By: Andy Davies

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When the Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio, it was deemed that they were just a quarterback away from being contenders.

And then the Broncos made moves. Nathaniel Hackett was hired, after a spell as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Not long after that appointment, the team went big in their search for a new quarterback. They traded a 2022 and 2023 first-round and second-round pick as well as a fifth round from this year and gave away Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris in exchange for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

This was supposed to be the answer. However, so far it has been far from that.

The Broncos have lost their last two games and currently sit at 2-3 after their first five games with their new head coach and quarterback duo. Neither has set the world alight.

In five starts, Wilson has thrown for 1,254 yards, just four touchdowns and three interceptions. This would have projected to finish the season with 4,264 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Whilst those projected yards would actually be a career best, it would be an all-time career low in touchdown passes, six less than his current worst in 2014. He would only have four seasons with more interceptions than nine. 

Russell Wilson is said to have requested the trade, and many felt Pete Carroll’s run-first offense was holding him back. However, all Wilson has shown us in 2022 is that perhaps Carroll was doing this for a reason.

Against the Colts, Wilson threw an awful interception and despite having 274 passing yards, he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. With the exception of one great run and one great pass, Russ had no moments of excellence. He was incapable of getting it done in the red zone, seemed to force his passes to his target men, and often missed several open receivers.

Hackett came in as an offensive guy, one that worked with the current back-to-back MVP. Russ was meant to be allowed to cook, presumably one of the reasons if not the main one for Wilson agreeing to join the Broncos. With Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, he was not short of receiving options. Patrick may have suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week One, but the team still has K.J. Hamler and Albert Okwuegbunam.

His ability to just throw it without properly looking through his reads may have been disguised in recent years due to D.K. Metcalf being the closest thing to Calvin Johnson we have seen since the Hall of Famer retired. Neither Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler have the strength and hands of Metcalf. 

Hackett deserves some portion of the blame, with his questionable play calling and poor time management. He could well be one and done as a head coach for the Broncos. His time so far reminiscent of Adam Gase, a star quarterback glossing over coaching deficiencies. However, he is not the one out there missing open players, making bad throws, and seeming scared to get hit. So far, Wilson looks to have made no difference. With the number of draft picks given up and the long term multi-million-dollar extension given to him, this trade so far looks to be one the team may regret.

Let’s not forget that Wilson still has to play the Chargers and Chiefs each twice.

Granted, a new head coach who actually knows what they are doing may be the difference they need and not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford did on new teams.

Despite this, should Wilson play like this for the rest of 2022 and beyond this trade could be one that potentially affects the team long-term.

The post You Let Russ Cook, Everyone Gets Food Poisoning appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Seattle Seahawks have lost yet again in heartbreaking fashion against the Chicago Bears in Week 16. It’s becoming very clear that Pete Carroll hasn’t maintained a competitive roster after the “Legion of Boom” fell apart. 

At 5-10, the Seahawks hope of reaching the playoffs has been shut down. In a calendar year that Russell Wilson expressed frustration, the Hawks have made matters worse for the once MVP-caliber QB. 

I believe that Wilson’s interest in ditching the Washington state has been confirmed as he’s slowly watching the glass below his feet crumble. Matter, in fact, Bleacher Report has reported that “Little to no chance of contract extension”, trade very real”. 

If Wilson leaves the hipster city by the Pacific ocean, where could he end up? Well, I’m going to outline three real destinations for the disgruntled QB. 

1. New Orleans Saints

I fully understand that the New Orleans Saints have been in cap hell and they truly don’t seem overly desperate at the QB position with Jameis Winston in the building. Still, I believe that Seattle will be a bit more open to dealing the veteran QB this offseason and I also foresee Sean Payton aggressively acquiring the talented QB. If Payton has to slightly reshape his juggernaut defense to get Wilson in the same offense with Kamara and Michael Thomas, Payton won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. 

ESPN has nicely painted the idea of Wilson landing in NOLA. I don’t know if there would be anything more tempting for NO than acquiring Wilson at any cost rather than picking up (or keeping) a QB and keeping more assets. The SEA QB is flat out worth the effort to reel in for Mickey Loomis and company. 

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 

It appears to be an end of an era for Big Ben in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have firepower on defense, talent at the interesting WR position, and a franchise RB in Najee Harris. Still, there will be a massive question mark at the QB spot in the 2022 offseason. 

The Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the one that laughs off college head coaching questions and makes bold decisions to push his team to another Super Bowl appearance. Tomlin knows that he has a roster that isn’t quite ready to be rebuilt. If they can pick up a talented signal-caller, they will be near or above their 12-4 record in 2020. On another note, the Steelers are not in the NFC conference (where Seattle rests).

3. Cleveland Browns 

The Cleveland Browns have a big decision to make with Baker Mayfield. If Mayfield continues to play as he did against Green Bay, it will be an easy decision for GM Andrew Berry to send the former first overall pick out the door after OBJ. 

Alike the Steelers, the Browns have greek gods on the defensive side of the ball. Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are the best or near the top of their respective positions. The team also fields a bowling ball, Top 3 RB in Nick Chubb. Wilson will also have Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper to play with on offense. The Browns surely play out as a solid fit and they have the management that has the nerve to get creative with such a transaction.

The post Is Russell Wilson out of Seattle? 3 potential trade destinations appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Chris Moore

Now, I know what some of you may be thinking after reading the title of this article. But, let’s suppose you have been out of the NFL rumors loop over the past week. It appears that Russel Wilson is not happy with the Seahawks right now. Wilson expressed to reporters this week that he’s not happy with the number of times he has been hit as of late. Russel Wilson has been sacked 394 times throughout his nine seasons in the NFL. Wilson also made it clear he wishes to be more involved with the Seahawks personnel decisions. These comments were pretty huge, which started the impromptu trade rumors.

Now, I don’t believe the Seahawks have any actual interest in trading their superstar quarterback. But much like the Deshaun Watson situation in Houston, Wilson could force a trade if he is not happy. There’s no question Seattle has done a poor job of protecting their superstar quarterback. Seattle has failed to provide Wilson with better offensive linemen for a couple of seasons now. There’s even the idea that Seattle hasn’t provided Wilson with the right supporting cast.

Many considered Wilson an MVP favorite last season. The odds are slim that Wilson is traded, but it’s possible Seattle receives an offer they can’t refuse. Let’s break down Russel Wilson’s top three trade destinations.

New York Jets

The New York Jets may not be contenders. But they are in the best position in the entire NFL to make a trade for a superstar quarterback. With multiple draft picks in the future, the Jets are heading in the right direction. The Jets own the second overall pick and Seattle’s first-round pick in the first round in this year’s draft.

The Jets also happen to own 19 picks in the next two NFL drafts. That type of draft capital is going to be needed to trade for a superstar like Russel Wilson, and the Jets could pull it off. Seattle could move Wilson to the Jets, draft their new franchise quarterback, and recuperate draft capital they used when they traded for Jamal Adams. The addition of Russel Wilson, along with $70 million in cap space, would turn the Jets organization around. The Jets may not be the most attractive landing spot, but they might be the only team in the NFL that can provide a large sum of assets.

Miami Dolphins  

The Dolphins may not have the draft capital the Jets have, but they do own multiple first-round picks in this draft as well. The Dolphins also have Tua Tagovailoa, who has already been in his fair share of rumors this offseason. Tua plus a handful of draft picks might be enough to get Seattle on the phone at least. The Dolphins already own an elite defense and seem to be a quarterback away from being a serious contender in the AFC.

A trade for Wilson would immediately move the Dolphins into one of the top spots in the AFC, as well as potential Super Bowl contention. The Dolphins also have around $32 million in cap space. Some of that money should be spent on the offensive line, as well as bringing more playmakers to the offense. With their cap space and ferocious defense, the Dolphins have the tools they need to make sure Wilson is surrounded by the right talent.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders don’t have the same kind of draft capital as the Jets or Dolphins, but they do have the most established quarterback. Now, the Raiders would have to get creative to create a good enough trade package for Wilson. But Derek Carr is a quality starting quarterback on a team-friendly deal. Seattle could be interested in acquiring a quality veteran while also getting multiple assets back for Wilson. Carr would keep the Seahawks in playoff contention.

The Raiders also may be the best attraction for Russel Wilson. The Raiders have invested a lot of money as of late into their offensive line, and they have talented playmakers on the offense in Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller.Wilson would be surrounded by talent and an offensive-minded coach in Jon Gruden. Seattle would most likely demand multiple first rounders in any trade package for Wilson. But if the Raiders did pull it off, Mahomes vs Wilson twice a season would be amazing to watch.

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