NFL analyst says Ravens should pursue trade for young Seahawks’ pass-rusher

In his first season at the helm of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald led the team to a 10-7 record. It wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs, but the team endured a rollercoaster year to finish with the same record as the NFC West champion Rams.

Macdonald spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens before taking over the Seahawks. John Harbaugh’s club has won the AFC North two straight years, and in 2023 finished with the best record in league. Dating back to 2018, the Ravens have reached the playoffs six of the last seven seasons.

Speaking of the postseason, that’s exactly the path Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report took in terms of proposing trades for a few “contenders.” Despite finishing second in the league with 54 sacks in 2024, he feels that there are concerns defensively.

“Baltimore largely focused on its offensive cast in the early offseason, re-signing Ronnie Stanley, Ben Cleveland and Patrick Ricard and adding DeAndre Hopkins. At some point, it should address a defense that ranked 31st in passing yards allowed. Adding a young pass-rusher to the equation would be wise. Kyle Van Noy led Baltimore in sacks last season but is 34 and will be a free agent in 2026. With $6.3 million in cap space, the Ravens should probably consider edge-rushers on rookie deals.

Mafe vs. Dolphins — Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) sacks Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson (19) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

“Seattle Seahawks pass-rusher Boye Mafe would be a very logical target for the Ravens. He's entering a contract year, is only 26 years old and is coming off of a six-sack season. Mafe could be an extension candidate for the Seahawks, but they just added DeMarcus Lawrence to an edge rotation that also features Leonard Williams and Derick Hall. Schematically, Mafe should immediately mesh with what Baltimore does defensively. He logged eight tackles for loss and 21 quarterback pressures last season while playing under former Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.”

Here’s the real question. What would Seahawks’ general manager John Schneider be looking for in terms of compensation? The Ravens have 11 picks in April’s draft, including a pair in the fourth round, and four selections in Round 6. The Seahawks aren’t hurting for picks themselves (10), so if a deal does go down, perhaps a Ravens’ player could be involved as well.

Let the guessing game begin.

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