SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seahawks trade for veteran Bengals pass rusher Carlos Dunlap

Oct 28, 2020, 9:26 AM | Updated: 3:27 pm

Seahawks Carlos Dunlap...

Carlos Dunlap joins the Seahawks' defense, which has struggled with its pass rush. (Getty)

(Getty)

The Seahawks are getting their pass-rush help in the form of a trade for two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap.

710 reaction to Seahawks’ tradeHeaps: What Dunlap brings to the table

Seattle sends offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Dunlap.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the deal was in the works on Wednesday morning. The Bengals confirmed the trade in the afternoon.

The 31-year-old Dunlap, a second-round draft pick of the Bengals in 2010 out of Florida, made the Pro Bowl in both 2015 and 2016. He has 82.5 career sacks, including at least 7.5 in each of the past seven seasons, but has just one sack in seven games (four starts) this season.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Dunlap was known to be unhappy with a diminished role in a pass-rush rotation this season with the Bengals, going so far as to tweet that his house in the Cincinnati area was for sale after a loss to the Browns on Sunday.

Pass rush has been a problem for multiple seasons now in Seattle. The Seahawks had just 28 sacks in 2019, which tied for second-fewest in the NFL, and they are on pace for even less (24) this year with just nine sacks through six games in 2020. One sign of how bad it’s been: Jamal Adams, who plays safety, is tied for the team lead with two sacks this season, and he hasn’t played since Week 3 due to a groin injury.

Finney, meanwhile, was a free-agent signing that didn’t seem to be a fit with Seattle. He has not played a single offensive snap for the Seahawks since signing with the team on a two-year, $7.5 million deal in the offseason. He was expected to be the pick to be the starting center after coming to Seattle from Pittsburgh but lost the battle for the position in training camp to Ethan Pocic.

Including Finney in the deal helps Seattle in two ways. First, the Seahawks get to move on from a signing that didn’t pan out like they were hoping. And second, it clears up needed salary cap space to bring in Dunlap, who carries a cap hit of nearly $4.9 million this year (per Spotrac).

While Dunlap may officially be a member of the Seahawks, it would be at least another week until he could make his debut for Seattle due to the NFL’s COVID-19 intake testing protocols.

Here’s a look at Dunlap from 710Sports.com’s Brandon Gustafson’s piece about potential trade targets for the Seahawks’ pass rush that was published on Tuesday:

Dunlap, 31, has one sack this year and has played fewer and fewer snaps as the weeks have gone on. He’s also been vocal about wanting out of Cincinnati, which has a young, rebuilding team.

Dunlap has 82.5 career sacks, including nine last season. The issue with the veteran defensive end is his contract, as he is signed through 2021 and has a base salary of $10.5 million next year (the deal is worth up to $13.5 million).

The Seahawks can make that work for next year, but it may be tricky to get Dunlap on board this season with the Seahawks having just over $3 million available in cap space, per OverTheCap.

Follow Brent Stecker on Twitter.

Seahawks Football 101: Promising plays by top pick Jordyn Brooks

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Jackson Powers-Johnson...

Brandon Gustafson

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profiles: ‘The best center’ in the 2024 class

If the Seattle Seahawks want to boost their offensive line, Brock Huard wouldn't mind if they draft Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

8 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Payton Wilson...

Brandon Gustafson

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: ‘Twitched up’ LB fills a need

Next up in Brock Huard's Seattle Seahawks draft profiles is a very intriguing defender in North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson.

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks Sam Howell...

Brandon Gustafson

New Seahawks QB Sam Howell describes trade, his role and more

The Seattle Seahawks have a new QB in Sam Howell, and he joined Brock & Salk on Wednesday to describe the trade that sent him to the Hawks.

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith quarterback...

Stacy Rost

Are Seahawks really not Super Bowl contenders because of QB?

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt said the Seattle Seahawks "don't have the requisite quarterback play" to be a Super Bowl contender. Is he right?

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks draft profile Bralen Trice UW Huskies...

Brent Stecker

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Pros, cons of UW DE Bralen Trice

For Day 2 of Brock Huard's Seattle Seahawks draft profiles, the former UW Huskies quarterback when with a name from his alma mater: defensive end Bralen Trice.

2 days ago

Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith...

Brandon Gustafson

FOX Sports’ Klatt: Seahawks’ quarterbacks ‘are not the answer’

"They don't have the requisite quarterback play to do that," FOX's Joel Klatt said of the Seattle Seahawks being a Super Bowl contender.

3 days ago

Seahawks trade for veteran Bengals pass rusher Carlos Dunlap