Field Gulls
In a season that has brought praise to head coach Mike Macdonald’s emerging defense, one player on that side of the ball has faced much controversy: Riq Woolen.
The artist (player) formerly known as Tariq hasn’t had his best year, experiencing ups and downs, and leads the team in penalties committed. Some of these factors have led to trade speculation swirling around him ahead with the trade deadline less than three weeks away (11/4).
Whether you are for or against a Woolen trade this year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had a trade idea that we can all dislike in harmony.
Barnwell’s insane trade idea:
Eagles get: CB Riq Woolen, 2026 fifth-round pick
Seahawks get: CB Kelee Ringo, 2026 fourth-round pick
Here is a snippet of Barnwell’s reasoning for Seattle:
“The Seahawks would get some draft capital and their own developmental prospect in Ringo, who hasn’t been able to regularly crack the starting lineup in Philadelphia. Ringo has one extra year of team control, and he would slot in as a reserve cornerback when star Devon Witherspoon is healthy. The Seahawks would also lock in some draft capital, which wouldn’t be guaranteed if they let Woolen leave in free agency. They might see this move as addition by subtraction, frankly.”
First of all, Kelee Ringo has been bad. We all saw him get roasted by the New York Giants in primetime. Can we agree that this trade makes no sense from a Seahawks perspective?
After seeing some unsteady play against Jacksonville by backup corner Shaquill Griffin (and previous shaky play by Nehemiah Pritchett), getting Woolen back healthy for Week 7 would feel like a gift. Even so, it feels like Griffin, and maybe Derion Kendrick on the outside would still be better options over Ringo.
If Woolen is eventually traded based on his impending end of contract, the Seahawks would surely hope for a better return than a late-round pick upgrade and another struggling CB. This trade would give pause even if Seattle didn’t have to give up a pick just for a fourth round shot in the dark. For those that would point out Ringo’s slightly higher PFF grade when compared to Woolen, let’s remember two things:
1.) Riq is a starter, while Kelee is a backup with almost half the snaps and sample size of Woolen.
2.) Riq also has a Pro Bowl on his resume and a few latent intangibles that can be leveraged in the right situations.
Mr. Barnwell can leave this idea where he found it, as Seattle would figure to have no interest in it. This Seattle team is not fodder to fortify the flailing defending champs… the Seahawks have shown major promise and may yet make some noise in the NFC. They are not looking towards next year and will need depth and talent to make a run at things for the 2025 playoffs.
