Mina Kimes reacts to Seattle Seahawks' Lockett, Metcalf news

The NFL offseason dominated the headlines Wednesday, and the Seattle Seahawks were a big part of it.

It all started in the morning when the Seahawks announced the expected release of decorated veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Soon after, reports hit social media that star wideout DK Metcalf has requested a trade.

Why did DK request trade from Seattle Seahawks? Bump’s take

Over the course of about 40 minutes, the outlook for Seattle’s wide receiver room dramatically changed.

ESPN’s Mina Kimes, who grew up a Seahawks fan, joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the Seahawks news.

Here are three highlights from the conversation with Kimes.

Why Lockett was so underrated

After the Seahawks’ release of Lockett was announced, Kimes took to social media and called Lockett, as well as former Seahawks standout Doug Baldwin, the two most underrated receivers of their respective generations.

“Feel fortunate to have watched both for so long,” she wrote.

Lockett and Baldwin both rank high on the Seahawks’ all-time leaderboards. Lockett is second in receptions (661), receiving yards (8,594) and receiving TDs (61). Baldwin is fourth in receptions (493) and receiving yards (6,563) and third in receiving TDs (49).

When asked why Lockett and Baldwin flew under the radar for much of their careers, Kimes pointed to the type of draft profile Lockett, a third-round pick, and the undrafted Baldwin had entering the NFL.

“It can be hard sometimes to shake perceptions in the NFL of where you’re drafted, or undrafted in (Baldwin’s) case,” Kimes said. “And it takes people kind of a while to sort of reconcile that with what they’re seeing on the field, and I think that played a role in it.”

Related: What’s next for Tyler Lockett? Perhaps a Carroll reunion

She also highlighted the Seahawks’ run-heavy offenses during Baldwin’s years and Lockett’s early years, the bigger personalities they played with, and the fact that neither had the prototypical build and skill set of a No. 1 receiver.

“It is a combination of things, and I think both have lower-key personalities too, which is sort of out of step with maybe stereotypes of the wide receiver position,” Kimes said. “But (they were) two of just the best humans around, and I think Seahawks fans should just feel really lucky to have watched both of them over the course of their careers.”

As for what made Lockett a standout player, Kimes had this to say.

“Russell Wilson had a tweet saying (Lockett) was one of the best toe-tappers of all time, and I think so many of his iconic moments were, whether it was on the sideline or in the end zone, him somehow finding ways to get his feet inbounds improbably,” she said. “There’s just so many moments like that that are really special. He was just a total package: Openness, separation, route running, hands, football IQ. A really special player.”

Every time the @Seahawks play the Rams on TNF we have to post the @TDLockett12 toe tap. Those are the rules. 📺: #LARvsSEA — Thursday 8pm ET on NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO

📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/QIk9aFjnjA — NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2021

Why does DK want out?

Rumors about Metcalf potentially being traded have been circulating since last week, but reports Wednesday clarified that Metcalf himself wants out of the organization. Kimes shared her thoughts as to why.

“It really is about dollars much more than anything else,” she said. “Metcalf (has) one year left (on his contract). The way receiver contracts are going, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him want more than $30 million a year. Not the top of the market (with) the (Justin) Jeffersons and the (Ja’Marr) Chases of the world, but just below that.”

Kimes feels whatever contract Metcalf is looking for may surpass what the Seahawks would be comfortable committing to.

“Some of that is maybe perceived inconsistency on his part,” Kimes said. “A lot of it has to do with the breakout of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He really became the focal point of the offense in the second half of the season.”

Smith-Njigba finished 10th in the NFL in receptions (100) and 12th in receiving yards (1,130) last season. He still has two years left on his rookie deal, but a Metcalf extension would likely mean some overlap of lucrative contracts for both receivers in the future.

“The Seahawks might think, ‘Well, maybe that’s a position where we don’t have to pay top dollar for because we have this guy on a rookie contract,'” Kimes said. “If they were able to get some draft capital, maybe you add there in the draft, go a little bit cheaper, and then you can spend some of those resources elsewhere.”

A polarizing star

Kimes views Metcalf as a No. 1 receiver, and one who’s outplayed his draft pedigree as a second-round pick.

“No matter what you think of him and where he stacks up amongst receivers, he was an amazing draft pick for Seattle and really a special player,” Kimes said.

However, Metcalf has been a polarizing figure during his time with the Seahawks. Kimes noted his knack for committing avoidable penalties, many of which are 15-yard personal fouls, as part of it. She also pointed to Metcalf’s status as a lower-tier No. 1 wide receiver.

“I think he’s a No. 1. I don’t think, however, you can put him up there with like the Chases and the Jeffersons and whatnot of the world, so that’s where things get a little bit tricky,” Kimes said. “When your No. 1 (receiver) is sort of borderline, I think money becomes maybe a little bit more debatable.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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