Analysis: 3 Salary Cap-Strapped Teams Who Could Be Trade Partners For Seahawks

After seeing the salary cap plummet to nearly $180 million last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL should see a return to normalcy after the return of fans to stadiums last fall with the cap expected to jump back up to $208.2 million. But after a challenging offseason filled with voided and restructured contracts to stay afloat, that doesn't mean every franchise is out of the woods financially.

With the start of the new league year a little over a month away, per OverTheCap.com, an estimated 11 teams currently are in the red over the NFL's salary cap threshold. Each of those organizations will have to find ways to work under the cap before free agency starts, and while some of them will be able to do that with just an extension or restructure, a few of them face far more dire situations.

Most notably, after kicking the can down the road for several years running, the time has come to pay the piper for the Saints. Hampered by several large contracts and more than $12 million in dead money, they currently sit a remarkable $75 million over the league's salary cap. The Packers aren't in a much better position at an estimated $50 million over the cap, while the Cowboys are nearly $22 million over.

Tough decisions await all three of those franchises and ultimately, each will likely have to part ways with some of their best players to draw even before the start of the new league year. Other teams with ample cap space such as the Seahawks, who currently have $36 million in cap room, could be well-positioned to bargain at the trade table for premium talent at pennies on the dollar. They could also wait for the team to release those players, though that always carries the risk of losing out to another team once they hit the market.

Looking at the aforementioned three franchises currently in salary cap hell, which players may the Seahawks have interest in pursuing via trade to bolster their roster?

New Orleans Saints

Current Cap Estimate: -$75,993,406

Heading towards its first true rebuild since 2006, New Orleans will likely listen on anyone and everyone for the sake of cap relief. Based on Seattle's current needs, defensive end Marcus Davenport may stand out as the most intriguing option. Only 26 years old, the former first-round pick set a new career-high with 9.0 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in just 11 games last season. With just one-year left on his contract, New Orleans may not be able to fetch more than a mid-round pick for him with him being reviewed as a potential one-year rental, but moving him would open up nearly $9 million in cap room. Veteran Cam Jordan might also be available down the road, but the Saints likely won't move him without a post-June 1 designation, as they would be on the hook for a $20 million dead cap charge and only save $1 million before then.

Aside from Davenport and Jordan, former All-Pro cornerback Marshon Lattimore could be dangled as trade bait less than a year after signing a lucrative multi-year extension. Trading him before June 1 would carry a $13 million dead cap charge, but the Saints would also save more than $14 million in cap space. They would likely want at least a second-round pick, so the acquisition cost would likely be much higher than Davenport. If the Seahawks want to inquire, it's possible they would listen on right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, but trading him before June 1 would net a $15 million dead cap charge and only save $7 million.

Running back Alvin Kamara could be shopped as well, though his recent arrest following the Pro Bowl will make it tougher to deal him and open up $5.5 million in cap relief. He could be a candidate for a post-June 1 trade if his legal matters have been addressed by then, which would create $11.5 million in cap space.

Green Bay Packers

Current Cap Estimate: -$50,790,970

Dealing quarterback Aaron Rodgers before June 1 would save the Packers nearly $20 million in cap space, but they'd still need to create an additional $31 million before the new league year. While other teams with first-round picks may inquire about the availability of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who carries a fully-guaranteed $13.294 million salary next season on his fifth-year option, the Seahawks don't have the draft capital to make such a move. Instead, a couple of stalwart defensive linemen stand out as potential targets for John Schneider to pursue from his former employer.

Defensive end Preston Smith, who will be entering the final year of his contract, will turn 30 years old in November and enjoyed a stellar 2021 campaign with 9.0 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. Green Bay would save $12.4 million against the cap by moving him and given his age and contract situation, Seattle may be able to acquire him for a mid-round selection. In the interior, two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark may also be worth calling about after producing 4.0 sacks and 13 quarterback hits last season. Moving him wouldn't provide near the savings for the Packers, however, as a pre-June 1 deal would only save $5 million against the cap.

One other name to potentially keep an eye on? Safety Adrian Amos, who previously played for new Seahawks assistant coach Ed Donatell with the Bears, has been a solid starter in seven NFL seasons and offers positional flexibility. The Packers could move him for a day three pick and save almost $5 million dealing him before June 1, which would provide the Seahawks with a hedge if they lose Quandre Diggs in free agency.

Dallas Cowboys

Current Cap Estimate: -$21,689,88

The Cowboys aren't quite in the same financial peril as the Saints and Packers, but owner Jerry Jones will still have to get creative to get his team back above the cap. They don't have many movable assets that will likely interest the Seahawks, though a few veterans may be worth calling about, including tackle La'el Collins. One of the best run blocking tackles in the NFL, Collins would be an excellent fit in Seattle from an on-field perspective, though his off-field history may deter the team from exploring a deal. The other issue is that Dallas wouldn't save any money trading him without a post-June 1 designation.

Defensively, veteran defensive end Demarcus Lawrence might be available, but the former Pro Bowler has dealt with injuries and hasn't been near as productive since receiving a new contract in 2019. He did record 3.0 sacks and seven quarterback hits in just seven games last season and the Seahawks would only be on the hook for $8 million in 2022 if they traded for him before June 1. The bigger problem would be his massive $29 million cap hit in 2023, which would make his current contract untenable for the organization beyond this year.

Away from Collins and Lawrence, the Seahawks don't need another high-priced receiver, so Amari Cooper should be completely ruled out as a possibility. Tackle Tyron Smith has had an outstanding career, but he's now 32 and has battled various injuries throughout his career, so dealing draft capital for his hefty salary probably wouldn't be a wise investment either.