On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks did something they rarely do. General manager John Schneider forgot about the trenches and traded for a superstar in tight end Jimmy Graham, sending center Max Unger and a first-round pick to the New Orleans Saints. Seattle also received a fourth-round pick in the deal.
Many see the Seahawks getting Graham, the biggest name in the trade, and believe they won. The reality is, Seattle gave up a massively important player in Unger to acquire a pass-catching tight end who can’t block. The Seahawks are a running team with Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson in the backfield. While Graham is dynamic, the loss of Unger outweighs the gains made.
Seattle is down two starting offensive linemen this offseason after James Carpenter left via free agency and Unger was dealt away. The line was already suspect, made infinitely worse by these moves. Schneider must fill the gaps in free agency, because his first pick won’t come until the end of the first round.
There is also a fair question in how productive Graham will be outside of the Superdome and away from Drew Brees. In New Orleans, Graham was constantly targeted in mostly perfect conditions. With the Seahawks, Graham will play second fiddle to Lynch while dealing with the elements. Last year, Graham caught 85 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. What are the chances Graham repeats those numbers, or even approaches them in Seattle’s system?
The Saints walk away the winner here, even if hot takes across the media landscape disagree. General manager Mickey Loomis has done an awful job with the cap, but he gets relief by trading Graham, a terrific center to rebuild his line with, and an invaluable first-round pick.
