The San Francisco 49ers are expected to face a surprise challenge for the NFC West title after a third straight loss dropped them to second place, and the Seattle Seahawks clearly intend to make the fight Getting first place becomes as difficult as possible.
Ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Seahawks reached an agreement with the New York Giants to acquire defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
The Seahawks, according to multiple reports, will send a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Giants in exchange for Williams.
He adds to a Seahawks defense that has found success in recent weeks.
Seattle ranks ninth in expected points added per defensive play.
Since Week 3, the Seahawks are third in the same metric.
Seattle’s pass rush ranks 15th in the NFL with a 21.
1% pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference, but the Seahawks’ 26 sacks are fifth in the league and eight of the most the 49ers have managed in 2023.
The Seahawks hope Williams can help improve the consistency of their pass rush, while adding him to Seattle’s interior defensive line rotation would theoretically increase The opportunities for an ascending defense that can take advantage of San Francisco’s interior offensive line have dwindled in recent weeks.
Williams has had some success in that regard this season, recording four pressures in the Week 3 game between the Giants and Niners that San Francisco won 30-12.
In a broader sense, this aggressive move is a signal that the Seahawks see an opportunity to take advantage of the 49ers’ recent slump and put themselves in a better position to compete by winning a championship.
Time will tell whether the Seahawks’ assessment of their roster as legitimately contending proves accurate, but they have made it clear to the 49ers that they are seriously considering dethroning them in the tournament.
Given the problems the Niners have had on the defensive end, it would be surprising if they didn’t respond with a high-profile trade before the deadline.
