Trading Block

by: Michael Steffes

As the draft approaches its seems more and more reports are coming out about players being on the trading block. This is something I could see the Hawks being interested in, depending on the price of course.

If the Hawks want to win now -- which is what the goal is every year according to Tim Ruskell -- then it is possible the Hawks could part with later round picks for some more established NFL players, especially ones that fit the Seahawks profile.

One of the these players is Alex Smith. According to this report from the National Football Post, the Bucs are trying to trade Smith. Smith is a 26 year old tight end out of Stanford who has never quite lived up to being the explosive threat Tampa hoped. He has shown value in the red zone, and is equally proficient at blocking in the run game. In essence, he would be a good complement to John Carlson because the team could plug him in and not give away its offensive intentions.

What is Tampa asking for him? That is the question. But as we saw with Darrel Jackson, when Saturday passes and a player hasn't been dealt, sometimes teams part with players for less than they would have prior to then. Smith is a good candidate to experience this fate. And since the Hawks are looking at TEs in the second day, maybe this is something that works.

As for the Buffalo safety also mentioned in this report, not so much. He is near infamous in Buffalo for his comments outside a bar while being arrested for disorderly conduct. He reportedly verbally abused officers and was heard yelling "I'm Ko Simpson! I'm Worth Millions!" Thus, he probably doesn't pique the Seahawks' interest. END