Seattle Seahawks edge rusher named trade target for serious Super Bowl contender

The Seattle Seahawks have a bunch of players up for new contracts this coming offseason - and odds are they won't find the room to pay all of them. That means we could see some really talented Seattle players on the trade block later this year, depending on how the season goes.

If that's the way things go, one name to watch is outside linebacker Boye Mafe, who has oodles of potential but is also part of the Seahawks' deepest position group after adding long-time veteran DeMarcus Lawrence to the top of the rotation. If Mafe ends up on the trade block one potential trade partner that makes sense is the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who lost Brandon Graham to retirement and Josh Sweat to free agency.

According to Aiden Kauffman at Athlon Sports, that's where Mafe could fit in.

"Enter Boye Mafe, a 26-year-old pass rusher from Seattle who represents exactly the type of value acquisition that has defined Philadelphia's championship-building approach... This is precisely the type of player Vic Fangio knows how to maximize. Mafe's 6-foot-4, 261-pound frame gives him the versatility to rush from multiple alignments, and unlike the disappointment that was Bryce Huff's $51 million experiment, Mafe comes with a manageable price tag and a proven track record of improvement."

While they have a superb interior group for the moment, Philly's edge rush may be led by Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith, which probably isn't enough to get them back to the big dance.

As far as a timeline goes, the trade deadline is probably the best chance for a deal to go down. If the Seahawks wait until the season is over they risk losing Mafe as a free agent without getting anything in return.

So, they should explore this and other potential trades (like Riq Woolen) around midseason. If it looks like they have a real shot at a deep playoff run they should keep Mafe around - but if an embarrassing Wild Card round bounce still appears to be the ceiling then they should get what they can for Mafe - hopefully at least a fourth-round pick.

More Seahawks on SI stories