Seahawks' trading may amount to nothing
You have to admit that the Seahawks caused an uproar just as the NFL reached cut-down day.
The league mandated that each team had to slice squad numbers from 90 to the regular-season limit of 53 by Saturday.
Rather than just go through the routine of placing a crop of players on waivers and a few more on the injured reserve list, the Hawks embarked on a flurry of trades — one of which became national news.
The whole thing was a bit bizarre.
There were cornerbacks moving both in and out, and after the smoke cleared, fans discovered that all-purpose defensive back DeAndre Elliott broke his ankle in Seattle’s final exhibition game ... and will miss the entire season.
The trading spree became crazy enough that the Seahawks dealt next year’s seventh-round draft choice to New England on Friday — then got it back as part of another trade with the Pats on Saturday.
I SUPPOSE we have to address the headline swap right up front.
Seattle traded effective and popular wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to the New York Jets for Sheldon Richardson, a beast of a defensive tackle who figures to step straight into the Seahawks’ front four.
Richardson could make an already frightening defense even better, but it’s not quite a cinch.
The Jets were actively trying to unload Richardson and his $8 million salary, partly because he’ll be a free agent after this season — but also because he was considered a bad actor who caused disruption in the locker room.
Yep, I know what you’re thinking: A loud character who wants to holler at coaches and teammates should fit right into the Seahawks’ ongoing family feud.
Maybe it’ll work.
Certainly the Hawks’ resident disruptor, cornerback Richard Sherman, is in mid-season form. He’s already gone on Twitter to rip his bosses for releasing receiver Kasen Williams, a well-liked veteran who had what appeared to be an outstanding preseason.
Sherman implied that another team would grab Williams immediately, and he was right: Cleveland claimed Williams straight off the waiver wire.
So, obviously ...
If Richard is angry, it’s business as usual in Seattle.
The point, I guess, is that the sometimes-moody Richardson will be joining a roster where he’s just another problem child.
The Seahawks have plenty of them, and Coach Pete Carroll doesn’t seem to mind — as long as everyone plays well between arguments.
THE TRUTH, however, is that this burst of five trades in two days likely will have no effect on the Seahawks’ fate in 2017.
Everything, absolutely everything, depends on Russell Wilson staying upright.
If Wilson gets seriously hurt (and he suffered two minor injuries last year), the Hawks are dead.
Carroll went out of his way to praise backup QB Austin Davis for throwing a few completions in the fourth quarter against Oakland’s reserve defense, but he’s not fooling anyone.
Davis has never been a long-term answer for anyone, and Seattle’s defense — good as it is — probably would have to pitch shutouts to keep the Seahawks in a playoff race.
Interestingly, one of the last-minute trades involved an offensive lineman. Isaiah Battle, a tackle who has been around the league but never played a snap in the regular season, was plucked from Kansas City for a conditional draft choice.
Battle actually may get to butt helmets in Seattle, where the O-line charged with protecting Wilson is in chaos.
With left tackle George Fant already out for the year, the entire group has been playing musical positions.
Remember these names: Rees Odhiambo, Luke Joeckel, Justin Britt, Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi.
That’s the interior line that must keep Wilson healthy.
Do you suppose Carroll has asked Sheldon Richardson about the last time he played offense?
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Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. Reach Steve at: scameron@cdapress.com.