Seattle acquired Carlos Dunlap from Cincinnati for lineman…
Seattle acquired Carlos Dunlap from Cincinnati for lineman B.J. Finney and a 2021 seventh-round pick. Dunlap immediately helped revive the Seahawks' pass rush, posting five sacks after the trade and 8.5 more in 2021 for 13.5 sacks across 25 games. Cincinnati received little from Finney and used the pick on Wyatt Hubert, who never played after a pectoral injury and later retired. Seattle won decisively at a very small cost.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- player B.J. Finney
- pick 2021 7th round pick (235th overall, Wyatt Hubert)
Seattle Seahawks Received
- player Carlos Dunlap
Trade Analysis
Seattle traded for Carlos Dunlap in October 2020 after a poor first half of the season exposed major problems in the pass rush. The Seahawks sent Cincinnati veteran interior lineman B.J. Finney and a 2021 seventh-round pick. Dunlap's relationship with the Bengals had deteriorated as his role shrank, giving Seattle an opportunity to buy an established edge rusher at a low price.
The effect was immediate. Dunlap recorded five sacks in eight games with Seattle in 2020, along with six tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits. The Seahawks had only 12 sacks through their first seven games before his arrival and recorded 34 over the final nine, a turnaround the team itself credited in part to Dunlap. Seattle won the NFC West and brought him back for 2021.
Dunlap's second Seahawks season was also productive. He finished with a team-high 8.5 sacks, including seven over the final four games. Across his 25 regular-season games with Seattle, he recorded 13.5 sacks before the club released him in March 2022. For the price paid, that was substantial pass-rush production.
Cincinnati's return did not develop. Finney was acquired as veteran line depth but did not become a long-term starter for the Bengals. The seventh-round pick became Kansas State edge defender Wyatt Hubert. Hubert suffered a pectoral injury, spent 2021 on the reserve/non-football injury list and was placed on the reserve/retired list in August 2022 without playing a regular-season snap.
The original Seattle A/Cincinnati F is close but slightly extreme on both sides. Seattle settles at A- because Dunlap's stay lasted only a year and a half. Cincinnati rises to D because moving an unhappy veteran still made roster sense. The Seahawks nevertheless won by a wide margin.