totaled 609 yards and four scores in his final season.

(Part Two) March 20. 1997: 

Seahawks acquired: First-and third-round picks in the 1997 NFL Draft

Falcons acquired: First-, second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 1997

The Seahawks used the first-round pick acquired in the Mirer trade (11th overall) to move up and grab the number three pick after this trade with the Falcons. Shawn Springs was an All-American cornerback with Ohio State in 1996. He had 20 interceptions in seven years with Seattle, including seven in 1998, when he made his only Pro Bowl. Springs played five years with the Redskins and one with the Patriots before he retired in 2009. The third-round pick was traded away as part of the next deal on this list.

Atlanta received picks from each of the first four rounds in this trade. The Falcons selected Michael Booker, a Nebraska cornerback, at 11. Booker had six interceptions in three seasons before signing with the Titans in 2000. He played two more years with Tennessee before retiring in 2002 with eight interceptions and 109 tackles. Byron Hanspard was an All-American and Doak Walker Award winner as the best running back in college football in 1996 with Texas Tech. He made the All-Rookie Team after posting 987 yards and two touchdowns on kickoff returns, along with 335 yards rushing. Hanspard missed the entire 1998 season after suffering a torn ACL in training camp, and he was never the same after returning from the injury. He had 383 yards and his first career rushing touchdown in 1999 with the Falcons, but he was cut in 2000 and never played after signing with the Buccaneers, despite being on their roster for three seasons.

O.J. Santiago was taken in the third round, and the tight end joined Booker in the starting lineup when the Falcons lost to the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. After three years in Atlanta, Santiago became an NFL journeyman, spending time with the Cowboys (2000), Browns (2000-01), and Raiders (2003). He also had two other failed tryouts with Oakland and one each with Minnesota, Denver, and New England before leaving the NFL in 2007. He came back after three years out of football to play with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 2010 before retiring. Santiago returned to his alma mater of Kent State, where he now serves as the team’s tight ends coach. The Falcons used the final pick on Henri Crockett, a linebacker from Florida State. Crockett spent five years in Atlanta, amassing 6½ sacks and 193 tackles, and also starting in Super Bowl XXXIII. He was traded to the Broncos in 2002, but he did not make the team and signed with the Vikings. Crockett retired after the 2003 season, and he has since started the Crockett Foundation, which is designed to aid youths around Pompano Beach, Florida.

(Part Three) April 19, 1997: 

Seahawks acquired: A first-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft

Buccaneers acquired: First- and third-round picks in 1997

The Seahawks packaged their first-round pick, along with the third-rounder acquired from the Falcons, to move up five spots and take Walter Jones, who was a standout offensive tackle at Florida State. The sixth pick was traded three times, first from the Rams to the Jets in the Orlando Pace deal (the first overall pick in 1997). Then the selection was sent to Tampa Bay for James Farrior and Leon Johnson before being moved to Seattle. Jones proved to be well worth his draft position. He was a member of the All-Rookie Team, was selected to nine Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams, and he started in the Super Bowl XL loss to the Steelers. Jones suffered a knee injury during a Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys in 2008 that required microfracture surgery. He never played again, but he made two comeback attempts before retiring in 2010. Jones was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, one day before the Seahawks clobbered the Broncos, 43-8, to win Super Bowl XLVIII.

Although Seattle found a star in Jones, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick from this trade was no slouch. Warrick Dunn was Jones’ teammate for two seasons at Florida State, and he ran for 1,000 yards three times and was part of the Seminoles’ National Championship season as a freshman in 1993. With Tampa Bay, Dunn was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned Pro Bowl honors after totaling 978 yards and four touchdowns rushing, along with 462 yards and three scores receiving in 1997. He was part of the “WD40” backfield with Mike Alstott in Tampa Bay, and he earned another Pro Bowl selection in 2000. However, the Rams held the pair in check and won the NFC Championship Game that season, 11-6. Dunn signed with the Falcons in 2002 and played in the NFC title game two years later, which was won by the Eagles. He had three more 1,000-yard seasons, giving him five for his career, and made his final Pro Bowl in 2005 after posting a career-high 1,416 yards. After the Falcons signed Michael Turner in 2008, Dunn returned to the Buccaneers and had 786 yards and two touchdowns in his final season. Dunn retired with 10,967 rushing yards, 4,339 receiving yards, and 64 scores (49 rushing, 15 receiving). The 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year now runs two charities that help single-parent families with homeownership and repair issues.

