With WR market exploding, should Seahawks trade DK Metcalf?

The Seahawks may have uncertainty at the quarterback position, but the opposite is true at wide receiver.

Or is it?

Heaps: How blockbuster WR trade impacts Seahawks, DK Metcalf

While Seattle has Pro Bowler DK Metcalf and three-time 1,000-yard receiver Tyler Lockett both under contract, the wide receiver market has exploded this offseason.

First was the Packers sending Davante Adams to the Raiders last week for first- and second-round picks this year, and Las Vegas immediately signed Adams to a new five-year, $141.25 million deal with Las Vegas. That was just the beginning as Kansas City dealt Tyreek Hill to Miami on Wednesday for five picks – a first, second and fourth this year, and two later-round picks in 2023 – and the Dolphins followed up with a four-year, $130 million deal for Hill.

The 29-year-old Lockett is probably staying put as he’s signed through 2025, but Metcalf’s situation has a lot more in common with Adams and Hill. He’s supremely talented, is still just 24 and has only one year left on his rookie deal. It’s long been suspected that the Seahawks would give him a big extension before the 2022 season, but with the market for receivers blowing up – both in terms of trade value and the amount of money superstars at the position are commanding – does Seattle need to give strong consideration to possible trading him?

During this week’s ‘What If’ Wednesday segment on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, the two co-hosts, Bob Stelton and former Seahawks linebacker Dave Wyman, discussed with former Seahawks wide receiver Michael Bumpus. Here’s a look at what they had to say.

Should the Seahawks extend DK Metcalf or cash in on his trade value?

• Bob Stelton: “You’re looking at a season where maybe he’s not going to be used at that level he otherwise would be with a premier quarterback. Do you move him if you’re the Seahawks? Do you think, ‘Man, can we afford to pay him $24 (million) a year on average?’ What do you do?”

• Michael Bumpus: “I say you have to keep him. We talked about, OK, what makes Seattle attractive now that Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner are gone? It’s guys like DK Metcalf, it’s guys like (safety) Quandre Diggs, it’s guys like (linebacker) Jordyn Brooks. Like, your young talent has to be the reason why guys want to come play here. And then say you have to go out and get a veteran quarterback; that veteran’s gonna want to throw to a DK Metcalf type of dude. I think you have to pay somebody.

“You paid (safety Jamal Adams), you paid Diggs. You weren’t willing to pay Russell Wilson $50 million eventually. … DK Metcalf is probably the most talented receiver in Seahawks history. Not the best receiver – you got (Steve) Largent and all these other dudes – but physically, he’s the most talented receiver. Are you willing to let that go? It’s almost like you can plug in any quarterback and you’re going to have a chance to be successful because of what he brings to the table. I think especially with (recent Seahawks addition) Drew Lock, if you want to keep any type of faith in this organization with a Drew Lock at quarterback, you got to sign No. 14.”

• Dave Wyman: “I mean, $30 million (a year) for receivers now – it’s just crazy, but we might as well get used to it because the salary cap’s gonna continue to go up because the NFL is king. They’re making billions of dollars. … (Paying a wide receiver) is kind of like paying a pitcher (in baseball). I feel like there’s a lot of things that can go wrong, and I’ve always said there’s so much that has to happen in order for a receiver to catch a ball. I mean, you have to have blocking, you have to have other routes run, you gotta have the quarterback putting the ball on the money.”

You can listen to the full conversation in the final segment of the podcast at this link or in the player below from Wednesday’s edition of Wyman and Bob.

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