Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) catches a pass against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Expert names Riq Woolen first among NFL players most likely to get traded

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 11:06 AM ET

The NFL trade deadline is now just five days away, and some analysts are anticipating a flurry of deals, potentially making this the busiest trade deadline in league history.

When it comes to the Seattle Seahawks, all signs point to them moving their insanely athletic but underperforming Pro Bowl cornerback, Riq Woolen. Earlier this week we learned from ESPN that the Seahawks have been looking to deal Woolen for some time.

Now, we have Woolen coming in at the very top of a list of NFL players who are likely to get traded from Vinnie Iyer at The Sporting News.

TSN on Riq Woolen

"Woolen is a big corner having more coverage issues but still has good value inside at 6-4, 205 pounds. The pending free agent at 26 is expendable behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe. TheEagles are considering him as an outside option."

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

It's a terrible shame that it's come to this, because Woolen has a higher ceiling than any cornerback in the NFL right now thanks to his physical gifts.

However, he simply hasn't been able to play at a consistently high level and has made a habit of disappearing in the most high-leverage moments. That trend combined with Woolen's somewhat mismatched skillset for Seattle's zone-heavy scheme make him a good trade candidate.

More importantly, the Seahawks have to try to get something for Woolen now, because if they can't find a buyer before Tuesday's deadline then he is almost certainly going to leave and sign with another team in free agency next year - and Seattle will have gotten nothing for one of their best assets.

When we first learned that the Seahawks were shopping Woolen, we listed several teams who needed help at cornerback - among them Pete Carroll's Raiders.

We know a lot more about those teams now that we're halfway through the season - and it follows that teams who need cornerback help are unlikely to be in the position to be buyers at the trade deadline. It would certainly be absurd for the 2-5 Raiders to be, in any case.

The only team that really makes a lot of sense - both in needing a cornerback and still being in contention - is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks also have a long history of making deals with the Eagles' front office.

Howie Roseman drives a hard bargain, though - as we learned from the painful Michael Bennett deal. If they can't find another buyer by 1:00 Pacific time they may have to unload Woolen for no more than a sixth-round pick from the Eagles.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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