After suffering the first sub-.500 season since the 2017-18 season, changes clearly needed to be made in Seattle. It’s no secret that Russell Wilson wasn’t a happy camper anymore in The Emerald City, especially after he and his agent went public with the All-Pro’s frustration back in 2021. Which would make you think the Seahawks front office would take notice and subsequently make the changes needed to keep their Franchise QB happy. Right? Well, apparently that’s not how business is done up in the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest. Rather than work in tandem with their star quarterback, the Seahawks opted for a more drastic approach to the problem. Dump their potential future Hall of Fame quarterback that has brought an abundance of success to the franchise in return for a king’s ransom of players and draft picks. On paper, it seems like it may not have been the worst trade ever, but when you take a step back and look at what it means for both teams at the end of the day, there is one clear winner here. *Spoiler alert* It’s not the Seattle Seahawks.
What Did the Seahawks Get?
- QB Drew Lock
- TE Noah Fant
- DE Shelby Harris
- 1x 2022 first-round pick
- 1x 2023 first-round pick
- 1x 2022 second-round pick
- 1x 2022 fifth-round pick
- 1x 2023 second-round pick
Like I said, on paper, this is an absolute haul. Any team looking to get back to their former glory days would be happy to receive so many early-round draft picks, as well as some players with great potential. However, the price the Seahawks had to pay to acquire all this loot was just too steep. They had arguably one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, still in the later years of his prime at only 33 years old. Finding a replacement for one of the best to play the game at the most important position in football is not going to be an easy task. Especially when you factor in the fact that the Seahawks released team legend linebacker Bobby Wagner, the Seahawks are going to have to carefully and selectively use each and every single one of those draft picks. With the Seahawks’ questionable (at best) track record of scouting and drafting young talent, I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were a Seahawks fan. If that wasn’t enough, Seattle’s woes could get even worse in the coming weeks/months, with the futures of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Chris Carson now up in the air as well given Wilson’s abrupt departure. A superstar WR like D.K. Metcalf may seek a way out of Seattle so he can sign with a Super Bowl contending team with a more reliable QB on their roster. As for Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson, they just have just signed new deals under the notion that Russ would still be cooking in Seattle come the 2022 season. Talk about trouble in paradise…
What Did the Broncos Get?
- All-Pro QB Russell Wilson
- 1x 2022 fourth-round pick
As you can see, the Broncos gave up a lot to get a little. But this is a perfect example of quality over quantity. The Broncos made a quick pivot after failing to sign their number one off-season target, Aaron Rodgers (who just signed a massive extension to return to Green Bay). The Broncos front office didn’t skip a beat to go to Plan B and were able to get their number two option in Russell Wilson. The off-season objective for the Broncos was clear as could be: sign a proven elite level quarterback to help them make a run for the Super Bowl. The last time the Broncos opted for this approach, they saw the great Peyton Manning bring home Lombardi Trophy number three following a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos should get at least a few great years out of Russell Wilson, and with a young team that was able to showcase a surprising amount of raw talent last year (with a mediocre-at-best QB at the wheel), the Broncos are now poised to make a serious run for the playoff and beyond.
So, Who Won This Trade?
I’ll keep this pretty simple: The Denver Broncos.
Apart from everything I’ve touched on above, just look at how the sports betting sites in Colorado have reacted to the news of this massive blockbuster trade. Immediately following the trade, the odds for the Broncos to win the Super Bowl this season jumped from +2200 to +1200, making them the fifth-most likely team to win it all next year (in Vegas’s eyes at least). While on the other hand, the odds for the Seahawks to win it all plummeted to +8000, after being at +3600 just a couple of weeks ago. In summary, the Seahawks have officially waved the white flag and have many woeful seasons ahead while they attempt a rebuild, while the Denver Broncos are in a fantastic position to relive the glory days.
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