Seahawks trade standout 2023 performer in deal to address depth at one of their biggest weak spots

The Seattle Seahawks made a trade on Thursday as they used their abundance of depth at the cornerback position to improve their options at one of the weakest areas of the roster.

Seattle traded cornerback Michael Jackson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for linebacker Michael Barrett.

Barrett was a seventh-round pick of the Panthers last year, though he did not make the 53-man roster in his rookie season.

Jackson, by contrast, played 15 games for the Seahawks last year and was one of Seattle's top performers in pass coverage.

Indeed, Jackson had the third-highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade among all Seahawks defenders, with his 76.9 bettered only by safety Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon .

Still only 27, Jackson appears to be entering his prime years.

However, with Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown, Artie Burns and rookies D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett also in the mix for playing time, the Seahawks went with Jackson as the odd man out. Every corner in that group is younger than Jackson, save for the 29-year-old Burns.

Brown will now likely join Witherspoon and Woolen as the top three corners on the roster.

Barrett, meanwhile, will hope to lock down a roster spot at a position where the Seahawks have little depth behind starters Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker . Seattle drafted Tyrice Knight out of UTEP in the fourth round this year.

Seattle have consistently seen their linebackers exploited by division rivals the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in recent years, prompting a complete remodel at the position with the arrivals of free agent signings Dodson and Baker.

If there are any injuries at linebacker, Barrett could become crucial to the Seahawks' efforts to ensure the position is not such a glaring weakness in 2024.

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