Bleacher Report suggests chief 49ers rival makes a blockbuster trade

The 49ers are the unquestioned leaders of the NFC West, but what if the Seahawks suddenly came crawling back into contention after a blockbuster trade?

The last thing the San Francisco 49ers would want to see is a resurgent Seattle Seahawks team.

Especially after the Hawks all but dominated the Niners from 2012 through 2021.

While the tables have now turned in San Francisco’s favor, Seattle somehow managed to stay competitive enough a season ago and turned what was a 9-8 regular-season record into a Wild Card berth, ultimately losing to the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs.

That said, perhaps it’s possible the Hawks wind up making some serious headway in reclaiming the division. It’s something other experts have pointed out before, too, when looking at both teams’ assets in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

What if Seattle used some of its prized draft assets to land ready-made top-end NFL talent, though?

49ers would hate to see Seahawks pull off this Bleacher Report-suggested trade

The Seahawks owned one of the better offenses in the NFL for much of last season, particularly in the first half.

However, the Hawks defense was suspect and finished eighth worst in total points allowed.

Not unlike the Niners’ own modus operandi, Seattle could easily look to improve its defense by improving the pass rush this offseason, and one particular Bleacher Report-suggested trade would be the means to do so.

In B/R’s analysis, the Seahawks would trade for two Washington Commanders pass-rushers, Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

Here’s how the trade would go down and what it would mean, per B/R:

"Washington Commanders receive: 2023 first-round pick (No. 20), 2023 second-round pick (No. 37), 2023 third-round pick (No. 83)Seattle Seahawks receive: Edge Montez Sweat, Edge Chase Young"

And why it could happen:

"While Seattle could use one or even both of its two first-round picks to shore that area up, it could also swing for the fences by acquiring proven talent instead.The Washington Commanders would be a natural trade partner after they agreed to a long-term deal with the previously franchise-tagged Daron Payne. With Payne and Jonathan Allen now on big contracts, the team could find it difficult to hand out market-value deals to both Chase Young and Montez Sweat in the near future."

Read More: What picks do the Niners have on Day 3 of 2023 NFL Draft?

Simply put, San Francisco would hate to see pass-rushers of this nature go to a chief NFC West rival, especially after having to look up at the Hawks in the division standings for the better part of the last 10 years.

Yet Seattle also has to realize that contending against a stacked 49ers team would likely mean engineering some splash moves like the one B/R suggested above.

Let’s hope it just stays a suggestion.