The latest on the status of DK Metcalf is reported by Dianna Russini. (0:35) The Seattle Seahawks aren't going to trade DK Metcalf this off-season. General manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll both said the same thing before they dealt Russell Wilson to the Broncos. The highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history was just seen, and it was a free agent next year. Will he be able to make the same amount of money? In the final year of his contract, Metcalf will make over $3 million. He has 3,170 receiving yards and 29 touchdown since Seattle drafted him in the second round. While there has been no indication that the Seahawks want to trade him, his contract situation and the franchise's philosophy of exploring every possible move suggests that Seattle will at least listen to offers. That is what we are doing here. We asked our reporters to be the general managers of the teams they cover and make realistic trade offers for Metcalf. We asked reporters to only make offers if their teams have interest in him and have the cap space to sign him. We presented seven offers to Brady Henderson, who then evaluated them based on what he thought the Seattle front office would do. Which teams made offers for Metcalf, and what they got in return? Is Seattle ready to move on? The market started with why the team could move on and ended with a verdict. Jump to an offer:
Browns | Chiefs | Eagles
Falcons | Jets | Packers | Saints The team is in transition. They have the salary-cap space to give a megadeal to Metcalf and will be in better shape next year when Wilson's contract comes off their books. Being able to afford the deal doesn't mean they'd be willing to pay the kind of money that Metcalf could command now that the wide receiver market has skyrocketed The recent mega deals for Hill and Davante Adams, which average $30 million and $28 million, were talked about by Schneider. If the Seahawks give a similar deal to Metcalf, they would be paying two big money to play in an offense that they prefer not to be centered around the passing game. They may want to lean more on the run. There is a strong case for Seattle to pay to keep Metcalf. He has finished with at least 900 yards in three of the last four seasons. He might be the best player on the team, and he is the best draft pick in the past six years. The type of player the Seahawks should be rebuilding around is a young and talented star who should still be in his prime by the time they get back to contention. One of these offers needs to blow them away or they should not even consider it. The Eagles would trade their third and fifth-round picks. The Eagles might only be in Metcalf at a certain risk level, according to the modest offer here. The neck injury that ended his final season at Ole Miss kept them from drafting him, even though they rated him as a top-15 prospect. They will not give up a first-round pick to get him. The Philadelphia Eagles tried to trade for Calvin Ridley earlier in the year and made a run at Christian Kirk in free agency, but they would not have had the impact they wanted. The Eagles have a great 1-2 punch at receiver with DeVonta Smith and DeVonta's brother, Metcalf, with new acquisition, Watkins, filling the third and fourth roles. Reagor, a 2020 first-round pick who has 64 catches in two seasons, could be moved to get a fresh start. In his second season as the full-time starter, Jalen Hurts would have all the targets he could ask for. Jake Trotter made a proposal that the Cleveland would trade a second-round pick and a quarterback. Inside the offer, the Browns need to unload him and packaging him with a second-round pick might entice Seattle. The Cleveland Indians traded away their first-round pick in the 2020 draft to acquire Deshaun Watson, so that they could keep their top pick this year. The pick could be added to the trove for a potential rebuild by the Seahawks. The type of offense he wants to run could make Seattle a good landing spot for him. The best chance for him to start is with the Seahawks. The front-line receiving duo of Metcalf and Cooper would be imposing. They are looking for a second wideout, but landing Metcalf would give them two options. Domonique Foxworth believes that Baker Mayfield will start for an NFL team in 2022. The Falcons would get two second- and fifth-round picks, along with a fourth-round pick. After the Matt Ryan era ended in March, the Falcons desperately need wide receivers, and young talent, as they begin to rebuild. They would keep the No. 8 overall pick and get another premier starter, even though this deal would take away some capital. The type of fast, big-bodied receiver that coach Arthur Smith likes would be a perfect fit for the Falcons if they were to add Metcalf. It would be a challenge for any team to stop the combination of tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Chris Metcalf. The extension would likely have to be part of the deal, but it could also mean that the two of them would be a dynamic duo for the next half-decade. Smith would be able to work with another flexible player as he tries to build his offense. The Chiefs would trade their first and third-round picks. The Chiefs no longer have a No. 1 wide receiver after trading Tyreek Hill. They have two picks in each of the first four rounds and could afford to part with them. It makes no sense to trade Hill for a huge package of picks because he wants a massive contract extension and then give away most of those picks for another receiver who wants an extension. The Chiefs should have kept Hill and given him the extension he wanted. They could be in the Metcalf sweepstakes because he would make them better. The top four wide receivers in Kansas City would be Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Terry Metcalf. The team would have more depth with the addition of Metcalf. The Packers would trade their first- and fourth-round picks for the Packers. The Packers have two first-round picks and need to replace Davante Adams fast. They know how hard it is for a rookies to make an immediate impact with a quarterback as precise and demanding as Rodgers. Green Bay needs someone to take the top off of coverages, and Matt LaFleur said that he would be a perfect fit. McShay and Kiper have the same rank.
