Is the Richardson trade worth the price if only 1 season?

[DJrmb]

Isn't the pick a 3rd if we don't re-sign him?

I remember this being reported. I don't know if it's been confirmed but originally it was reported as a conditional 2/3 and supposedly the condition was whether or not we signed him long term.

Either way I think this was an excellent deal for the Seahawks. At worst you got a 1 year rental on an elite DT talent for an extra WR and trading down from a low 2nd round pick to a 3rd. At best you have an elite level DT for the next few years and one of the best defensive lines in football. The one thing that could throw a monkey wrench into it all is a season ending injury, because you'd have a huge hole to fill and it would surely effect his free agency next year maybe causing you to not get that 3rd round comp pick...

 

[RCATES]

Great Trade. People forget Kearse 2.2mil this year and 5mil next year. He has declined rapidly and was no longer Wilson's go to like in years past. SR is a every 10 year stud defensive 3-tech DT coming in on a contract year. He will ball out and will likely get paid 15-18mil a year to play elsewhere. Meanwhile we'll get a high 3rd round pick in return. Jets received Kearse and his salary and a very low 2nd round draft pick. The 3rd we'll get for SR will likely only be 15-20 spots lower. So for around 5.8mil difference between the two for this year when Kearse was likely to be cut anyways I'll take this deal in a heartbeat. And for us its likely Malik will be back next year so we'll still have a dominant presence in the middle after SR leaves. Hawks D really only had one weakness. Interior D-Line pass rush. Those days are now gone. Super excited to watch this D play this year.

 

[Jville]

I look at it as a try out for someone they think has a shot at becoming a league super star in Seattle's changing defensive scheme. It is a rare low risk high reward opportunity ..... well worth seizing. Well done.

 

[kidhawk]

Great Trade. People forget Kearse 2.2mil this year and 5mil next year. He has declined rapidly and was no longer Wilson's go to like in years past. SR is a every 10 year stud defensive 3-tech DT coming in on a contract year. He will ball out and will likely get paid 15-18mil a year to play elsewhere. Meanwhile we'll get a high 3rd round pick in return. Jets received Kearse and his salary and a very low 2nd round draft pick. The 3rd we'll get for SR will likely only be 15-20 spots lower. So for around 5.8mil difference between the two for this year when Kearse was likely to be cut anyways I'll take this deal in a heartbeat. And for us its likely Malik will be back next year so we'll still have a dominant presence in the middle after SR leaves. Hawks D really only had one weakness. Interior D-Line pass rush. Those days are now gone. Super excited to watch this D play this year.

Comp picks come after all the regular round picks have been used, so third round comp picks would start at pick 97...even if we win the Super Bowl our 2nd round pick would be 64, that's 33 picks different at a minimum. a far cry from 15-20

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Great Trade. People forget Kearse 2.2mil this year and 5mil next year. He has declined rapidly and was no longer Wilson's go to like in years past. SR is a every 10 year stud defensive 3-tech DT coming in on a contract year. He will ball out and will likely get paid 15-18mil a year to play elsewhere. Meanwhile we'll get a high 3rd round pick in return. Jets received Kearse and his salary and a very low 2nd round draft pick. The 3rd we'll get for SR will likely only be 15-20 spots lower. So for around 5.8mil difference between the two for this year when Kearse was likely to be cut anyways I'll take this deal in a heartbeat. And for us its likely Malik will be back next year so we'll still have a dominant presence in the middle after SR leaves. Hawks D really only had one weakness. Interior D-Line pass rush. Those days are now gone. Super excited to watch this D play this year.

Comp picks come after all the regular round picks have been used, so third round comp picks would start at pick 97...even if we win the Super Bowl our 2nd round pick would be 64, that's 33 picks different at a minimum. a far cry from 15-20

Thanks for clearing this up kidhawk.

But IMO even without the compensatory pick I would have pulled the trigger on this trade. How often do you get a chance to get a player of Richardson's talent, that isn't coming off a major injury, or is 34 years old.

