Rumours of a Russell Wilson trade are surfacing as the Seattle Seahawks quarterback is rumoured to be unhappy.
In an offseason dominated by the talk of where Deshaun Watson may end up, Wilson’s future has recently been talked about and talks have surfaced of a Russell Wilson trade.
Wilson reportedly doesn’t want to be traded but listed four teams he would be open to going to. These four teams are the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.
Since then, talk has risen of Seattle being open to the idea of being traded. Wilson has thrown for 33,946 passing yards and 267 touchdowns throughout his NFL career, which makes him appealing for 80% of NFL teams. Which one of the four destinations would make the most sense for Wilson?
RUSSELL WILSON TRADE TO THE BEARS?
The Bears have had struggles at the quarterback position for many years. Quarterbacks such as Jay Cutler, Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky have failed to bring back the good times in Chicago. Despite Rex Grossman guiding them to Super Bowl 41, he never had a great NFL career.
For a team with a great defense, a Russell Wilson trade would be one of the final pieces of the jigsaw.
Wilson was the third most sacked quarterback in 2020 (47). Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky were sacked for a combined total of 36 sacks as Bears quarterbacks. This would put them as the eighth most sacked player in the league.
The Bears will need to fix their offensive line and this would start with moving Cody Whitehair back to centre after a stint in the back end of 2020 as a left guard. Whitehair and Wilson will want to build a relationship similar to the one we saw with Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday.
Convincing Wilson to play at Soldier Field could convince players such as wide receiver Allen Robinson to sign a new contract. Wilson is reportedly very intrigued by revitalising the franchise.
With a defense that failed to live up to previous standards in 2020, players such as Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson, Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith all have the chance to provide Wilson with a defense he has not had since the Legion of Boom days.
RUSSELL WILSON TRADE TO THE COWBOYS?
This is one of the more left-field options for Russell. As exciting as their offensive weapons are, the Cowboys are likely to stick with their quarterback Dak Prescott who put up great numbers in 2020 before his season-ending injury.
Taking on Wilson’s contract could put teams off, but Wilson can look at restructuring his contract the way Tom Brady has done. He will most likely want to leave Seattle so he can win another ring.
There have been issues regarding Prescott’s contract for a year or two and should these problems continue, Dallas could decide enough is enough and move on from Dak.
RUSSELL WILSON TRADE TO THE RAIDERS?
This was the biggest surprise of the four teams. Vegas is a desirable destination for many players and playing under Gruden is also a prospect that could sway Wilson.
The Raiders were linked with Tom Brady last year and are now being linked with Wilson.
It is no secret that Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr do not see eye to eye and their strained relationship could see Carr traded.
The Raiders have a good young team and this is a project that Wilson could be around for several years as the franchise looks for their first Super Bowl since the 1983 season.
RUSSELL WILSON TRADE TO THE SAINTS?
If you take out the matter of the salary cap, this is the move that makes the most sense for Wilson if his goal is to win another Super Bowl. With Drew Brees likely to retire, the Saints need to find a quarterback replacement.
This Saints team are stacked with talent, from defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson to wide receiver Michael Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara. Adding Wilson to this offense would surely get them over the line after three consecutive years of playoff heartbreak.
However, the Saints are in a salary cap mess and have the worst cap space in the entire NFL. The Saints would have to restructure a lot of contracts if they want to have all their players back. There is the sense that a big name would have to leave, even if Wilson plays somewhere else in 2021.
A Russell Wilson trade to the Saints is unlikely but if New Orleans were to find a way and it does not affect the cap, then this should without doubt be Wilson’s choice.
Wilson could end up staying in Seattle and just be using this as an attempt to send a message to head coach Pete Carroll over their inability to protect him. There may also become a point when there is no other choice but to pull the trigger on a Russell Wilson trade if he is that unhappy.
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