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Why Seattle could trade -- or keep -- Metcalf
Our trade offers for Metcalf
Philadelphia Eagles
Cleveland Browns
Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs
Green Bay Packers
It would mean that the Packers used a first-round pick on a receiver. Since 2002, they haven't drafted a receiver in the first round. It could be the perfect spot for Metcalf, going from top-line quarterback in Russell Wilson to one of the best in Rodgers.
The Packers do not have a No. 1 wideout. They don't really have a No. 2. Their salary cap is the biggest issue. They have about 15 million in cap space. The cap number of $3,986,000 wouldn't be an issue, except for the fact that he's going to want a new deal that will pay him more than $20 million per year.
Mike Triplett offered the Saints two first- and third-round picks.
New Orleans made an aggressive move to add a second first-round pick in a trade with the Eagles. The Saints would use that to fill their most glaring need for a premium pass catcher. The offense finished last in the league in passing yards. The Saints need to add at least one more premier pass-catcher via trade, free agency or the draft, as they have receiver Michael Thomas and quarterback Jameis Winston returning from major injuries.
The Saints have room for a second receiver, as well as other wideouts, including Deonte Harty. The salary cap is an issue for the Saints, but we know they are willing to stretch it for the right player. Spending this much on Metcalf would make it harder for them to fill needs at safety and offensive tackle, but those are not as pressing.
Adding Metcalf would make the offense a bit of a mystery. Pete Carmichael Jr. has adapted his offensive identity over the years based on personnel.
The Jets would trade their first- and third-round picks for the 10th and 69th picks.
Why would the Jets allow themselves to be fleeced after fleeingcing the Seahawks, if they could ask for the Jamal Adams deal? The Jets have two first- and two second-round picks, but they could easily draft a top receiver at No. 4 or 10. It makes no sense to give up the fort for someone who is so good. The trade value chart shows that the proposal exceeds what they offered the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill.
The Jets need a receiver. They need a difference-maker to help accelerate the development of the quarterback. Brandon Marshall had a 1,000-yard receiver.
The Jets still have a first-round pick and two second-round picks if this deal goes through. The importance of those picks would be increased if the team was capped out. His arrival would make the future of Mims clouded. If he is the third-best wideout, the $13.7 million cap charge will not be fine for now.
In theory, the top three receivers would be Metcalf, Moore and Davis, with Moore capable of playing inside and outside. The slot can be shared by Braxton Berrios. After the first round, they could add another receiver.
This wasn't as easy of a decision as I initially thought it would be, with one offer piquing my interest upon closer inspection. If I were Schneider and Carroll, I would consider anything less than two first-round picks or something of equivalent value.
Adams had another year left on his deal, but he plays a more valuable position. I think they would view something in the neighborhood of two firsts as the minimum for Metcalf. The Seahawks don't have to trade him.
The offers from the Falcons and Eagles were not close to that starting point. Hard pass on both of them. Schneider's junk folder held the email of Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman.
Even with Mayfield, the offer was a nonstarter. The Seahawks are looking for a long-term replacement for Wilson, and they have found one in Baker Mayfield. The team wants to give Lock a one-year trial run to see if he is worthy of long-term consideration.
The problem with the Cleveland trade scenario is that acquiring Mayfield via a trade would mean he would inherit his guaranteed salary in 2022, which is nearly $19 million. That is a reasonable price for a quarterback who has proved to at least be starting caliber, and whose struggles in 2021 could be partly attributed to a shoulder injury. Seattle would probably not want to acquire him at that price because it would effectively lock him in as its quarterback for this season, throwing its best chance of getting a true evaluation of Lock out the window. A second-round pick in next year's draft isn't nearly enough to offset the issue of Mayfield's salary.
The Jets had the best offer with a first-round pick. It looks better the more you look at it.
According to the Jimmy Johnson and Rich Hill trade value charts, the combined point total for pick Nos. 10 and 69 is roughly the same as a mid-first-round pick this year and another mid-first-round pick in 2023. The general rule of thumb is that picks lose one round of value for every year they are pushed out.
If they were compared only to picks in this year's draft, Nos. 10 and 69 would be roughly equal in value. The Jets made a strong offer even if it didn&t include two first-round picks.
I don't think it's enough for the Seahawks. Metcalf is promising to give up for that return, but he is too good. He is too well-liked by Seattle fans and that has to be a consideration for Schneider and Carroll since they just moved on from two of the best players in franchise history. Another gut punch to the 12s would be the loss of their most exciting player.
What should the Seahawks do? It will be difficult to get a deal done with Metcalf, given where the market has gone, but they will take their chances. Their M.O. has been to wait until the summer for these types of extensions, but it might be in their best interest to move quickly given that three other receivers from the 2019 draft are also eligible for big-money deals. If those deals get done before his, he could command more money than them. It might give him incentive to wait.
Brown and Samuel are also represented by the agent of Metcalf. There is a good relationship between the Seahawks and Dandy. That doesn't mean they will see eye-to-eye on a number. They could revisit the trade possibility later in the year.
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