John Schneider tell Rich Eisen why the Seahawks traded DK Metcalf to Steelers

While it doesn't entire absolve the front office, the fact that Metcalf did not want to be there anymore is a pretty significant factor. Not only was Metcalf asking for a trade this offseason - we recently learned that DK had been asking to be traded for a long time. That had to come as a blow to Seahawks fans, who may have liked Metcalf more than any other player in the post-Legion of Boom era.

No matter what they may have thought of him personally, it's tough to argue that Seattle hasn't taken a step down at a critical position.

That being said, we thoroughly disagree with the common narrative that the Seahawks have taken a really, really big step down as opposed to a modest one. For one thing,Cooper Kupp has performed better - even having been injured the last three years - than anyone is giving him credit for - and if he can stay healthy most of the season Kupp is going to finish at or very near the top of the WR2 pool in production this season.

The Seahawks also have a really capable number one guy in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, whose name has rarely been spoken in the midst of all the tectonic shifts the passing personnel has gone through this offseason. Despite being part of an offense with a pretty low ceiling JSN is coming off a Pro Bowl year, having posted 100 catches, over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.

That's a really strong 1-2 punch at wide receiver. If the Seahawks can get one of the other wideouts - be it Jake Bobo, Tory Horton, Marquez Valdez-Scantling or somebody else - to contribute consistently it would go a long way towards proving this dire WR dropoff narrative wrong.

We should probably also mention that the Seahawks scored an awesome pass-catching threat in the draft with Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo. When you include him in the mix it's not hard to argue that the WR/TE group overall is actually better now than last year, accounting for the significant decline we saw from Tyler Lockett. Arroyo doesn't have to be 2017 Jimmy Graham, but if he can put up somewhere around 500 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie it should erase whatever margin Seattle lost in the Metcalf trade.

Arroyo can definitely get that done in theory - in practice we have to keep coming back to the elephant in the room. Will Sam Darnold have enough time to target Arroyo and the rest of the WR corps vertically? If not, none of this conversation matters.