The NFL offseason has started to heat up. The Scouting Combine has come and gone, as has the franchise tag deadline, which saw just two players get tagged (the fewest the league’s ever seen). We’ve already seen the Washington Commanders trade a fifth rounder for Deebo Samuel, while the Chicago Bears made two aggressive moves to bolster the interior of their offensive line in front of Caleb Williams, as they’ll reportedly send a fourth rounder to Kansas City for Joe Thuney and a sixth rounder to Los Angeles for Jonah Jackson.
Those moves got the ball rolling on transactions, and in a year without a ton of top names on the free agency market, teams looking for major upgrades will likely have to do so via trade. That’s particularly the case at wide receiver, which is always a position teams are looking to improve, but with Tee Higgins getting tagged in Cincinnati, there aren’t any real No. 1 options out there to sign. That doesn’t mean top guys won’t be available (as evidenced by Samuel’s trade), and on Wednesday word broke that DK Metcalf has requested a trade from the Seahawks, per Adam Schefter.
Metcalf is seeking a move to a contender, per Schefter, but the Seahawks will be most focused on getting a solid return for the two-time Pro Bowler. Metcalf has been consistent in his six seasons in Seattle, never finishing below 900 receiving yards in any one season. His best year came in 2020 when he was a second-team All-Pro with 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he’s never quite returned to that peak. Metcalf’s combination of size and speed is unbelievable, but it’s also never quite fully materialized into the consistent dominance his abilities suggest of his full potential.
Metcalf is entering the last year of his contract, and this trade request would suggest the Seahawks weren’t willing to give him top-end money in their conversations of late. With few big names available, there should be some teams with interest in Metcalf to try and upgrade their receiving corps, but his looming contract situation will have to factor into which teams get involved in talks.