We just got a top 10 DT (top 3 hardest positions to find elite talent, along with QB and LT) in his prime for a dime a dozen mediocre WR. I'd make this trade 100 out of 100 times.

 

[kidhawk]

Thanks for clearing this up kidhawk.

But IMO even without the compensatory pick I would have pulled the trigger on this trade. How often do you get a chance to get a player of Richardson's talent, that isn't coming off a major injury, or is 34 years old.

We just got a top 10 DT (top 3 hardest positions to find elite talent, along with QB and LT) in his prime for a dime a dozen mediocre WR. I'd make this trade 100 out of 100 times.

100% agreed. This is they type of deal that puts our defense over the top. We can make up for a lesser CB opposite Sherman when we have a guy like ET out there covering ground. We can stop the run with the linebackers and Kam out there, but to be able to add even more pressure to the quarterbacks is something that makes every part of our defense better, and considering how good they already were, this is a no brainer. When people ask me "don't you think a 2nd rounder is kind of high?" I just say that I'd take a guy with his talent in the 1st round, so why not give up a 2nd rounder to get his talent on our team?

 

[Popeyejones]

Comp picks come after all the regular round picks have been used, so third round comp picks would start at pick 97...even if we win the Super Bowl our 2nd round pick would be 64, that's 33 picks different at a minimum. a far cry from 15-20

True.

And remember also that the 2nd round pick is for 2018 and the hypothetical comp pick is awarded in 2019.

By standard NFL accounting 1 year into the future = one round in the draft.

So, if you want to talk about the difference in picks while also accounting for the pick being another year out in the future, under the hypothetical that the Seahawks get a 3rd round comp for him you'd be talking about swapping pick 64 in 2018 for the equivalent of Richardson + pick 128 in 2018 (and then the flips of the 7th, for that you need to use a more robust value chart)

 

[Sports Hernia]

Absolutely worth it, cause even if he leaves we get a compensatory 3rd rounder.

I actually think we're going to resign Richardson, especially if he plays like everyone thinks he's going to play on this defense. But that means we better get ready to see one or even two big names cut next off season. Avril, KJ, even Sherman might not get that 2nd big contract..........which would free up more than enough to keep Richardson.

Sherm ain't going nowhere, like it or not.

 

[StoneCold]

Worth it and salivating at the thought of resigning him and the return of a healthy Malik.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Absolutely worth it, cause even if he leaves we get a compensatory 3rd rounder.

I actually think we're going to resign Richardson, especially if he plays like everyone thinks he's going to play on this defense. But that means we better get ready to see one or even two big names cut next off season. Avril, KJ, even Sherman might not get that 2nd big contract..........which would free up more than enough to keep Richardson.

Sherm ain't going nowhere, like it or not.

He is if he's a pain in the ass for another season.

 

[mikeak]

1) There was no other realistic deal out there. Season starts this week. It was this or go with what we had. We had issues pressuring the QB. Our defense requires pressure to make the secondary shine. This was as much about need as anything (need from the perspective of being a super bowl contender)

2) I heard it is a second or third with conditions. Anyone else hear that? If so could be tied to resigning him / or just playing time not sure

3) Cost is also spending $6 M which came from reworking Baldwins contract. Now starts the game with the salary cap which no matter how skilled you are mortgages the future

I am for the deal but there is always cost - think it was worth it

 

[Overseasfan]

Next season we'll see if the Hawks can keep him and if not what we'll get in return. Over the course of the season we'll see if losing Kearse and a 2nd was worth it.

But right now I'm just very excited about this season. The defense looks so extremely good right now. This version might even be better than the 2013 D. The O looks solid too and if the O-line holds up then a second SB is in reach.

 

[Rat]

Comp picks aren't as simple as: good player leaves - NFL grants comp pick. They're awarded for net losses; the FA signings we make factor into it.

 

[HawkGA]

If the Seahawks could trade a second round draft pick every year for a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl, then absolutely.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

From what I've observed in pictures from TC this week is that he is out of shape gasping for air.

Can you substantiate this or separate it from other players who also just got done with a practice and would likely be gasping too?