Tampa Bay used the third-round pick on Frank Middleton, a guard from Arizona. He played in 63 games in four seasons with the Buccaneers, making the All-Rookie Team along with Jones and Dunn in 1997. Middleton signed with the Raiders in 2001 and played 46 games with Oakland. He also started the 2001 Division Round contest against the Patriots known as the “Tuck Rule Game,” as well as Super Bowl XXXVII, in which the Raiders lost to his former team, the Buccaneers. After he retired in 2004, Middleton was a high school coach. Like many former players, he was under financial stress after his playing career.

Assessment: Seattle found a Hall of Famer in Jones and a solid starter in Springs while giving up Mirer, who was one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. None of the players Atlanta acquired had stellar careers, although Hanspard had the potential before his injury. Dunn was a dual-threat playmaker and a three-time Pro Bowler, but Jones’ bust in Canton his team the edge. SEAHAWKS

6. (Part One) February 14, 2000: 

Seahawks acquired: First-round picks in the 2000 and 2001 NFL Drafts

Cowboys acquired: WR Joey Galloway

Seattle used the 2000 first-round pick on Shaun Alexander, a 1999 All-American with Alabama. Alexander holds Seahawks records with 9,429 rushing yards and 100 touchdowns in eight seasons. He was the NFL’s MVP in 2005 when he posted a league-high and team-record 1,880 yards and a league-record 27 scores (which lasted one year until San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson had 28). Alexander ended his career with the Redskins in 2008, and retired after Washington released him four games into the season. The Seahawks traded the 2001 first-round pick (along with a sixth-rounder) to the 49ers to get an extra pick. The picks acquired became Koren Robinson, Heath Evans, and Dennis Norman. Robinson had 3,567 yards and 14 touchdowns in five years in Seattle, including a career-high 1,240 yards in 2002. He made his only Pro Bowl in 2005 with Minnesota, when he amassed 1,221 kick return yards. Evans spent his first four years blocking for Alexander, playing in 61 games with Seattle. After splitting 2005 between Miami and New England, he spent three more years with the Patriots and two with the Saints, but was injured during New Orleans’ victory in Super Bowl XLIV. Norman was a Princeton product who played just one game in four seasons with the Seahawks. He appeared in 63 games in four years with the Jaguars and 10 more with the Saints before retiring in 2009.

Galloway had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Seahawks, but lost eight games in 1999 due to a contract dispute. He tore his ACL in his first game with Dallas after the trade, but rebounded to post decent totals in his other three years with the Cowboys, including a league-leading 19.8 yards per catch in 2003. After being traded to the Buccaneers in 2004, he hit the 1,000-yard mark three times in five years. He spent one season each with the Patriots and Redskins before he retired in 2010.

(Part Two) March 5, 2001: 

Seahawks acquired: QB Matt Hasselbeck and a first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft

Packers acquired: First- and third-round picks in 2001

Hasselbeck was caught behind Brett Favre and threw just 29 passes in two seasons with Green Bay. He spent the next 10 years as Seattle’s starter, earning three Pro Bowl selections and throwing for at least 3,000 yards seven times. Hasselbeck had 273 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers won 21-10 in Super Bowl XL, which was the Seahawks’ first trip to the “Big Game.” Hasselbeck has been eclipsed by Russell Wilson for the most passing yards in team history, but he still ranks second with 29,434 yards and third with 174 scoring passes. He signed with Tennessee in 2011 and spent two years with the Titans and three with the Colts before retiring in 2016. The pick was used on Steve Hutchinson, a guard who was a member of Michigan’s National Championship team as a freshman in 1997 and was an All-American as a senior in 2000. With Seattle, Hutchinson quickly became one of the best guards in the NFL. He earned three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections, helped pave the way for running back Shaun Alexander’s MVP campaign in 2005, and was a starter for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Hutchinson signed with the Vikings in 2006 and was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro over the next six years. He was reunited with Hasselback in Tennessee before retiring after the 2012 season. Hutchinson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Green Bay selected Jamal Reynolds, a 2000 All-American defensive end at Florida State, in the first round. Reynolds played sparingly in three seasons with the Packers. He signed with the Browns in 2004 but was released before the season began and retired. In the third round, Green Bay took Torrance Marshall, a linebacker from Oklahoma. Marshall also played some fullback with the Packers, but was primarily used on special teams. After a year away from football, Marshall played one season each with the Arena Football League’s Austin Wranglers and Tampa Bay Storm before retiring in 2006.

