Seahawks 25 best players, #1 Russell Wilson
By Dan Viens
The Seattle Seahawks roster is generally regarded as one of the best in the NFL top to bottom, but what about the talent level within the roster? Our co-editor Dan Viens takes a shot at ranking the team’s Top 25 players in order.
(PART 25 OF 25 IN A SERIES)
NFL Network does their Top 100 NFL players list every year, and this off season we’ve seen our share of analysts taking a crack at ranking the best rosters in the league. As we enter into the dog days of the off season, with the start of training camp still over a month away, I wanted to see what it would look like if I tried to rank the best 25 players the Seahawks have.
It was harder than I thought.
The top 10 was pretty easy. I would suspect most would end up with the same 10-12 names in some order or another. After that it gets dicey.
Among the challenges, how do you figure in the rookies and players who have never played a down in Seattle?
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My criteria was wide-ranging. Sometimes I went with pure talent, and other times I gave more weight to the players importance to the team. And in certain cases the players role…….played a role in my ranking. When in doubt, however, I would just ask myself “who’s the better player?”
So here we go……
The Best Player On The Seahawks Roster is….
#1: Russell Wilson, QB
Was there really any doubt?
Well, back in 2012 there was. A LOT of people doubted Wilson. The scouts and analysts because of his size, and fans because….. well who the hell is Russell Wilson?
(Flashback! Remember how many people thought Matt Flynn should have been named the starter in 2012?)
From the moment Wilson first stepped on the field in his first rookie mini-camp he left no doubt who the best quarterback on the roster was, and since then his development has been one of the most remarkable things to witness in Seattle sports history.
From the moment Wilson first stepped on the field in his first rookie mini-camp he left no doubt who the best quarterback on the roster was
In just 4 years, he’s gone from “game manager” and “system quarterback” to superstar. He’s won a Super Bowl title (and nearly two), has made 3 Pro Bowls (winning MVP in the last one) and led the league in passer rating in 2015. His 7 game explosion during which he threw 29 TD passes to end the season was a statement. This guy is legit.
This offseason, the Seahawks went about adding a bevy of weapons to Wilson’s toolbelt, with a number of shiny new backs and receivers to compliment Baldwin, Lockett, Graham, Rawls etc., and spent a number of resources in attempting to build a youthful, long-term fix to the offensive line. Now that Marshawn Lynch is gone, this is clearly Wilson’s team to lead, and he appears more than ready to do so. Reports from mini-camps and OTA’s this spring are unanimous, he is more in command of the offense than ever.
And how far has he come since dropping into the 3rd round of the 2012 draft? Just this week the Indianapolis Colts made Andrew Luck (#1 overall in 2012) the highest paid player in the league. Wilson has clearly out-performed Luck over the first four years of their careers.
Enjoy what you’re seeing Seahawk fans. Franchise quarterbacks are rare. Still just 27, we may have not even seen Wilson’s best yet.
Next: With Baldwin contract done, who's next in line?
On a roster loaded with elite talent, he is far and away the #1 player on our list of the 25 Best Seahawk Players.