The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line looks a little different after acquiring Quenton Nelson in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stated that Nelson will be the team's new left guard , while second-year pro Grey Zabel will slide in at right guard. This leaves Anthony Bradford as the odd man out, but the Seahawks still feel strongly about their long-time starter that has now been demoted.
"It's not an easy situation," Macdonald said via the team's website. "I thought Anthony played really good football for us and he has, and he's earned a significant role on our team, a starting-level role. And so it's one of those 'through not around' type of things with AB (Anthony Bradford) that is not easy. So really no way to sugarcoat it. And I think he believes us when we say this is how much we love him as teammates.
"The guys love him in the locker room. He's a fantastic teammate. We don't expect him to be jumping for joy in the situation because that's not realistic, but he's going to be a great teammate and he's going to stay ready and we know how this league works. I mean, you're a play away from him playing every play again. So it's not an easy situation, but he's a tough cookie and the guys will have his back as well."
With the trade deadline approaching on Nov. 10, it might be in Seattle's best interest to explore a possible deal to send Bradford to a new home as he gets ready to be a free agent this offseason.
Seattle Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bradford has gone through ups and downs as the team's starting right guard over the years. He was viewed as the unit's weak link last season, but he was still the starter when the team won the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks could have negotiated an extension at some point during the offseason, but they opted not to. It is widely expected that he will play for a different team in 2027. The Seahawks could do right by Bradford by sending him to a new team that is in need of a starting right guard now, so he can audition for a team with more of an opportunity going into next season.
Seattle values depth, so that is the argument for keeping Bradford: he could step right in if needed at multiple positions along the offensive line. Seattle doesn't gain a whole lot from trading Bradford because they could possibly get a compensatory pick in 2028 should Bradford leave in free agency.
A trade now would just get the Seahawks a pick maybe a year earlier, but Seattle also has a boatload of picks coming due to the volume and quality of players that left in free agency during the spring.
I can't see the Seahawks trading Bradford unless he requested a deal himself. The team will likely want to keep him around for depth because that is more valuable than the late-round pick they would get to add to their pretty full cupboard of future selections.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/seahawks/onsi as Why Seahawks Should (and Shouldn't) Trade Anthony Bradford .
