Will they or won't they? Loads of rumors have been bandied about by NFL talking heads and analysts that the Seattle Seahawks will trade cornerback Riq Woolen. A move sort of makes sense, but at the same time, not.
Woolen is capable of greatness in terms of coverage. He is inconsistent in that facet, but when he is on a good streak, few corners are better. He doesn't help very much in run support, and his attitude tends to be mercurial, but cornerbacks get paid good money to be great at blanketing receivers.
And we can throw out the false narrative that Riq Woolen is seeing fewer snaps and is in Mike Macdonald's doghouse. That isn't the case. He played on 92.5 percent of defensive snaps or more through the first four games, but then suffered a concussion during the Week 5 game.
Three potential landing spots for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen in a trade
Seattle obviously still values Woolen, or he wouldn't play. Other teams value Woolen as well, so if he does end up getting traded before the NFL deadline on November 4 at 1 pm PT, where might he go?
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are in a weird spot. They should be the class of the AFC East, as they have been in the last few years, but this season is much more of a struggle. This is especially true of the last two games, both of which Buffalo has lost, and the defense has been bad.
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell proposes that Buffalo make a move for the Seattle cornerback because Woolen is tall and Seattle is deep at cornerback. The problem is that Woolen won't fix the Bills' woes.
The issue in Buffalo hasn't been their pass defense. The team is 15th in passer rating allowed (92.2) through six games. Instead, stopping the run has been the main problem, as the Bills are allowing the third-most rushing yards a game. Woolen isn't going to help in that facet.
Miami Dolphins
Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline wrote that he's heard rumors that link the Dolphins sending running back De'Von Achane to the Seahawks in return for Woolen. This doesn't seem to make much sense for Seattle, though. The team doesn't need another running back, and Kenneth Walker can do the things that Achane can do.
Still, that doesn't mean that Miami, with all the weird personnel decisions it makes, wouldn't try to make a deal for Woolen. The Dolphins traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey before the season, and that left the team with a pretty weak secondary. Woolen has the ability to help with that, but Miami isn't good, and re-signing Woolen in 2026 free agency would be a must.
Las Vegas Raiders
Pauline also suggested that the Raiders could be in the market for Woolen, and this only makes too much sense. Since Pete Carroll became the head coach this past offseason with Vegas, many former Seahawks have made their way to the Raiders.
Las Vegas is, like Miami, not going to the playoffs this season, but its secondary isn't awful. The problem is they don't create turnovers. The Raiders have only three interceptions this season, but none from the cornerback group. There is little doubt Carroll would love another reunion with a former Seattle Seahawks player, but this time with Riq Woolen.