Report: Seattle Seahawks inquired about availability of Eagles TE Zach Ertz

The Seattle Seahawks have had conversations with the Philadelphia Eagles about the availability of tight end Zach Ertz in a trade, according to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Eagle Maven.

The Indianapolis Colts have also inquired about Ertz, according to the report. Numerous reports have indicated that Ertz could be included in a potential Carson Wentz trade, too, as the Eagles look to rebuild their roster amid a quick regression since the franchise won a Super Bowl in the 2017 season.

Ertz is a three-time Pro Bowler, with 561 catches for 6,078 yards and 36 touchdowns in his eight-year career. He played just 11 games in 2020 due to an ankle injury.

Tight end doesn’t appear to be the Seahawks’ roster biggest need for 2021 —  cornerback, running back and offensive line could (and should) all be higher on the priority list — but the team could look for depth with just three at the spot under contract for 2021: Will Dissly, 2020 fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson and 2020 undrafted rookie Tyler Mabry, who spent all of the past season on the practice squad.

Dissly, who’s entering a contract year, had four catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns in his first 16-game season this past year. Parkinson had two catches for 16 yards in six games after missing the start of the year on the Non-Football Injury list.

Veteran Greg Olsen announced his retirement, while Jacob Hollister and Luke Willson will be restricted and unrestricted free agents, respectively, when the new league year begins March 17.

The fact that the Seahawks have been (reportedly) connected to Ertz should surprise no one. Coach Pete Carroll and John Scheider often say they are in on everything around the league.

Ertz had 36 catches for 335 yards and one score last season. He last made the Pro Bowl in 2019. Health enabling, Ertz could be a big weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson in the underneath and short passing game, which Seattle’s offense lacked consistency with in 2020.

Ertz had 14 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in two matchups with the Seahawks in 2019, including the Wild Card that season.

If a Seaahwks trade for Ertz were to actually happen, they would likely need to restructure the tight end’s contract or extend him to soften the blow of his cap hit. Under his current deal, Ertz’s cap hit for 2021 is $12.47 million. He’s due $8.25 million in base salary in the coming season. That’s from the five-year extension worth $42.5 million he signed in 2016.

The Seahawks have $4.95 million in cap space for 2021, according to OverTheCap.com, based on the projected $180.5 million salary-cap figure.