3 potential trade partners for Panthers OLB Shaq Thompson
By Dean Jones
Seattle Seahawks
If new general manager Scott Fitterer wants to find a willing trade partner for Shaq Thompson, then he might want to look at his former employer. The Seattle Seahawks could be set to lose both K.J. Wright and Bruce Irvin in free agency, so their need for additional help at outside linebacker is glaring, to say the least.
Seattle’s once feared legion of boom defense is long gone and some significant improvements are needed across the board if they want to go deeper into the postseason next time around. There is also the concerning matter of quarterback Russell Wilson’s unhappiness to deal with, although the Carolina Panthers were not on his preferred list of destinations if the team did decide to trade their franchise player.
Thompson isn’t perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination.
But he does have a lot of traits that would go down extremely well with the culture built in Seattle by head coach Pete Carroll.
Just what the Panthers want in return for the player is going to play a big factor. The Seahawks don’t have a first-round selection after trading for Jamal Adams last season, so they might not be willing to give up further draft capital for Thompson unless the franchise was getting a good deal.