How The Seahawks Can Keep Up With The Rams After The Myles Garrett Trade

Over a hundred years ago, Pop Momand wrote a gag-a-day comic strip titled Keeping Up with the Joneses. The comic was about…well, exactly that, a family struggling to match the lifestyle of their neighbors. Very few people remember the comic, but most people know of the idiom that it spawned. And I can’t help but think about that idiom right now.

The Balance Of Power Tilts

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Based on comments made by some members of the Rams in the months since the NFC Championship game (which was, effectively, the Super Bowl), this occurrence came as a complete shock to them, as if they believed that they just needed to show up at Lumen and the victory would be theirs.

Is Burns movable for a Giants team with too many pass rushers? — New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) celebrates after breaking up a pass during a week 9 game. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Rams responded to this by making major additions to their roster. They traded for and then paid Trent McDuffie, and then signed Jaylen Watson, two Kansas City cornerbacks that should be significantly better than what they had last year. And now, they’ve upgraded their edge rusher position by swapping Jared Verse for Myles Garrett.

In summary, the Rams believed they were the Joneses, were quite shocked to find out that they had been surpassed and the Seahawks were now the Joneses, and then took extreme measures in the offseason to keep up, and then surpass the Seahawks and become the Joneses again. So, I ask, what can the Seahawks do to keep up in return?

It’s June, so the options are somewhat limited. And unless you believe you can pull one over on the rest of the league, it’s going to be expensive. Perhaps expensive in a way that the team is not comfortable doing. But, right now, a big swing might be what it takes to match the Rams’ roster, which currently looks a good deal better than the Seahawks’ one.

Not my favorite, but not unreasonable. — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt (90) defends a pass against the Baltimore Ravens. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Maxx Crosby

The obvious one, as we’ve spent plenty of time in the last several months discussing it already. We know the contract is tradeable, and we know the Raiders are (or at least very recently were) willing to part with him. We even have some idea of what the compensation might be. Crosby would be the most obvious piece that would elevate this roster significantly.

Brian Burns

Not as obviously tradeable due to his contract, but there’s usually a way to make these things happen if the two teams desire it enough. The Giants have a logjam at edge, and if no one is biting on Thibodeaux, this makes some sense, as his acquisition predates Harbaugh. His 16.5 sacks in 2025 mark him as a superstar who could fill a big hole on this squad.

You wanna match Myles? You gotta spend big. — Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9, bottom) during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

T.J. Watt

This is where things get risky, although in this case that risk should come with significantly less trade capital going back the other way. Watt is about to turn 32, has a history of injuries that are at least slightly concerning, and is coming off a somewhat forgettable season of 7 sacks in 14 games. But he’s still quite good, and there’s a world where he’s still much more than that.

There are plenty of other options, but they’re much more economical and unlikely to really move the needle. If you want a chance of having a roster that stacks up to what the Rams now have, it’s going to take a move like these three to make it happen.

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