Seahawks’ reasoning behind reported trade of Nick Vannett to Steelers, Luke Willson back?
The Seahawks obviously love Will Dissly.
They really like Jacob Hollister, who now seems destined for an eventual promotion.
And they expect Ed Dickson to come off the injured reserve list in a month or so.
That is the reasoning behind Seattle trading tight end Nick Vannett to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adam Schefter of ESPN was first to report the teams finalizing the trade Tuesday evening.
The Seahawks are getting a fifth-round draft choice from the Steelers, sources told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
They also may be getting back a familiar tight end.
Adam Kaplan of SiriusXM radio reported Luke Willson is expected to sign with Seattle on Wednesday. Willson, 29, played his first five NFL seasons with the Seahawks (2013-17)—89 of his 102 career receptions are with Seattle. He signed before the 2018 season in free agency with Detroit then spent this preseason with Oakland. The Raiders released him last month.
The popular Canadian was also was the driving force behind this, his “Techno Thursday” movement with the Seahawks through the 2017 season:
The Seahawks drafted Vannett in the fourth round in 2016 out of Ohio State, where he was known as college football’s best run blockers and a sure-handed receiver. He has 47 catches in his 41-game career. The 6-foot-6, 261-pound Vannett had a career-high 29 receptions and three of his four career touchdowns last season. He has four catches for 38 yards through three games this season.
He never fully became the run blocker Seattle hoped for with his size when it drafted him.
Dissly has been all that and more since the Seahawks drafted the former University of Washington defensive lineman last year. Dissly impressed in four games last season before a torn patellar tendon in his knee ended his rookie season. He came back to full practice in August and resumed his production and trust with quarterback Russell Wilson.
Dissly had his third touchdown catch in two games last weekend in the home loss to the New Orleans Saints. He is second on the Seahawks with 12 receptions this season. He has 20 catches and five touchdowns in full career games.
Dissly is starting the second season of his four-year, rookie contract.
Vannett is in the final season of his rookie deal. So the Seahawks had a decision to make in a couple months with him, anyway. This trade gives them back a middle-round draft choice from the Steelers for making that decision on Vannett now, instead of potentially losing him in free agency in the spring.
The Seahawks acquired Hollister this spring from the New England Patriots for a seventh-round draft choice in 2020. The former quarterback in high school in Bend, Ore., impressed Seattle’s coaches with his speed and hands in a variety of roles in offseason workouts: inside as a tight end, in the slot and as a flexed, outside receiver. At 6-4 and 245 pounds he is far more a receiver than blocker. But the Seahawks have Dissly and tackle George Fant, who for the last two seasons has been an extra blocking tight end, for that.
Coach Pete Carroll called Hollister “feisty” this summer.
“The speed element is awesome,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “Really good route-runner. A lot like Tyler (Lockett) in terms of the instincts, just the ability to get open. He has a great feel for coverages, man and zone, things like that.
“He has been a great acquisition. He really has.”
Hollister missed much of the preseason with injuries. The Seahawks felt fortunate to get him through waivers and onto the practice squad to begin the season.
He is the logical next roster move for Seattle, a promotion to the 53-man active roster for Sunday’s game at Arizona, assuming the Seahawks acquired a future draft choice from the Steelers and not a ready-to-play guy while trading Vannett.
Dickson had knee surgery this summer. He is on injured reserve. Last year’s number-one tight end is on track to be one of the two players the Seahawks can bring off injured reserve onto the roster after eight weeks of the season.
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 6:47 PM.
