The Seahawks have told cornerback Michael Jackson to beat it, sending him to Carolina in a trade for linebacker Michael Barrett.
The player-for-player swap gives both teams a chance to get a look at a player they have interest in before deciding whether to keep him on the 53-player roster beyond Tuesday’s cutdowns. Jackson wasn’t going to make the Seahawks and Barrett wasn’t going to make the Panthers anyway, so it’s a no-risk proposition for both teams.
The 27-year-old Jackson was a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2019 and also spent time with the Lions and Patriots before signing with the Seahawks in 2021. Last year he played in all 17 games, getting on the field for 40 percent of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps and 51 percent of special teams snaps.
The Panthers drafted Barrett out of Michigan in the seventh round this year. He’s 24 years old, having spent six years playing for now-Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He’s notable for having played in 61 games won by Michigan, the most of anyone in program history.