Patriots OLB Matt Judon tries to recruit Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf again

For an encore, Seattle fans have been treated to an obnoxious level of trade rumors regarding the top remaining athlete on the roster.

It’s been a brutal offseason for Seahawks fans, who have seen their team take a bigger step backwards than any other in the NFL. They have already endured their franchise quarterback getting traded to a former division rival and the best defender in the organization’s history getting unceremoniously released. For an encore, Seattle fans have been treated to an obnoxious level of trade rumors regarding the top remaining athlete on the roster.

Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is now the biggest name on the team and their most-important asset. He’s also entering the final year of his rookie contract, which puts him in position to cash in on a new deal somewhere in the $25 million per year range. That’s brought on a lot of speculation that Metcalf could be dealt, especially after the Seahawks got rid of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.

A lot of players around the league would love to team up with Metcalf, as well. One of the most vocal fans of his game has been Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon, who’s already been called out by Quandre Diggs for trying to recruit Metcalf on Twitter.

Judon isn’t giving up, though. The New England defender tried again a couple days ago while in Metcalf’s mentions.

It began with No. 14 sharing his affinity for Avengers: Endgame.

Judon jumped in with an invitation to watch it together while he judges him.

If you can’t cry when Natasha sacrificies herself for the soul stone or when the Black Panther comes out of the portal then there’s something wrong with you, but that’s a story for another day.

Anyway, Metcalf was amused by the idea.

Every team can use a playmaker like Metcalf, even ones starting game managers at quarterback like Mac Jones. That said, he doesn’t seem like a great fit for the Patriots, who have never invested serious resources at wide receiver under Bill Belichick – especially not the kind it would require to trade for a star like Metcalf.

Under no circumstances should the Seahawks actually send him away to another team this offseason. Given his age and projected production, it’s virtually impossible to get equal value in any deal.

That said, the only scenario we might consider is sending Metcalf to the Jaguars for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Predictably, Jacksonville fans have been all over this scenario, insulting as their proposed trade packages are.

On some levels it makes sense. The Jaguars already got their franchise QB at No. 1 last year in Trevor Lawrence. They also have a solid left tackle in Cam Robinson, checking the boxes for the type of players that usually get picked that early. James Robinson and Travis Etienne also gives them a great RB room. They did sign Arizona’s Christian Kirk in free agency but could still use a true WR1.

Jacksonville got a front-row seat for what Metcalf can do last year. In Seattle’s dominant win over the Jaguars on Halloween No. 14 went off for two touchdowns with backup QB Geno Smith throwing him the ball.

Seattle would be better off keeping him, but Metcalf might just be worth the No. 1 overall pick straight up. Doing this deal would ensure that the Seahawks get their preferred quarterback – likely Liberty’s Malik Willis, whose game resembles Russell Wilson’s. Then, they could turn their attention to replacing Metcalf with the No. 9 overall pick, which would be a good place to target Arkansas’ Treylon Burks. While he’s not the same level of athlete as Metcalf he has a similar build and profile.

In a best-case scenario Willis and Burks could effectively replace Wilson and Metcalf the next several years while costing around $50 million+ less per season total. That would enable Pete Carroll to splurge on his defense and bring it back up to an elite level, hopefully while also making a big investment in the offensive line via free agency.

All that being said, the Seahawks should keep Metcalf. Period. The only thing that’s stopping him from becoming the greatest wide receiver in football is his own maturity level – something Metcalf has admitted that he needs to work on. If he makes that leap, he could pass Davante Adams within two years.

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