It still feels like a stretch, but the threat of Russell Wilson’s departure from Seattle grows more real as the days go by. If Wilson takes matters to a point of no return, the Seahawks may have no choice but to leave their disgruntled quarterback behind.
Although Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, has confirmed that they have not yet formally requested a trade, the camp leaked four destinations that the former Super Bowl champion would prefer to land on if a deal does eventually strike: the Raiders, Saints, Bears and Cowboys. . Aside from Dallas, none of these teams have the draft capital it would take to truly attract Seattle in its search for its next franchise quarterback. Plus, any team that has Wilson’s potential will do so to compete for a championship, which means future first-round picks who might trade with the Seahawks are unlikely to get anywhere near the top 10.
Along with various draft picks, a package of elite players should be included if any of these teams are realistic about convincing Seattle to part ways with the best quarterback in franchise history. It’s hard to imagine the Seahawks having any interest in suddenly turning to a complete rebuild due to the unhappiness of their quarterback, so they will likely require loot that can help them remain competitive in 2021.
That said, virtually every player has to be at the table for the Seahawks to hear them. So, let’s take a look at which players from each of Wilson’s preferred teams might be attractive to Seattle.
Chicago Bears: LB Roquan Smith
The Bears appear to be the Seahawks’ most likely partner at the moment, so let’s start with them. Khalil Mack will be the most popular name here and would likely be included in a Wilson deal due to the money changing hands, but he is heading into his 30-year season and has salary-cap hits in the mid-$ 20 million range during the next four. seasons.
Instead, fourth-year linebacker Roquan Smith makes more sense here. He has been one of the best players in his position for the first three years of his career and only turns 24 in April. You’re well on your way to a big payday of your own, but you won’t have to cross that bridge just yet.
With Bobby Wagner seemingly nearing the end of his career with the Seahawks, Smith would be a great addition to the future of his defense. And even if they didn’t leave Wagner right after acquiring Smith, the latter can take any place in the linebacker corps and easily coexist with future Hall of Famer and 2020 first-round pick Jordyn Brooks in 2021.
New Orleans Saints: OT Ryan Ramczyk
The Saints are so deep in “salary cap hell” that I have no idea how this could work. Wilson, of course, brought up New Orleans because of his desire to serve as the successor to his idol Drew Brees on Big Easy. But is it realistic? Probably not.
For the sake of this exercise, let’s say the saints could do it; Who would the Seahawks want in return? Wilson’s biggest complaint in all of this has been his lack of pass protection, so New Orleans trading their best offensive lineman to acquire him would somehow defeat the purpose.
That said, Ryan Ramczyk is their biggest player asset they could offer the Seahawks. It doesn’t necessarily fill an immediate need, but tackles Duane Brown and Brandon Shell will be unrestricted free agents a year from now. And while Shell had the best season of its career in 2020, Ramcyzk would be a significant improvement and Seattle shouldn’t think twice about moving forward.
Dallas Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott
Reports have indicated that the Cowboys find the idea of a Wilson trade “ridiculous,” so the likelihood of this happening is about the same as in New Orleans. But if the Cowboys changed their tone, they would be the most likely to offer Seattle of these four teams. They have a selection of the top 10 in the 2021 NFL Draft and a franchise quarterback to bring to the table.
However, Dallas may not see much of a difference in value between Wilson and Dak Prescott. In fact, they may hold Prescott in higher regard. Although Wilson is considered the better quarterback of the two, Prescott is five years younger and is now entering his prime despite sustaining a major lower leg injury last season.
If the Cowboys applied the franchise tag to Prescott for the second consecutive season and then traded him to Seattle, the Seahawks would have to commit to an even more lucrative deal with him than they already have with Wilson, and they probably wouldn’t. I don’t get anything else in return.
Las Vegas Raiders: TE Darren Waller
If the Raiders and Seahawks reached a deal, quarterback Derek Carr would surely be included. Although Carr has been better than most give him credit, it is a significant demotion from Wilson and would likely be a short-term fix for Seattle. Therefore, he is not the option here.
The Seahawks have already been linked to some of the best tight ends expected to be available in the trade and free agent markets this offseason, including Jonnu Smith, Zach Ertz and Gerald Everett. So it’s only fitting that they have quite an interest in Darren Waller, who emerged as one of the best pass catching tight ends in the NFL.
Of course, your interest in the position is likely due to a desire to give Wilson more guns. The Raiders would also want to pair Wilson with Waller, but as stated, each and every player must be at the table for the Seahawks to even consider making a move. Still, Waller remains a great asset to the Seahawks with or without Wilson. He is in his prime at the age of 28 and is under the control of the team for the next three seasons with a maximum cap of $ 6.5 million each year.