49ers' NFC West rivals show their hand with major trade
The San Francisco 49ers look likely to face an unexpected challenge for the NFC West title after their third successive defeat dropped them to second place, and the Seattle Seahawks are clearly intent on making the fight for first place as difficult as possible. Ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, the Seahawks agreed a deal with […]
The San Francisco 49ers look likely to face an unexpected challenge for the NFC West title after their third successive defeat dropped them to second place, and the Seattle Seahawks are clearly intent on making the fight for first place as difficult as possible.
Ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, the Seahawks agreed a deal with the New York Giants to acquire defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
The Seahawks, per multiple reports, will send a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder to the Giants in exchange for Williams.
He adds to a Seahawks defense that has hit its stride in recent weeks. Seattle is ninth in Expected Points Added per play on defense. Since Week 3, the Seahawks are third in the same metric.
Seattle's pass rush ranks 15th in the NFL with a pressure rate of 21.1 percent, per Pro Football Reference, but the Seahawks' 26 sacks are the fifth-most in the league and eight more than the 49ers have managed in 2023.
The Seahawks will hope Williams can help improve the consistency of their pass rush, while his addition to Seattle's interior defensive line rotation theoretically increases the odds of an ascending defense being able to take advantage of a San Francisco interior offensive line that has suffered a decline in recent weeks.
Williams has already enjoyed some success in that regard this season, registering four pressures in the Week 3 matchup between the Giants and the Niners that San Francisco won 30-12.
In a larger sense, this aggressive move is a signal the Seahawks sense an opportunity to take advantage of the 49ers' recent slump and put themselves in a better position to contend by winning the division.
Time will tell if the Seahawks' assessment of their roster as one being ready to legitimately contend proves accurate, but they have made it clear to the 49ers that they are serious about dethroning them in the division. Given the issues the Niners have on the defensive side of the ball, it would be a surprise if they didn't respond with a high-profile trade of their own before the deadline.
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