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The NFL Trade Deadline passed with some last minute drama on November 4. And as we move on from trade season, Bleacher Report took the opportunity to offer each franchise’s best trade in its history. The Seattle Seahawks trading for Marshawn Lynch ranked No. 1 for the blue and green. The Seahawks didn’t need a blockbuster package to change their trajectory. On October 5, 2010, Seattle acquired Marshawn Lynch from the Bills for a 2011 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2012 selection that ultimately became a fifth. Pete Carroll wanted a finisher; he got “Beast Mode.” The Trade That Launched ‘Beast Mode’ Lynch arrived midseason and immediately gave Seattle a bruising identity. From 2011-2014 he made four straight Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro in 2012. He also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014, the apex years of Seattle’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs. It’s due in part to that legendary run that Lynch is appearing on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballots as a first-year eligible nominee. The signature moment came first: the 67-yard “Beast Quake” run to bury the defending champion Saints in the 2010 NFC Wild Card, a play that literally shook local seismic equipment and cemented Lynch as a Seattle icon. Two seasons later, Lynch’s physicality was a pillar of the Seahawks’ first championship. Seattle throttled Denver 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, validating Carroll’s philosophy of defense, run game and field position. Why Lynch Changed Seattle’s Identity Value isn’t just box score production – it’s fit. Lynch gave Seattle reliable short-yardage conversion, clock control and a mindset. Advanced tracking underscored the eye test: in 2014 he posted one of Pro Football Focus’ best Elusive Rating marks and led the league in missed tackles forced and yards after contact measures that season, illustrating how much of his yardage he created on his own. The team results followed. With Lynch in the backfield, the Seahawks won NFC West titles in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and reached consecutive Super Bowls, winning one. That’s a franchise-level return for mid-round capital. And the raw totals match the impact. Across his Seattle tenure (including a brief 2019 return), Lynch logged 6,381 rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns – both top-tier figures in franchise history. Seattle’s own 50th-season project and recent coverage document those totals and his club leaderboard standing. In addition, Lynch’s media hijinks endeared him to the country at large, a second-act that has seen him do various TV shows, podcasts and other media appearances. Beast Mode is still very much a part of the culture in 2025. And if voters deem him worthy, Seahawks fans will see Lynch in a gold jacket soon. Major Trades in Seattle History The Seahawks published every trade in the franchise’s history, and there are a lot of major deals to sort through. Notably, the franchise set itself on its currently trajectory starting in 2022, when it traded Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth round pick to the Denver Broncos in 2022 and flipping him for a king’s ransom of TE Noah Fant, DE Shelby Harris, QB Drew Lock, 2022 first-round pick (#9, T Charles Cross), 2022 second-round pick (#40, LB Boye Mafe), 2022 fifth-round pick (#145, T Darian Kinnard), 2023 first-round pick and 2023 second-round pick. There are plenty of other fun trades to check out on that list, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that tops Lynch’s arrival in Seattle. The Bottom Line Bleacher Report named a “best trade” for every NFL team, and Seattle’s is straightforward. For two mid-round picks, the Seahawks acquired a culture-setter who produced four Pro Bowls, league-leading TD seasons, the definitive highlight of a generation and the backbone of a championship. If you’re ranking the most consequential trades in franchise history, the Marshawn Lynch deal sits at No. 1 – and it still defines the Seahawks’ 2010s.
