The Seattle Seahawks have just traded one Michael for another. On Thursday morning, in a rare player-for-player straight across trade, Seattle sent cornerback Michael Jackson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett.
Originally a seventh round selection by Carolina in the 2024 NFL draft, Barrett is now reunited with his former defensive coordinator at Michigan in head coach Mike Macdonald. As for Jackson, he is reunited with a former Seahawks coach in Dave Canales, who is now the top man for the Panthers.
Barrett spent six years with Michigan, and became a legitimate force for the middle of the Wolverines defense. In his last two years with Big Blue, he recorded 137 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two interceptions. He was a Team Captain for Michigan last year, as the Wolverines went 15-0 and defeated the Washington Huskies to be National Champions last year.
The Seahawks are in need of more linebacker depth. Veteran Jerome Baker has been out for roughly two weeks with a hamstring issue. Although Seattle is planning to have him ready to go by Week 1, the Seahawks clearly need someone available now. Barrett will join fellow rookie Tyrice Knight as the two young bucks trying to shore up the linebackign corps.
Meanwhile, we at Seahawks Wire want to acknowledge cornerback Michael Jackson’s contributions to the team. In the last two years, Jackson has played in all 35 possible games, including 21 regular season starts. He was a solid player in Seattle’s secondary, but given how crowded the position has become with quality depth, someone was always going to be the odd man out. The Seahawks were fortunate to be able to move on from Jackson in a way that netted them another player to fill a position of need.
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