The Seattle Seahawks could inject rocket fuel into a sputtering ground game by landing Saquon Barkley, and Cody Williams of FanSided has laid out a package that would make the idea realistic for a team still eyeing another deep playoff run.
The proposal centers on the Seahawks sending a 2026 third-round pick, a 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to Philadelphia, with room to include a player if the Eagles pushed for more.
That structure sits below the compensation the 49ers paid for Christian McCaffrey in 2022—a second-, third- and fourth-rounder in 2023 plus a 2024 fifth—largely because Barkley is 29.
Seattle’s need is immediate. Through five weeks the Seahawks rank near the bottom of the league in rushing efficiency, posting an Expected Points Added of -0.26 per rush that ties them with the Raiders and trails only the Packers at -0.34.
Those numbers have left the offense leaning harder on the pass than it did during last season’s Super Bowl march, when balance helped control games.
Sam Darnold has improved from the turnover-heavy stretches earlier in his career, yet Williams noted he is still not the type of quarterback a contender can ask to throw the ball all over the field every week without risk.
Barkley would arrive as both a between-the-tackles runner and a reliable option out of the backfield, the kind of dual threat that could ease pressure on Darnold and open the field for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the rest of the receiving corps.
Zach Charbonnet and rookie Jadarian Price are expected back at some point, but neither offers the same proven, high-end production the Seahawks could use while the defense continues to keep them in contention.
The opportunity exists in part because the Eagles sit at 2-3 after a 19-17 loss in London, a game Barkley missed with a hamstring injury. Philadelphia’s offensive line has been reshaped by Lane Johnson’s retirement and the trade of Cam Jurgens, and the team has yet to separate itself in a weak NFC East.
Ian Rapoport has reported that the Eagles are navigating roster and cap decisions around Johnson, adding to the sense that the organization is sorting through its near-term direction.
Barkley’s deal runs through 2028 with a roughly $9.9 million cap hit this season, so a trade would return picks while creating future flexibility for Philadelphia.
For Seattle, the cost is draft capital the team can afford to spend while it remains in a win-now posture. A healthy Barkley would give the Seahawks a proven back who has already produced at an elite level, something the current run game has not shown consistently.
Whether Philadelphia answers the phone is the open question, but Williams framed the call as one the Seahawks should make while their defense keeps them in the race.