Assessment: Galloway was a solid player with Dallas and neither pick from the Green Bay deal was a difference-maker. However, Seattle won this deal hands down. Alexander set team and league records and won an MVP award, and Hasselbeck proved he was a solid quarterback and an exceptional leader. SEAHAWKS

7. (Part One) April 26, 2008: 

Seahawks acquired: A second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft

Ravens acquired: Second- and third-round picks in 2008

Seattle drafted tight end John Carlson, who earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team after leading the Seahawks with 55 receptions in 2008. He totaled 137 catches, 1,519 yards, and 13 touchdowns in three seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Carlson suffered a concussion during a 2010 Division Round game against the Bears and missed all of the 2011 season with a torn labrum. Carlson signed with the Vikings in 2012, and he spent two years with Minnesota and one with Arizona before retiring in 2015.

The Ravens seem to have a knack for finding talented players outside of the first round. The second-round pick in this deal turned into Ray Rice, a 2007 All-American from Rutgers who ranks second in team history with 6,180 yards and 37 touchdowns. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and had four straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2009-12. Rice ran for 131 yards and a score in a 2012 Division Round win over the Broncos and added 59 more yards in Baltimore’s win in Super Bowl XLVII. Unfortunately, he has made some poor decisions off the field. Rice and his then-fiancée Janay Palmer got into an altercation at an Atlantic City hotel that resulted in Palmer charging at him in an elevator and Rice knocking her out with a punch (which became quite the viral video on the internet). His third-degree aggravated assault charges were dropped after he agreed to undergo court-supervised counseling (with the couple getting married the day after he was indicted). Rice was suspended two games by the NFL and was later released by the Ravens. He filed a grievance against the league and his former team, which was settled out of court in 2015. Baltimore used the third-round pick on Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski, who was Carlson’s former teammate at Notre Dame. Zbikowski had two interceptions and one sack in four seasons with the Ravens. He signed with the Colts in 2012 and missed five games with a knee injury. After trying out with the Bears, Zbikowski retired in 2013. Since then, he has overcome an alcohol addiction, had a successful boxing career, and now works as a firefighter and a high school football coach.

(Part Two) October 5, 2010: 

Seahawks acquired: RB Marshawn Lynch

Bills acquired: A fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a fifth-round selection in 2012

Lynch was an All-American and the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year with Cal in 2006. He was named to the All-Rookie Team after amassing 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns in 2007, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl the following year after posting 1,036 yards and eight scores. Lynch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in 2009, which led to a three-game suspension and the trade out of Buffalo. Under Pete Carroll’s tutelage in Seattle, Lynch turned into “Beast Mode,” a hard-nosed back who topped 1,000 yards, had double-digit touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons. He led the NFL in rushing scores twice and posted a career-high 1,590 yards in his All-Pro 2012 season. Lynch had a touchdown in a Seahawks win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, and he had 102 yards and a score against the Patriots the following year. Carroll took quite a bit of flack for opting to have Russell Wilson pass from the one-yard line in the closing seconds (which was intercepted by Malcolm Butler), rather than give the ball to Lynch. He retired after the 2015 season and was ranked fourth in team history with 6,381 rushing yards and second with 58 touchdowns.

After one year away, Lynch returned and was traded to his hometown Raiders. He had 891 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017 and spent one more year with Oakland before “retiring” again. When the Seahawks lost Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny to injury late in the 2019 season, Lynch returned in the final week and also scored three postseason touchdowns to help Seattle reach the Division Round. He has not played since that loss to the Packers, and the usually silent Lynch’s only action of 2020 has been in a Frito Lay commercial.

