Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen was mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this season, and Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline confirms that the 2022 fifth-round pick could be on his way out of Seattle.
Woolen is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He has been a full-time starter for the Seahawks since his dazzling debut season with a league-high six interceptions on his way to a Pro Bowl nod and a third-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He was not as dominant in 2023, but still played very well, and his performance did not take a noticeable dip under new head coach Mike Macdonald in 2024.
However, Woolen has struggled in his five starts this season, allowing catches on 66.7% of his targets and 9.1 yards per target, both career-worsts. He was reportedly facing a role reduction heading into October, but it never materialized. Woolen played almost every snap for the Seahawks defense in their first five games until a concussion knocked him out of the game in Week 5. He remained sidelined in Week 6, when veteran Shaquill Griffin started in his place.
Based on reports about his availability, it seems like Seattle is not planning to re-sign Woolen and will instead see what they can get for him on the trade market. It would still be a somewhat surprising move for a 4-2 team with playoff aspirations to part ways with a starting-caliber cornerback. Even if Macdonald wants to de-emphasize the former UTSA standout, Woolen is still an excellent insurance policy in case of injuries, which have already been a constant problem in Seattle this year.
Still, if the Seahawks put Woolen on the trade block, the Raiders are expected to come calling, per Pauline. Las Vegas needs a cornerback, and head coach Pete Carroll is plenty familiar with Woolen after drafting and developing him in 2022 and 2023.
Pauline also mentions Seattle’s interest in Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, but such a player-for-player swap seems far-fetched. The Dolphins are expected to be sellers ahead of the deadline, but Achane is a foundational piece of Mike McDaniel‘s offense who is under contract through 2026. Reports have generally indicated that the Dolphins will be patient with McDaniel this season, but he is still on the hot seat. If he is coaching for his job, he will not want to move such an important offensive weapon, especially with Tyreek Hill already gone for the year.