 

[HawkFan72]

It's Kearse and a 2nd round pick for 1 year of Sheldon and a 3rd rounder. Sounds good to me.

 

[Seymour]

If the Seahawks could trade a second round draft pick every year for a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl, then absolutely.

We have entered no no territory with this contract to "borrow" Dougs salary cap$$ to push down the road. Schnieder has always avoided that in contracts, and it allows us to make moves without making next year more difficult (in debt).

To sign him long term, someone will need to go, so not knowing who that is it is easier to answer YES right now.

My question to you is, did you not think we had a legit shot at a Super Bowl before the trade?

 

[Bigpumpkin]

From what I've observed in pictures from TC this week is that he is out of shape gasping for air.

Can you substantiate this or separate it from other players who also just got done with a practice and would likely be gasping too?

Sure....when I see a single player squatting down and the rest of the players around him standing up ( saw it on .com), then I have reason to believe that he is worn down. However, it appeared that when he played in Pre-season, he performed up to par. Hey....should he get a sack this Sunday.....I'll take it all back!

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

I wouldn't simply dismiss the possibility that Seattle resigns Richardson.

Seattle as a franchise does a good job of modeling their roster. Both for the immediate season and for the next two seasons.

Remember, Avril and Bennett are getting on in age. Bennett is now 31 and will be 32 this season. Avril is 31 and will be 32 come draft day next year.

Now that's not 'too' old. These players still have years left to contribute. But it is getting on in years. When we added Frank Clark, I immediately felt like he was going to be Avril's replacement once Cliff's contract expires. And two years into his career, that seems even more likely.

Richardson is now 26 and will be 27 this season. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Richardson is the succession plan for Bennett. We've seen it in a microcosm with the cuts and trades Seattle made this year. When we deep dive into these moves, there is an indelible, overarching theme: Club control. The guys we let go were all either UFAs in 2018 -- or guys with contracts set to be 2018 cap casualties.

And this move also echoes what we've seen Seattle pursue as far as UFA signees or trades. Getting guys in their 25-27 years of age. Players with 4-5 prime seasons ahead of them. We've paid handsomely for them (contract, draft picks or both). And we've also conspicuously not pursued players who generally don't fit this age criteria. About the only one we have pursued outside this range has been TJ Lang this year. But even then he was 29. And an offensive lineman who generally play well into their early thirties.

The point is, I see this deal today and I'm immediately thinking that Seattle is looking two years ahead already. Avril's deal goes through 2018. But if Seattle were to release him, it'd only invoke 500k in dead money. Granting 7.5M in cap space.

That move alone could be allocated to Sheldon in 2018. Putting Seattle in the 15M+ range. That would not preclude Seattle from extending Clark in 2018 -- but would require some back ending of that contract to make the cap value square.

Richardson is the kind of player (interior pass rusher) and age that we've seen Seattle pursue and retain. If Sheldon plays in such a fashion to warrant an 18M contract -- I'm not even convinced Seattle wouldn't be the one to pay it.

Look at the guys we've added. Delano Hill is Kam's mirror (although Kam is singularly unique). Griffin is being groomed to be Sherman's replacement. There is no hope to replace Thomas. But Thomas is 28. Won't be 29 until next offseason.

Seattle is a team already in transition. It's very early yet. And there is no assurance these moves this year will be sufficient. But the moves themselves already belie the long term strategy of the club. We're in it for the now. But these moves also dovetail nicely into a long term strategy where today's foundation players eventually need replacing.

EDIT: It should be noted too, that Malik McDowell was the kind of player to echo this thinking. He is physically a mirror to Bennett too. So it's not even unlikely that Seattle was going into this draft thinking about life after Bennett.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

To sign him long term, someone will need to go, so not knowing who that is it is easier to answer YES right now.

Of course, and there will be plenty of high value contracts to choose from if we need to cut someone to free up the cap space. Avril, Bennett, KJ, Sherman, don't resign Graham, etc.

My question to you is, did you not think we had a legit shot at a Super Bowl before the trade?

I did, but now our odds are even better with Richardson........and Vegas agrees cause our odds went up to 8 to 1 after the trade.