After finishing in the bottom half of the league against the pass during the 2023 season, the Seattle Seahawks took a positive step forward in that area in 2024 in the first year under head coach Mike MacDonald.
Having a pass-rush that finished in the top 10 in sacks certainly helped, but the play of Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon was huge, also, en route to Seattle finishing with the No. 11 pass defense.
If the Seahawks want to improve again in 2025, they could use a different option on the boundary opposite Woolen.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wants to see the Seahawks call up the Baltimore Ravens and pull off a blockbuster trade for cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
The trade proposal from Ballentine sees the Seahawks surrendering a 2025 third-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick for Humphrey and a 2025 fifth-rounder.
“This deal would require the Seahawks to make some moves to get into a better cap situation, but the idea of Macdonald bringing in one of his former Ravens to complete this secondary was too good to pass up,” Ballentine wrote. “The Seahawks have a good duo with Witherspoon in the slot and Riq Woolen on the outside. Adding Marlon Humphrey to the mix gives them one of the best trios in the league.
“The Seahawks took a huge step forward on defense in Macdonald’s first season,” he added. “But that was really going from one of the league’s worst defenses to the middle of the pack. Taking another leap in 2025 will come down to what kind of personnel moves they make. This one solidifies a crucial position group.”
As Ballentine points out, the Seahawks first have to get their financial house in order before doing anything. Per Over the Cap, Seattle is $13.4 million over the cap going into the offseason, so it’s going to take a lot to fit Humphrey’s $97 million contract that has a cap hit of $25 million in 2025.
If the Seahawks can get that done, adding Humphrey makes sense. Humphrey is already familiar with MacDonald’s system from their days together in Baltimore, and he would give Seattle an elite trio with Witherspoon and Woolen while also adding a ton of experience to the defense.
But, as we know, it takes two to tango, so would this deal make sense for the Ravens?
Baltimore struggled mightily against the pass in 2024, even with Humphrey on the field. It would be tough to sell trading away the best player in the cornerbacks room when the unit already needs help.
However, the Ravens are also strapped for cash, with a projected $5.9 million to work with. That leaves the door slightly ajar for Baltimore to part with the four-time Pro Bowler this offseason.