Seattle Seahawks: Trading Russell Wilson Would Be A Huge Mistake
There’s talk this offseason about the Seattle Seahawks moving on from current quarterback Russell Wilson. If at any point this notion is even entertained by the ‘Hawks it’s time to hang up your gear as a fan.
First, Russell Wilson is the face of the franchise, but at 32 years old Seattle could be looking to get younger soon. With how much the Lions just received for Matthew Stafford, the Seahawks might feel like they’re sitting on a gold mine waiting to cash in. Wilson is a proven winner and will surely require multiple first-round picks. Picks that would help them bolster their lineup down the road. In a league where you’re either in the abundance of picks or a team one solid piece away, Seattle seems like neither.
It would make sense for them to move on if Wilson wasn’t universally loved, dedicated to the team, willing them to win extra games every year, or living up to his potential. He’s doing all those things and more. In comparison, Russell Wilson brought to Seattle the same energy that Patrick Mahomes is bringing to Kansas City. Then it all went to crap. The Seahawks stopped investing in their team and gambled on one-and-done free agents who never quite got them over the hump.
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Wilson is just as talented for the Seahawks as P. Mahomes for the Chiefs but you don’t see it on paper as much, but that’s not his fault. If he had playmakers like Hill and Kelce on offense and a run game. They’d be unstoppable. Chris Carson might have led the team with 681 rush yards, but RW was close behind with 513 and 58 fewer attempts.
You could argue that Lockett and Metcalf are just as good as any Chief receiver, and you’d be right. However, nothing changes a quarterback’s game like a big-bodied tight end and you can look to the Super Bowl champs this year as proof. How bad was Tom Brady last season without Rob Gronkowski? Add him to the mix this year and the Bucs found their groove late in the season. The same could be said for the Chiefs and Travis Kelce. How bad would Mahomes look without a bail-out tight end? If Russell Wilson had that security blanket on broken plays, he’d be a lot more flashy too.
Now, back to the matter at hand. If you consider all those things you have to realize that the Seattle Seahawks aren’t doing what’s best for the team, they’re looking to dump salary and cash in at a later date.
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Seattle could easily be a playoff-caliber team while keeping Wilson on the roster. A couple of swift moves in free agency to bolster a line to protect the quarterback and they’re better off. Tight Ends aren’t often a big-ticket on draft day but with their needs, Seattle could use one. Yes, their defense isn’t what it once was, but it doesn’t need to be. Tampa Bay was 8th this year in team defense and the Chiefs were 11th. Seattle wasn’t too far off at 15th and as long as they’re winning it won’t matter as much.
So at the end of the day, if the Seattle Seahawks are entertaining moving on from Russell Wilson, it’s not a move in the best interest of the team but one that’s in the best interest of the business. They’re not thinking about the fans by trading Wilson. Yes, they’re light on picks this draft, but imagine a 12-4 Russell Wilson with the right blocking and weapons.
At the end of the day, they’d be selling out a winning team to drop down into rebuild mode and start over with a whole new quarterback. Seattle could be on the verge of a Super Bowl and the front office would throw it away to potentially improve their future. As a fan, you’d have to wonder why you’d invest in a team that’s that willing to give up when you’re close. Finding a dynamic quarterback isn’t easy, trading away Wilson could set them back for years. It would hardly be worth the risk.
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.