Rams and Seahawks face similar challenges, but 1 is the current front-runner

The Los Angeles Rams (10-7) have perfected the rare NFL craft of restocking the roster while improving their game-day performance. So it's possible that their NFC West Division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, have seen the Rams succeed and believe they can emulate that path to rebuilding on the fly. The Rams are aiming to trade veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp. But with a hefty $7.5 million roster bonus due on March 17, 2025, many NFL general managers expect the team to release him.

That is the confirmed by the latest from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport:

All the while, the team faced an impasse over Matthew Stafford's contract. The rift over what was the right compensation for a 37-year-old quarterback is all new territory, so the team permitted Stafford and his agent to discuss what a new contract with their teams might look like. Once the two sides understood what that new number might be, they sat down at the end of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine and hammered out an agreeable new contract.

The team managed to appease its quarterback while aiming to shed surplus salary expense, so as far as achieving the early goals, you have to give the Rams front office kudos for getting the job done.

The Seahawks take a different approach

The Seattle Seahawks (10-7) pushed the Rams the hardest and the furthest in 2024. Missing out on representing the NFC West Division by one of the lesser-known tie-breakers, the Seahawks were one of the best non-playoff teams in the NFL last season. But their ability to pivot and accomplish even more in 2025 is rather suspect.

You see, the Seattle Seahawks entered the 2025 NFL offseason with similar challenges that faced the Rams. While the Rams paid Stafford to remain, the Seahawks did not. That led to a surprise trade of starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders:

With that mild earthquake in tow, the team had also released veteran WR Tyler Lockett:

And perceiving the Seahawks ship to be sinking, veteran wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has now requested to be traded before the start of the 2025 NFL season:

How much are the Seahawks expecting in return for Metcalf? Initially, the Seahawks asking price was a laughable pair of picks, a Round 1 and 3, for Metcalf. That was far in excess of what any team was willing to offer, as Metcalf himself wants a huge salary increase to play as well. And so, the Seahawks asking price has come down:

While Metcalf is a six-year veteran in the NFL, and a two-time Pro Bowler, he is still just 27 years old. But if teams face a choice of paying a Round 2 pick plus forking over $30 million APY for a receiver who put up 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, why not trade nothing and pay a 32-year-old wide receiver a third of that compensation for 800 yards and six touchdowns?

There may not be a trade market for Cooper Kupp right now, but there will certainly be a free agent market for the Rams veteran pass catcher.

Who did it better? From a player's perspective, you have to think the LA Rams are a bit less harsh when it comes to impacting a player's future. But it will all come out in the wash. In 2024, the Seahawks were the closest competitor to the Rams in the NFC West Division. In 2025, I think the Rams open up a wide margin.

As always, thanks for reading.

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