Seattle acquired safety and special-teams defender Dewey…
Seattle acquired safety and special-teams defender Dewey McDonald from Oakland on September 3, 2016, for a 2017 seventh-round selection that became No. 244 overall and Treyvon Hester. McDonald appeared in fourteen games for Seattle in 2016 and three more in 2017. That was legitimate depth value, but not enough to overwhelm the low-cost player Oakland later drafted.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 2017 seventh-round pick (244th overall, Treyvon Hester )
Seattle Seahawks Received
- player Dewey McDonald
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Seattle acquired Dewey McDonald from the Oakland Raiders on September 3, 2016, in exchange for a seventh-round choice in the 2017 draft. That pick became No. 244 overall and defensive lineman Treyvon Hester. The price was near the bottom of the draft, so the standard for either team to receive acceptable value was modest. Both clubs were effectively trading one form of depth for another.
Seattle’s Return
McDonald contributed immediately as a reserve defender and special-teams option. He appeared in fourteen games for Seattle in 2016 and returned for three more in 2017. He was never a major defensive playmaker, but seventeen games of roster utility are a respectable outcome for the cost of a seventh-round selection. Seattle bought usable depth rather than a star, which fits the scale of the investment.
Oakland’s Return
The Raiders turned the pick into Hester at No. 244. Hester appeared in fourteen games and made one start as a rookie in Oakland before his career continued with other teams. That gave the Raiders a young, inexpensive defensive lineman from a selection that often produces no regular-season value at all. The return was useful, though not substantial enough to create a large advantage.
Value in Hindsight
This is a rare late-round exchange in which both sides can point to actual NFL snaps. Seattle received seventeen games from McDonald, while Oakland used the pick on a player who appeared throughout his rookie season. Neither contribution became a core piece, and neither team sacrificed meaningful draft leverage. The realized outcomes sit close enough that trying to force a winner would overstate the small difference between two successful depth-level bets.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Seattle and the Raiders each receive a C+. McDonald gave the Seahawks useful short-term depth, while Hester gave Oakland a rookie contributor from the No. 244 selection. Both clubs extracted reasonable value from assets at the margins of the roster, and neither side generated the sustained impact necessary to claim a clear victory.