Gabe Jackson Reportedly Traded to Seahawks from Raiders for 5th-Round Draft Pick

The Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly made another deal on a busy Wednesday.   

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team traded offensive lineman Gabe Jackson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. 

The Raiders have turned their offensive line inside out, reportedly trading Pro Bowler Rodney Hudson to the Arizona Cardinals after dealing Trent Brown to the New England Patriots. They cut Richie Incognito but re-signed him Wednesday, and they also nailed down a return for Denzelle Good. 

NFL reporter Josina Anderson said March 3 that the team informed Jackson he would be released, but Schefter reported earlier Wednesday that he was the subject of trade discussions.  

Jackson, whom the Raiders drafted in the third round in 2014, has two seasons remaining on a five-year, $56 million extension he inked in 2017. He has appeared in 100 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps in 2015 and 2016 and 98 percent in 2020, never appearing in fewer than 11 games. 

His consistency and durability could be highly valued by a prominent member of the Seahawks. 

Quarterback Russell Wilson has expressed his disappointment with the team's offensive line, saying he was "frustrated with getting hit too much" (h/t Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune). Wilson has been sacked 394 times in his nine seasons in the league—more than any other quarterback in that same time span. But despite his frustration, he "wants to play in Seattle," Schefter said. 

Wilson's 47 sacks in 2020 ranked third-most in the league, and he led his peers with 48 sacks in 2019. 

Before any transactions, Seattle's offensive line was already set to look a bit different, since Mike Iupati retired and center Ethan Pocic is a free agent. But the addition of Jackson to the group is an encouraging sign that the team is willing to do what it takes to keep from losing Wilson.