Buffalo selected Clemson tackle Chris Hairston with the 2011 pick. Hairston played 41 games, mostly as a reserve, in four seasons with Buffalo, and missed all of 2013 with a leg injury. He signed with the Chargers in 2015 has not played since he was put on the Non-Football Injury list in 2017 with an undisclosed illness. The Bills used the 2012 pick on TCU linebacker Ricky “Tank” Carder, who failed to make the team and was claimed by the Browns. He played 78 games, mostly as a reserve and a special teams player. Carder suffered a torn ACL during a preseason game in 2017, causing him to miss the entire season. He has not played since Cleveland released him in 2018.  

Assessment: Rice and Lynch were both talented players who had off-the-field issues. Despite the gun charge and a 2012 arrest for DUI, Lynch was one of the most consistent running backs in the NFL during his peak in Seattle. Rice had a similar four-year stretch with Baltimore, but his career was derailed by the 2014 domestic violence incident that resulted in an aggravated assault charge. Lynch was in two straight Super Bowls, but Rice won a title as well and played in two other AFC Championship Games. However, the edge goes to Lynch due to his longer career and his 2019 return to the Pacific Northwest. SEAHAWKS

8. Assembling the “Legion of Boom” defense

The “Legion of Boom” was one of the most recognizable and effective defenses of the 21st century, and the unit helped the Seahawks reach two consecutive Super Bowls. The majority of the group was assembled using four trades during the 2010 and 2011 drafts. As with the 49ers’ trades during the 1986 NFL Draft, the deals will be broken down separately, and there will also be an overall assessment at the end.

(Part One) April 25, 2009: 

Seahawks acquired: A first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

Broncos acquired: A second-round pick in 2009

Seattle used the pick from this trade to select Earl Thomas, a 2009 All-American at Texas. Thomas quickly developed into one of the NFL’s best free safeties. He started every game over his first six seasons, and he earned six Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections with the Seahawks. Thomas started in back-to-back title games, posting seven tackles in the win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and nine the following year in a loss to the Patriots. He missed five games in 2016 with a broken leg after colliding with teammate Kam Chancellor during a game and 12 more contests in 2018 when he suffered the same injury (after which he gave head coach Pete Carroll the finger as he was being carted off the field).

After registering 28 interceptions and 664 tackles in nine years with Seattle, Thomas joined Baltimore in 2019, signing a four-year, $55 million contract. He registered two interceptions, two sacks, and 49 tackles while making the Pro Bowl as a strong safety. His time with the Ravens ended in 2020, as he was released in late August after punching fellow safety Chuck Clark in practice. In addition to his clashes with coaches and teammates, Thomas has had a tumultuous relationship with his wife, Nina. She caught him in an affair, and she was charged by police after holding him at gunpoint and chasing him with a knife. Nina filed for divorce in mid-November.

With this 2009 trade, the Broncos sacrificed a higher pick later for an extra pick now. They drafted Alphonso Smith, a 2008 All-American safety at Wake Forest. Smith played one season with Denver, mostly on special teams, before he was traded to Detroit in 2010. He had five interceptions in his first season with the Lions and three more the following year, but he was released after appearing in just four games in 2012. Smith finished his four-year career with eight interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and 87 tackles.

Assessment: Despite his temper, Thomas was one of the best safeties in the NFL. He was a key member of the “Legion of Boom,” and he was selected as the free safety on the league’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s. Smith played just four seasons, mostly in a reserve role. SEAHAWKS 

(Part Two) April 5, 2010: 

Seahawks acquired: DE Robert Henderson and a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

Lions acquired: G Rob Sims and a seventh-round pick in 2010

Henderson was a sixth-round pick of the Giants in 2008. He injured his ankle and was cut in the preseason. Henderson split 2009 between the practice squads of the Jaguars and Lions, and he was cut by the Seahawks before the 2010 season. Seattle used the pick to select Kam Chancellor, a safety from Virginia Tech. After spending his rookie season as a reserve, Chancellor moved into the starting lineup in 2011, and he responded with four interceptions and a Pro Bowl selection. He had 12 interceptions and 607 tackles in eight seasons, and he was named to four Pro Bowls in total. The hard-hitting strong safety registered 10 tackles and an interception in a 43-8 victory over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, and he also made 10 stops against the Patriots the following year. Chancellor suffered a neck injury late in the 2017 season, and he spent all of 2018 on the injured list before the Seahawks released him in May 2019. The injury was later revealed to be spinal stenosis (pressure on the spinal cord) and bone spurs in his neck.

