There is no perfect trade situation for the Seattle Seahawks related to DK Metcalf. The team would lose a valuable and historic player who has played the entirety of his six-year career in Seattle, and the offense would suddenly be short on weapons after entering 2024 with a surplus.
Obviously, whatever the franchise gets in return from a trade package would be the immediate or long-term benefit, depending on the terms of the deal. But the timing of a move would also make a huge difference for the Seahawks.
According to Over The Cap’s cap calculator, the dead money and cap savings the team would incur vary dramatically based on if Metcalf were to be traded before or after June 1.
With bonuses and guaranteed money on Metcalf’s contract — expiring at the end of the 2025 season with three void years tacked onto the end — Seattle would absorb $21 million in dead money by trading him before June 1 while saving just under $10.9 million against the cap. Those cap savings also don’t account for the contract of any player the Seahawks may acquire in a trade.
However, with a post-June 1 trade, Seattle would absorb under $13.9 million in dead money and save $18 million in 2025 cap space. That equates to about a $7 million difference in the available cap.
A major factor in the franchise’s decision-making is the timing of free agency. The nearly $11 million the team would free up with a pre-June 1 trade would still add significantly more wiggle room heading into the start of free agency (March 10) if a deal were to be finalized before then.
That means the dead money hit could be worth it, especially if it allows them to be active in the initial wave of free agency where the team could explore offensive line improvements and work to bring back linebacker Ernest Jones IV.
General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald will have to quickly iron out their priorities if they do opt to deal Metcalf. They may choose to maintain their leverage and attempt to get an extension done with the star wide receiver instead.
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