The Seattle Seahawks somehow got the Houston Texans to trade Jadeveon Clowney to them for two backup linebackers and a 3rd-round draft pick in 2020. This is arguably the biggest, and most one-sided, trade of the NFL offseason – if we can even call the weekend before the regular season starts as the offseason.

If you follow the NFL at all on social media, you know that Texans fans are furious over this trade, and they have a right to be. They got fleeced, and they know it.

The Seahawks front office executed a brilliant trade. They gave up two backup linebackers (Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin), one of which they were going to cut anyway (Mingo), and a 3rd round draft pick in 2020, in exchange for Clowney.

Also, they somehow got the Texans to pay Clowney $7 million of the $16 million he’s under contract to make in 2019. So the Seahawks only take a $9 million hit to their salary cap for the year. If Clowney ends up working out, the Seahawks agreed not to franchise tag him again next season, but if he signs with another team next season (since this is the last year of his contract), the Seahawks get a compensatory 3rd-round pick in the 2021 draft under NFL rules. They’ll get their 3rd-round pick back they gave up in the trade. So they gave up almost nothing for Clowney. John Schneider should get some sort of medal for what he pulled off.

The only thing that worries me about the Clowney trade is the fact that, in the Pete Carroll era, their track record with splash players from other teams has been spotty.

Duane Brown and Jadeveon Clowney. Thanks Houston!

Percy Harvin was hurt most of the time he was with the Seahawks. He had the memorable kickoff return in the Super Bowl, but he didn’t live up to expectations. Jimmy Graham was a good tight-end for the Seahawks, but wasn’t the dominant force he was with the Saints. Sheldon Richardson was out of shape, and didn’t come close to what he was with the Jets. He went to Minnesota after one year.

So now the Seahawks have another splash player in Jadeveon Clowney. He’ll be the first overall number one draft pick to ever put on the blue and green.

Hopefully, the difference with Clowney is that: one, he reportedly is in great shape and very ready to step in and play right now. Two, he pretty much hand-picked the Seahawks as the team he wants to play for. Hopefully, that means he wants to win, and will be a positive force on the field, and in the locker room. And three, his old teammate from Houston, Duane Brown, is already a Seahawk (who is a splash player that did work out). So he’ll have a familiar face in Seattle to help acclimate him to his new team.

If Clowney works out, the Seahawks front seven will be:

Bobby Wagner
K.J. Wright
Mychal Kendricks
Poona Ford
Jarran Reed (after he comes back from his six-game suspension)
Ziggy Asnah
Jadeveon Clowney

That doesn’t count rookie defensive end L.J. Collier who the team is expecting big things from. That’s impressive, but let’s see how well they play together.

We won’t have to wait long to find out. The NFL regular season starts on Thursday. The Seahawks play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at the Clink.

GO HAWKS!!!