Sims was a former Ohio State guard who was drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He split four Seattle seasons between being a starter and a reserve. After the trade, he started every game over the next five years with Detroit. Following his retirement after the 2014 season, Sims joined former Lions teammate Calvin Johnson to form Primitive, a cannabis company that partnered with Harvard University to study the effects of medical marijuana on head injuries in football (also called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE). The pick became Willie Young, a defensive end and linebacker from North Carolina State. Young had six sacks and 72 tackles in four seasons with Detroit. He joined Chicago in 2014 and posted a career-high 10 sacks that season. Young had 26 sacks in four years as a part-time starter before the Bears released him early in 2018. He suffered a torn triceps that cost him the final 12 games of the 2017 season.

Assessment: Sims was a solid starter with Detroit, but Young had his best years in Chicago. While Henderson was a non-factor, Chancellor joined with Earl Thomas to form one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. He was a starter in two Super Bowls and was selected to four Pro Bowls before the neck injury ended his career early. SEAHAWKS

(Part Three) October 12, 2010: 

Seahawks acquired: A fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft

Patriots acquired: WR Deion Branch

The Seahawks used the pick on K. J. Wright, an outside linebacker from Mississippi State. Wright has become a tackle machine in the Pacific Northwest, totaling 100 or more five times in his 10 seasons. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 2016 when he made 126 stops and registered a career-high four sacks. Although he missed 11 games in 2018 after suffering a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, Wright has been a steady performer, totaling 909 tackles (third in team history), 12½ sacks, 11 forced fumbles and six interceptions with Seattle. He also had seven tackles in the Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Broncos and made 14 stops in a loss to the Patriots the following year. Wright and longtime teammate Bobby Wagner are the only defensive players still on the Seahawks’ roster that were on the 2013 championship team.

Branch was originally a second-round pick of the Patriots out of Louisville in 2002. He was a member of back-to-back championship teams with New England in 2003-04. Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown in a 32-29 win against Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII, and he had 10 receptions for 133 yards to earn game MVP honors in a 24-21 victory over Philadelphia the following year. He set career-highs with 79 catches and 998 yards in 2005, but he held out and was sent to Seattle. Branch spent five years with the Seahawks, totaling 190 receptions and 15 touchdowns before he was traded back to the Patriots during the 2010 season. Although he started 28 games in three seasons, he was not as effective as he was in his previous stint in New England. Branch went unsigned for a year after the Patriots released him in 2012. He signed with the Colts in early 2014, but he retired after being released a few weeks later. Branch finished his Patriots career with 328 receptions, 4,297 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Assessment: This trade would be a lot closer if we were able to add in Branch’s first stint with New England. Branch was at the tail end of his career after his return to Foxborough. Wright has had a solid career in Seattle, and he is still going strong in his 10th season. SEAHAWKS 

(Part Four) April 29, 2011:

 Seahawks acquired: Third-, fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks in the 2011 NFL Draft

Lions acquired: Second-, fifth- and seventh-round picks in 2011

Seattle added four picks in this trade, but one became a star with the “Legion of Boom.” The fifth-round pick was used on Richard Sherman, a cornerback from Stanford. Sherman had four interceptions and made the All-Rookie Team in 2011, and he was selected to four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams from 2012-16. His 32 interceptions in seven seasons are tied for fourth in Seahawks team history, and he led the NFL with eight in 2013. “Optimus Prime” also started in two Super Bowls and posted three tackles in each game. Sherman suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon that caused him to miss seven games in 2017, and he signed with the NFC West-rival 49ers the following year. He was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl after posting 61 tackles, 11 passes defensed, and three interceptions in 2019. Sherman has played just one game in 2020 due to a calf strain. In addition to his playing career, the outspoken cornerback runs Blanket Coverage, a charity that helps children obtain school supplies and clothing.

