Seahawks' Top Trade Targets Entering 2021 NFL Offseason

The Seattle Seahawks may have to address a few areas of their offense in the coming months. 

Seattle will be working with a new offensive coordinator and could have new weapons in place to complement Russell Wilson.

One area in which Seattle could improve is tight end, and there is a star at that position who might be available through a trade with one of its NFC foes. 

The NFC West side could also approach the defensive positions on the trade market, where there may be some intriguing veterans in each layer of the defense available for a swap. 

Seattle may want to inquire with the Philadelphia Eagles about the availability of Zach Ertz.

The Eagles will have to revamp their roster a bit under new head coach Nick Sirianni, and Ertz's contract could be one of the deals they get off the books. 

The 30-year-old is due to make $8.2 million in the 2021 season, which may seem like a lot for a tight end coming off an injury-plagued season, but he could be exactly what Seattle's offense needs. 

The tight end only had 335 receiving yards in 2020, but he recorded his two highest single-season totals in 2018 and 2019. 

Seattle needs to add a reliable target across the middle to aid D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the flanks. They both had 1,000-yard seasons in 2020, but the best tight end only had 251 receiving yards. 

If Philadelphia is looking to dump Ertz's contract from its books, Seattle should be able to afford him by dealing a mid-round pick or two. 

At that value, Seattle could come away with a steal compared to what it might have to pay for one of the top free-agent tight ends. 

Geno Atkins fits the same mold as Ertz as a player who did not play much in 2020 and who could be available at a cheaper price for that reason.

The Cincinnati Bengals could look to offload the defensive tackle's contract, which lasts for two more seasons. He is due to make $25 million in those two years. 

Atkins, who has three double-digit sack seasons, could be an upgrade to the Seattle pass rush that has to deal with one of the best sets of divisional talent in the NFL. 

The Seahawks have to contain Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray and the rushing attack of the San Francisco 49ers for six of their 16 games. 

Atkins has 172 quarterback hits, 100 tackles for loss and 75.5 sacks in his career. He had over 10 tackles for loss in six seasons. 

If the Seahawks are willing to take on most of Atkins' contract, they may not have to pay a massive price in return to the Bengals. 

If Atkins returns to his pre-injury form, he could give the Seahawks the best chance to answer what the Los Angeles Rams have in Aaron Donald on the interior. 

The Seahawks face an important offseason for their secondary. 

Seattle could sign Jamal Adams to a long-term deal, and it must figure out what to do with free agents Quinton Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin. 

If the Seahawks are unable to re-sign the pair of cornerbacks, they could look to another trade for a safety to improve their defensive backfield. 

Harrison Smith is entering the last year of his contract with the Minnesota Vikings, which could decrease his trade value.

Smith, who has a base salary of $9.85 million in 2021, is not worth a first-round pick like Adams, but he may be worth a mid-round selection for Minnesota to collect a bit of draft value from his expiring deal. 

If the trade price is right, the Seahawks could use Smith on one-year rental, or look to land him on a multi-year deal next offseason.

A potential Smith-Adams pairing would be one of the best in the NFL, and it could help Seattle's defense deal with the threats posed by DeAndre Hopkins, Deebo Samuel, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and other talented wideouts in the NFC West. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.

Contract information obtained from Spotrac.