Outside of Lofa Tatupu, the big Seattle Seahawks news of the day is the report indicating Osi Umenyiora may want to be traded to Seattle. Umenyiora has been one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, helping anchor a New York Giants defensive line that's been a terror on opposing offenses in the pass. The Seahawks, and many teams, could use a pass rusher like Umenyiora.
But it's going to cost them. According to reports, the Giants want a first-round draft pick for Umenyiora if they're going to part ways with him. He's clearly unhappy, and considered a hold-out before relenting, making it at least plausible that he's moved sometime before the season. Even with Umenyiora publicly lobbying for a trade, the Giants hold leverage, and will naturally look to maximize value in any deal.
Will it actually cost a first-round? It's unlikely. Instead, the Giants are setting the bar high first and may relent if negotiations get serious. This is how trades and negotiations work, in the NFL and elsewhere. One side sets the bar high, the other sets it low and the actual deal falls somewhere in the middle. In this case, it would probably take a second-round pick to pry him away from New York, or some kind of similar package.
Would the Seahawks pull the trigger and add Umenyiora? I don't doubt John Schneider and Pete Carroll would love to have him in a Seahawks uniform. But the price has to be right. From observing free agency, I get the feeling the Seahawks are looking to hang onto 2012 draft picks and build the team by adding young talent. If the Seahawks ever were in on the Kevin Kolb sweepstakes, they were unwilling to part with a first-round pick, and the same can likely be said about Carson Palmer, at least at present. And no, I don't buy the Bengals flat refusing to trade him; It can be done with the right price.
The first-round pick in 2012 is important for the Seahawks, serving as a bridge to the future. No, this isn't a "Suck for Luck" endorsement -- and I don't buy into that either, for many of the reasons Rob Staton wrote about. But there are multiple top-flight, potential franchise quarterbacks available in the 2012 draft and the class does have some seem to have some depth. If we've learned anything this week, it's that the Seahawks are looking to get younger, building a nucleus around talent entering its prime.
While Umenyiora would have an immediate impact on the Seahawks and could serve as an anchor on the defensive side of the ball, I don't think Seattle will sell-out, so to speak, to acquire him. If Schneider does want to chase him, any deal will come if he's able to talk the Giants down and keep early-round draft picks. A deal could happen, but it's going to take some creativity from the Seattle front office, and even then Umenyiora's contract situation has to be cleared up along the way -- he's looking for a raise, the Giants seem to be unwilling to restructure his contract.
Be excited about the prospect of Umenyiora in Seattle -- though we're still in the rumor stage -- but temper the excitement with reality. There's still quite a few moving parts and a price-tag that has to come down significantly for a trade to make sense.
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