The Seahawks used the other picks to select John Moffitt, Kris Durham, and Lazarius “Pep” Levingston. Moffitt was a guard who played in college at Wisconsin. He started nine games as a rookie, but his season ended with both a right knee injury and a four-game PED suspension. Seattle traded Moffitt to Cleveland in 2013, but the deal was voided after he failed a physical. He signed with the Broncos and played two games before retiring after the season. Moffitt attempted a comeback with the Eagles in 2015, but he retired again after he was cut. Durham was a former Georgia wide receiver who had just three receptions before he suffered a torn labrum. He spent the next two seasons with the Lions, posting career-highs with 38 receptions, 490 yards, and two touchdowns in 2013. Durham appeared in four games with the Titans in 2014 and had a failed tryout with the Raiders the following year before leaving the NFL. He played two seasons with the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League and retired in 2018. Levingston was a defensive end who was a member of LSU’s 2008 National Championship team. He was cut by the Seahawks in training camp and had a failed tryout with the CFL’s BC Lions before he retired in 2016.

The centerpiece of the deal for the Lions was the second-round pick that became Mikel Leshoure, who had 1,697 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns with Illinois in 2010. Leshoure missed his rookie season with a torn Achilles, but he bounced back to lead Detroit with 798 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012. He had just two carries in 2013 and the Lions released him the following year. Like Levingston, Leshoure was released by the BC Lions before the 2016 season and he retired later that year.

Detroit used the other two picks on Doug Hogue and Johnny Culbreath. Hogue was a linebacker from Syracuse who played 18 games with the Lions, mostly on special teams. He was released early in the 2012 season and finished the campaign by playing nine games with the Panthers. Hogue had a failed tryout with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and retired in 2014. Culbreath was a former South Carolina State tackle who never played in the NFL, although he was on Detroit’s roster for two years. He missed the 2011 season due to high blood pressure, was arrested for drug possession the following year, and was released by the Lions in August 2012.

Assessment: Leshoure’s career was derailed by injuries and inconsistent play, and almost all of the other pieces of this trade were non-factors. Sherman was one of the best cover corners in the NFL, earning four Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections with Seattle. He also was a key component in a Super Bowl XLVIII victory. SEAHAWKS

Overall Assessment: Sims was a durable starter for five seasons with Detroit, but all the other players acquired by other teams were either on the downside of their careers (Branch), did not meet their potential (Leshoure) or failed to make any impact. While Seattle obtained a few players who could be put in that last category, Sherman, Chancellor, Thomas and Wright were four stars who played a large part in their team’s success in the past decade. SEAHAWKS

9. (Part One) March 12, 2013: 

Seahawks acquired: WR Percy Harvin

Vikings acquired: First- and seventh-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft, along with a third-rounder in 2014

Harvin was a 2008 All-American and a two-time National Champion with Florida. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a wide receiver and was a Pro Bowler as a kick returner. He became a full-time starter in 2010 and totaled 3,302 yards and 20 touchdowns in four seasons with Minnesota. After the trade, Harvin signed a six-year, $67 million deal with Seattle, but he only played in one regular-season game after suffering a torn labrum. He appeared in the 2013 playoffs and returned the second-half kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII 87 yards for a touchdown. Despite the big contract, Harvin had conflicts with teammates and coaches, and he was traded to the Jets in 2014.

The Vikings used the 2013 picks to select Xavier Rhodes and Travis Bond. Rhodes was a 2012 All-ACC cornerback at Florida State. He spent his first seven NFL seasons with Minnesota, amassing 10 interceptions, 372 tackles, and 73 passes defensed. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2017 All-Pro had two tackles in the Vikings’ 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game at the end of that season. Rhodes signed with the Colts in March 2020. Bond, a North Carolina offensive lineman, was released by the Vikings in training camp. He played two games with the Panthers as a rookie and had a failed tryout with the Rams in 2014. Bond signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was a CFL All-Star in 2016. He spent the past two years with the Edmonton Eskimos after signing with them in 2018. The 2014 pick was Jerick McKinnon, a former Georgia Southern running back. McKinnon ran for 1,918 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons with the Vikings. He signed with the 49ers in 2018, but tore his ACL during team workouts, causing him to miss two full seasons.

