The Los Angeles Rams have had their cornerbacks room questioned this season, especially since the loss of Ahkello Witherspoon to an injury that could cost him several months, so the topic of trading for someone at the position has come up recently. Could the Rams convince the Seattle Seahawks to send them Riq Woolen before the trade deadline and should they be willing to help a division rival part with a cornerback who they apparently don’t want anymore?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday morning that the Seahawks cornerback is being “monitored” by other teams on the trade market because Seattle has moved onto other starters recently. Woolen is a free agent in 2026, so the Seahawks may see an opportunity to try and get some trade value out of him before he leaves next year.
Woolen got off to a hot start with six interceptions as a rookie in 2022, achieving Pro Bowl status despite being a fifth round pick out of UTSA. The only reason Woolen was drafted at all was due to extreme athleticism for a cornerback who is 6’4, 210 lbs: Woolen ran a 4.26 40-yard dash and had a 42” vertical. He was also still a project at the position, having switched from receiver to cornerback in 2020.
The Seahawks thought they were potentially developing the next Richard Sherman, but Woolen’s play has been inconsistent in the past two seasons. His tackling is questionable, at best, and he is among the league-leaders in penalties. Teams have successfully targeted him on a couple of occasions this season, leading the Seahawks to favor Josh Jobe in his place instead. Even former Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick, who has two interceptions this year, has moved up the pecking order.
However, Woolen is experienced with 50 career starts and he’s only 26. Woolen is also probably just as good of an athlete now as he was a couple of years ago. For a Rams defense starting Emmanuel Forbes, Darious Williams, and Cobie Durant, it couldn’t hurt to add someone like Woolen for the rest of the season depending on the cost.
Seattle may put a premium on a division rival trading for Woolen, but the cost couldn’t be more than a conditional third round pick in 2026. Maybe that’s even too steep because Woolen is just a rental and he’s losing ground as a starting player on his own team. This may only cost a conditional fourth round pick or a fifth round pick. It seems the Seahawks may just want to move on and the Rams could possibly take advantage of that situation, but only if other teams rebuff Seattle’s trade demands.
Do you think the Rams should try to trade for Riq Woolen? Is he an upgrade to the players that L.A. already has at cornerback? Is a conditional third round pick, perhaps on the condition that Woolen is a Pro Bowler or plays a certain number of snaps, conditions that would be difficult to reach, worth a rental and a potential long-term solution for the Rams if Chris Shula can hone his skills?
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