If you don’t think the east coast media bias is real, just you try finding something to talk about when the Seattle Seahawks are on their bye week and therefore every national NFL writer forgets that they even exist. Today’s case in point: a new column from Kristopher Knox at Bleacher Report ranking the top 50 players in the 2025 free agent class. No Seahawks pending free agents made the cut, which is fine – but they’re also not mentioned once as a potential suitor for any of the players on the list.
If you make it all the way to the bottom, you’ll find Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as the top-ranked player, preceded by star Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith. Here’s what B/R had to say about his pending free agency.
B/R on Chiefs RG Trey Smith
“The 25-year-old is a high-level pass protector who has yet to allow a sack this season, according to Pro Football Focus. As a run blocker, he’s an absolute game-changer. Given his age, talent and upside, I’ll be very surprised if Kansas City allows Smith to hit the open market. If he becomes available, though, virtually any guard-needy team should be interested.”
As one of the most guard-needy teams in the NFL, that should include the Seahawks. General manager John Schneider might believe that guards are overdrafted and overpaid, but he also couldn’t argue in good faith that this team doesn’t need a couple of serious upgrades at those two positions – especially right guard.
Smith (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) would represent the greatest possible gain – instantly reversing the team’s most-problematic position into possibly their best. Heading into Week 10, Smith is graded out at 81.5 overall by PFF, with high marks in pass blocking and run blocking – that ranks him seventh among all guards.
Smith will only be 26 by the time next season begins and by then he may have three Super Bowl rings to his credit. That combination of power, youth and experience should make him Seattle’s top target in March, in the unlikely event that the Chiefs actually let him test the market. The only slim hope is the KC tries to low-ball Smith due to his status as a sixth-round draft pick.