(Part Two) October 18, 2020: 

Seahawks acquired: A sixth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft

Jets acquired: WR Percy Harvin

The Seahawks sent the 2015 sixth-round pick, as well as two others, to the Redskins, allowing them to move from the bottom of the third round to the top and select Tyler Lockett, a two-time All-American wide receiver from Kansas State. Lockett was a solid receiver as a rookie, but he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors due to his kick and punt return exploits. He had 852 yards and a touchdown on kickoff returns, 379 yards and a score on punt returns and 664 yards receiving and six touchdowns in 2015. Lockett gradually turned into a full-time starter, and he set career-highs with 82 catches and 1,057 yards in 2019. He is well on his way to eclipsing those marks this season. Through 10 games, he is averaging a career-best 74.8 yards per game, and he is tied for second with eight touchdowns.

Harvin had 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown, and he also amassed 495 kickoff return yards in the eight games he played for the Jets in 2014. He was released after the season and signed with the Bills. Harvin was limited to five games because of a knee injury in 2016, and he retired the following April, but he left the possibility for a return. After several Buffalo receivers went down with injuries in 2017, Harvin came back in November and played two games before he began to experience severe migraines. He retired for good after the season.

Assessment: Harvin was a solid player with Minnesota, while his time with both Seattle and New York, was limited by injury and attitude. Rhodes made three Pro Bowls with Minnesota, and he was the reason the Vikings won when this was the only trade under consideration. However, when you combine both Harvin deals, Lockett’s standout rookie season and continually improving play evens things out. PUSH

10. March 10, 2015: 

Seahawks acquired: TE Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft

Saints acquired: C Max Unger and a first-round pick in 2015

This trade between New Orleans and Seattle was finalized six weeks before the 2015 NFL Draft and involved two well-known players. The Saints took Graham in the third round in 2010, and he blossomed into one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Graham made three Pro Bowls during his five seasons with New Orleans, and he was named an All-Pro in 2013 after leading the league with 16 touchdowns. He ranks second in team history with 51 touchdowns, fifth with 386 receptions, and sixth with 4,752 yards. Although he has failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season since leaving New Orleans (he did it twice with the Saints), Graham made two Pro Bowls in three years with the Seahawks. He signed with the Packers in 2018 and had four catches for 59 yards in the 2019 NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers. Graham signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Bears in March 2020. The fourth-round pick was among five sent to the Redskins, which allowed the Seahawks to move up in the third round and draft Tyler Lockett, whose accolades were broken down in the last trade.

New Orleans acquired Unger, an All-American at Oregon who was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro in 2012 with Seattle. Unger was a starter in back-to-back title games, including a 43-8 Seahawks win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. After the trade, he spent four seasons with the Saints, playing in 63 games and making the Pro Bowl in 2018. Unger started for New Orleans in a 2018 NFC Championship Game loss to the Rams, and he retired in March 2019. The Saints used the first-round pick on Stephone Anthony, a linebacker who was a high school All-American and played in college at Clemson. Anthony started all 16 games in 2015, and was selected to the All-Rookie Team after making 112 tackles. He was pushed back to a reserve role the following year and started just four games over the next four seasons. Anthony was traded to the Dolphins and spent two years with Miami. He had tryouts with the Falcons and Jets in 2019 before coming back to the Saints, where he made just one tackle in 12 games. Anthony became a free agent in March and he did not latch onto a new team until the Cardinals signed him to their practice squad in mid-November.

Assessment: Unger was solid for New Orleans, but Anthony was a bit of a disappointment. Graham’s time in Seattle did not match his impressive seasons with the Saints. Originally, the trade that resulted in Seattle drafting Lockett was put into this breakdown. However, since Lockett’s trade was broken down separately, the advantage shifts. SAINTS

All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of profootballreference.com

Next: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Writer

-By: Kevin Rakas