3 possible trades that make sense for Ravens this offseason
By Billy Kosko
Orlando Brown Jr. for Tyler Lockett?
It is no secret that Quarterback Russell Wilson is frustrated with the lack of protection his offensive line provided him in 2020. Last season, Wilson was sacked 47 times, which was the third-most in the NFL.
Russell Wilson is doing his job as a Quarterback. I mean, he started last season looking on pace to be the MVP. He ended the season with 40 touchdowns and 4,212 passing yards on a 68.8% completion rate.
According to Over the Cap, the Seattle Seahawks have $1.4 million in cap space. The Seahawks also only have three picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Not a single one of those three picks is a first-rounder either. They have a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick. They traded their fifth-round pick to acquire Gabe Jackson from the Las Vegas Raiders.
While that may help out a little bit on the offensive line, that move is not going to satisfy Russell Wilson. And it shouldn’t. So, how exactly can the Seahawks satisfy Russell Wilson?
They can trade for a young, franchise left tackle Well, how are they going to do that without using draft picks? I mean, it’s highly unlikely that they will trade one of their three draft picks in 2021. However, they do have a player that the Ravens may want. Yes, the Ravens would probably love to bring Tyler Lockett to Baltimore.
But don’t the Seahawks a great left tackle in Duane Brown? Brown is great, but he is getting old and has had health concerns. The Seahawks could push him to the right because he has experience there (plus he is on the last year of his contract). Then, they would have their left tackle of the future in Orlando Brown Jr.
Trading Tyler Lockett to Baltimore would also free up $12.7 million in cap space for the Seahawks, which could be vital. The Seahawks already have their number one wide receiver in D.K. Metcalf. They also brought in Gerald Everett, tight end, to help out in the passing game. This would be a smart move for both teams.
Over the last three years, Lockett has hauled in 239 receptions for 3,076 yards and 28 touchdowns, with an average catch percentage of 77% on 312 targets. Two of those seasons were 1,000-yard seasons, only missing that number by 35 yards in 2018.
Lockett would be a number one wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. They could also extend him as part of the trade to lower his $13 million cap hit this year. As far as potential and realistic Ravens trades this offseason goes, this one has to be one of the top trades possible.