NFL Draft Rumors: Seattle Seahawks Could Trade Bruce Irvin To Atlanta Falcons For Draft Pick
NFL Draft rumors indicate the Seattle Seahawks could deal Bruce Irvin for a pick. That draft pick belongs to the Atlanta Falcons, and it could be a first-round selection that the Seahawks would immediately use to fill a roster hole. As relayed by NBC Sports late Wednesday (April 29), a reason for this move could be that the Seahawks don’t plan on exercising the fifth-year option Irvin has in his contract. That potentially makes him expendable, especially if another franchise is willing to offer a nice first-round pick.
In the 2015 NFL Draft order, the Atlanta Falcons have the No. 8 overall selection. Later, the Falcons have the 10th pick of the second round (No. 42 overall), the ninth pick of the third round (73rd overall), and the eighth pick of the fourth round (107th overall). It’s not completely clear which pick the team might be willing to send the Seahawks for Irvin, but he was a first-round selection when he came out of college.
Bruce Irvin was the first-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2012 NFL Draft. This was the same draft that would later yield Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson, and completely turn the fortunes of the franchise. Irvin is still under his rookie contract, which will come to an end at the close of the 2015 NFL season. He has a team option within that deal, but it has been rumored that the Seahawks weren’t planning on picking it up. A new team could decide otherwise, but it has to be done before a May 3 deadline.
During his first three seasons with the Seahawks, Irvin has 93 combined tackles. That includes 16.5 sacks, as well as five pass deflections, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns. He also had a very valuable sack during the 2015 NFL Playoffs against the Carolina Panthers. Rushing the quarterback from an edge position, he could prove very valuable on defense to a team like the Atlanta Falcons.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Seahawks already traded their 2015 first-round NFL Draft pick. That deal brought the team Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints, but it also took away what could have been an important selection in the NFL Draft. In the current draft order, the first selection for the Seahawks will now be No. 31 in the second round (63rd overall). It would help coach Pete Carroll a lot if they could move back into the first round, but it’s still tough to pin down whether these latest rumors can hold water.
With the 2015 NFL Draft just hours away, there is very little time for the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons to make a deal. A Bruce Irvin trade does make sense for both sides, though, especially as Seattle looks to cut costs and Atlanta looks to get better on defense.
[Image Source: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images]
