Rounding Up The Seahawks' Draft Picks After All The Trades

With all the trades the Seattle Seahawks have made, it’s been tough to keep track of what picks the team actually still owns. Good thing ESPN.com NFC West blogger Mike Sando is keeping track:

To my knowledge, the Seahawks still have their own picks in the first, second, fifth and seventh rounds. They will receive a fourth- or fifth-round choice from Baltimore for Josh Wilson. They will receive a sixth-round choice from Detroit for Lawrence Jackson and a sixth- or seventh-round choice from Cleveland for Seneca Wallace.

It sure seems like they’ve sent a lot of picks out in all these deals, but in actuality they’re essentially just down the third rounder they sent to San Diego for Charlie Whitehurst. Perhaps they can turn all those late round picks into something more.

Report: Conditional 2012 Draft Pick In Marshawn Lynch Trade Starts As 6th Rounder

Pro Football Talk’s Gregg Rosenthal cleared up what the conditional draft pick traded for Marshawn Lynch will be. The 2012 draft pick starts as a 6th rounder, moving up to a 5th rounder if Lynch meets performance benchmarks. He also notes that if the offensive line can’t get going, it won’t matter that Lynch is in the backfield.

If Seattle can’t fix their offensive line, it won’t matter who is at running back. The Seahawks rank 28th in total offense and 27th in rushing yards-per-game through four weeks.

SB Nation Seattle Commentary: Marshawn Lynch Trade Instant Analysis

Jeff Nusser, of SB Nation Seattle, doled out some instant analysis on the impact of the Marshawn Lynch trade on both the Seahawks and fantasy owners.

I wouldn't bank on him suddenly becoming the feature back. My guess is that he'll essentially split the workload with Forsett -- at least at first -- and immediately take over short-yardage and goal line carries. (So, yes, for those of you looking for the fantasy football impact of the Lynch trade ... I think that's what's most significant.) And the possibility certainly exists that Lynch ends up in the 18- to 20-carry range.

Carroll On Marshawn Lynch Trade: He Can 'Carry The Load' For Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch may not start right away, but it sounds like Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll will rely on the newly-acquired running back in the Hawks ground game. As a power back, Lynch could be the guy Seattle has been desperately searching for since Shawn Alexander fell off a cliff -- a back that can carry 30+ times a game. In his comments to reporters after the trade, Carroll sounded ready to hand that responsibility to Lynch (via Seattle PI reporter Greg Johns).

Wondering how much Lynch will play when he gets to Seattle? The Everett Herald's John Boyle passed along Pete Carroll's comments on that too.

A power back that can carry the load and be used in short-yardage situations? Fantasy owners and Seahawks fans rejoice!

Seahawks Confirm Lynch Trade With Comments From Pete Carroll

Pete Caroll sounds excited about the addition of running back Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks head coach said Lynch should "give us a nice little boost" in a tweet confirming the trade today (via the Seahawks Twitter account).

Carrol also said Lynch should play a lot and is expected to contribute right away (via Seahawks Twitter)

Marshawn Lynch Gives Seahawks Cal Running Tandem

What's the common thread in the Seahawks backfield now that Marshawn Lynch is on-board? The California Golden Bears, of course. Both Justin Forsett and Lynch are Cal alums, sharing the load while playing for the Golden Bears.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that the two are still close friends.

With off-field issues still dogging Lynch, having a close-friend nearby to keep him out of trouble only helps the Seahawks situation. In Seattle, Lynch gets a fresh start after leaving a bad situation in Buffalo.

Florio: Seahawks Got A Steal In Lynch Trade

The Buffalo Bills had been unwilling and unable to trade Marshawn Lynch until now, with word floating around that the price was too high for the 24 year-old running back. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says the Seahawks ended up getting a steal of a deal, losing only a fourth round draft pick and conditional pick.

As recently as Monday, the prevailing word was that, even though Lynch wanted out, the Bills wouldn’t be trading him.

Now they have. And the 2-2 Seahawks have picked up a potentially powerful weapon for their run at the NFC West crown.

Marshawn Lynch Contract: Signed Through 2012 And Cheap

At 24, Marshawn Lynch still has his peak years ahead of him. The good news for the Seahawks is that Lynch is signed through the 2012 season and comes at a cheap price.

950 KJR's Curtis Crabtree posted Lynch's contract details on Twitter.

Not a bad price for a back that's shown flashes of greatness, albeit inconsistently, over the course of his short career. The Seahawks didn't give up much to get him -- only a fourth round and conditional draft pick -- and aren't on the hook for a huge contract. Sure sounds like a win-win for the Hawks.

Edit: FoxSports.com's Adam Caplan is reporting his contract will void after the 2011 season (via Pro Football Talk).

Sando: Seahawks Upgrade Running Game With Lynch

ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando posted some quick analysis of the Marshawn Lynch trade, opining that Lynch should instantly improve the Seahawks’ ground game.

Lynch instantly becomes the most physically gifted runner on the team. He is 24 years old and was a Pro Bowl choice two seasons ago. Expect Lynch to share time with his former college roommate, Justin Forsett, and veteran Leon Washington. Julius Jones, already the odd man out of the rotation, presumably has not place on the roster.

Sando does note the downside to Lynch, however. The talented running back has been in trouble with the law multiple times in his career and does carry some baggage on the west coast. If he can keep his head on straight, the Seahawks may have found a long-term answer in a backfield that clearly needs one.

Schefter: Hawks Were Ready To Announce Lynch Deal Last Week

How close did the Seahawks come to nabbing Marshawn Lynch last week? ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Twitter that the plans were in place and a press release was ready to go before Buffalo backed out at the last second.

Luckily for Seattle, cooler heads prevailed and the trade was finalized this morning. Guess they'll be able to use that press release after all.

Report: Julius Jones Released Following Marshawn Lynch Trade

To clear roster space for Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks have reportedly released running back Julius Jones.

Adam Schefter broke the news of Jones' release on Twitter.

It's no surprise Jones was the odd man out in the Seahawks backfield. After being placed on the inactive list ahead of last weekend's game against the St. Louis Rams, it became clear Jones had fallen out of favor with the team. Today's trade for Lynch, and the release of Jones solidifies that notion.

Schefter: Seahawks Had Thought They Had Deal For Lynch Last Week

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the Seahawks thought they had a deal in place for Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch last week, only to see it fall through before being resurrected today.

Report: Seattle Seahawks Trade For Marshawn Lynch

The Seattle Seahawks have made a trade to acquire Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch moments ago. The Bills have been trying to unload Lynch all year, but the asking price was too steep for most teams. The Seahawks gave up two draft picks, a fourth-rounder in the 2011 draft and an unknown conditional pick in the 2012 draft.

Jay Glazer broke the news on Twitter, calling it a "great pickup" for the Hawks.

Lynch joins a Seahawks backfield that has been downright anemic this year. The running game has been non-existent and the Hawks have been shuffling backs to find the right combination since the season began. Adding a game-breaker in Lynch, Seattle instantly becomes a better running team.