What a Russell Wilson trade could look like for the Seahawks

The Seahawks have a difficult off-season ahead of them. Between the limited cap space, limited draft capital, and plethora of free agents, the team is in a less than desirable situation. This is now the fourth article in this series.

What a Tyler Lockett trade could look like.

What a Quandre Diggs trade could look like.

What a Bobby Wagner trade could look like.

As if it wasn’t tough already, Russell Wilson has taken to the media the last few days to add yet another layer of complexity to the equation.

Wilson voiced his displeasure with the number of sacks he has taken. He has also made it clear that he wants to be apart of the personnel decisions going forward. He got his man in Shane Waldron (offensive coordinator). However, he didn’t get involved until he was dissatisfied with the early candidates that the team targeted.

Finally, he has since stated he wants to be in on all roster decisions. He wants his say as Tom Brady did with the Bucc’s. They signed Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette and traded for Rob Gronkowski. Or like Patrick Mahomes has with the Chiefs. Mahomes has some say in the draft selection process.

The Seahawks are entering a dangerous off-season.

We should have seen this coming. Wilson looked absolutely miserable at the Super Bowl. He saw what Tom Brady was able to do behind a formidable offensive line. More importantly, he saw what Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked like behind that abysmal offensive line. More or less, what Mahomes would look like in Wilson’s situation in Seattle.

It clearly lit a fire under Russell Wilson to drive change and force the team to reallocate resources to the trenches. So, what if Pete Carroll doesn’t agree? What if Carroll wants the Seahawks to continue his way? That is where this article is heading. Let’s walk through what a Seahawks trade could look like.

Seahawks trade Russell Wilson to the Dolphins

Media outlets are circling. They smell blood in the water and are trying to see what they can dig up. Ex-Seahawks wide receiver Brandon Marshall doesn’t think Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll can continue to co-exist any longer. Teams are already starting to call inquiring about his availability.

Coach Carroll is signed through 2025. Russell Wilson is signed through 2023. What if the two simply can’t get on the same page? Rumors have already leaked out that the Seahawks management is very displeased with Russell Wilson talking to the media about his qualms.

The Seahawks are all about putting the Seahawks team first. Naturally, this won’t sit well with head coach Pete Carroll. We have seen Carroll oust players in the past for similar situations. We have also seen Seattle not afraid to take on massive dead cap hits to move on.

With Russell Wilson so keen on his legacy, I think either the Seahawks hand the reigns over to Wilson or seek a trade. Seattle would undoubtedly receive an absolute haul of draft picks. Russell Wilson also has a no-trade clause. So, he has the final say in where he ends up. This hurt Seattle’s leverage in the negotiations. Regardless, a talent on his level doesn’t come available often.

Let’s walk through a hypothetical trade to see where this leads us.

It’s highly unusual for a quarterback of Wilson’s caliber to be on the market. This is especially true being just one year into the extension. His value will be astronomical. The Dolphins are reportedly one team that has already checked into his availability.

Here is the gripe however, Seattle would be left with a dangerous amount of dead cap this year.

Year           Cap hit to play for Seattle         Dead cap if traded

2021                    $32 million                                    $39 million

2022                    $37 million                                    $26 million

2023                    $39 million                                    $13 million

2024                                                  Free agent

So, if Seattle were to trade Russell Wilson this year, it would actually cost more to the team than for him to play for Seattle This is a dangerous combination for a team with very limited cap space as is. Because of that, it is absolutely imperative that Seattle plays ball and give Russell Wilson more say in the process.

Let’s say Seattle has no choice. They are forced to trade Wilson due to irreconcilable differences. Philosophical differences, if you will. The trade with the Dolphins is complete. What could Seattle do with this draft to help rebuild? The next slide goes through what a hypothetical mock draft could look like, post-trade.

The Seahawks would have a haul of picks to help rebuild.

Let’s be honest, they would likely blow up some portion of the roster if they were to move on from Russell Wilson. Many of the hypothetical trades I have been outlined in this series would likely be on the table.

What a Tyler Lockett trade could look like.

What a Quandre Diggs trade could look like.

What a Bobby Wagner trade could look like.

For the purpose of this mock, we will keep the remaining roster as is. The Seahawks stash of picks would look like this:

Round 1: #3

Round 2: #36, #50, #55

Round 3: #81

Round 4: #127

Round 5: #166

The mock draft post-trade:

Pick 3: Penei Sewell, LT: Sewell has been pegged as one of, if not the best left tackle prospects to enter the draft in the last decade. He does everything well. His footwork is precise. His hand placement is perfect. His lateral agility is excellent. He plays with controlled violence and is one of the youngest prospects in the draft. Perennial All-Pro potential.

Pick 36: Javonte Williams, RB: My favorite of the top 3 running backs. Williams is an absolute monster. His field vision is excellent. His contact balance is Marshawn-esque. A very powerful runner that is an every-down threat.

Pick 50: Landon Dickerson, C: One of the most well-respected players in the NCAA. He can play any position on the offensive line. He is a leader of men and a true game-changer when on the field. His best position for Seattle would be as the center. Plug and play prospect.

Pick 55: Jibril Cox, LB: Cox is an incredible athlete. He is also one of, if not the best coverage linebacker in this class. He fits perfectly as a weakside linebacker in the Seahawks scheme. He possesses a very high football IQ. Should help bring more speed to the defense.

Pick 81: Ambry Thomas, CB: Thomas was likely a late first round draft pick before opting out this year. Now, the question marks around how ready he is are blaring. He could be the steal of the draft. Long, lean and quick.  He is sticky as they come in coverage. Just needs to work on discipline.

Pick 127: Dez Fitzpatrick, WR: Seattle has now created one of the best offensive lines in the league with this draft. Fitzpatrick is merely an extension of that. He is an incredibly strong blocker at the point of attack. Even better, he is a yards-after-catch machine. Think of him as a Robert Woods type in the Rams scheme.

Pick 166: Ta’Quon Graham, DT: An all upside pick. Graham is explosive off the snap. He has short-area quickness that can put the offensive linemen on skates. He is a mismatch waiting to happen. He just needs time to put everything together. The sky is the limit from here.

Review the draft:

So in all, Seattle spent heavily on getting the best offensive line possible. Between Duane Brown, Penei Sewell, Landon Dickerson, Damien Lewis, and Brandon Shell, they are formidable. Behind them is Tua and do-it-all running back Javonte Williams.

Seattle then added more speed and coverage to the defense by drafting linebacker Jibril Cox and Ambry Thomas. Followed those up with a number 3 wide receiver in Dez Fitzpatrick who is more or less a YAC/ blocker. Finally, Graham to finish up the class with a crazy high ceiling.

I want to leave the article with this:

Seattle and Russell Wilson are unlikely to split this off-season. With the dead cap that would be incurred, it is far more likely that a break up would happen next off-season, if at all.

It is incredibly important for Seattle to allow Wilson to have some say in the major decision this off-season. However, don’t give him everything. The last signing he had a say in was Greg Olsen. Not the best use of $7 million in cap space.