The Russell Wilson saga is just starting to heat up and there is expected to be a lot of interest in the Seattle Seahawks’ seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback. Out of all the names that have been rumored to be on the move this offseason, Wilson may be the biggest name of them all.
There are several NFL teams that are going to come calling for the services of Wilson, and there’s plenty of teams who still need to address their quarterback situations. Wilson announced that he would waive his no trade clause if a deal to the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, or Dallas Cowboys was able to get done and those teams could likely be blowing up the phones of Seattle as we speak.
Wilson had another great season in 2020 and was in MVP conversations for the majority of the year despite having vey little talent surrounding him. Last season, Wilson completed 68.8 percent of his passes, tossed 4,212 passing yards, and logged a touchdown to interception ratio of 40 to 13. He also balled out running the ball as he did so 83 times for 513 rushing yards (6.2 yards per carry) and a pair of scores.
He is flat out unhappy in Seattle and he wants to play for a new team. Wilson brought a Super Bowl championship to Seattle and will be looking to do the same for a new organization.
Here’s a look at four teams who should go all out for a Russell Wilson trade.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints were listed as one of the four teams Russell Wilson would love to play for and Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis should strongly consider making it happen. The Saints have some pretty big shoes to fill considering the likely retirement of Drew Brees and there’s literally not a better option to replace him than Russell Wilson.
Wilson was always a big Drew Brees fan, which is likely why he would love to embrace the role as starting quarterback to fill his shoes. Wilson has all the similar tools Drew Brees was known for when he was a bit younger, plus he has a lot of mobility on his tool belt as well.
The Saints have been very obvious about Drew Brees’ successor being more mobile with both Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston being mobile quarterbacks and Wilson could be an even better option to roll with. If Wilson is traded to New Orleans, there is no doubt in my mind that the Saints would win the Super Bowl soon.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have been one of the most mysterious teams this offseason simply because they haven’t been too vocal about their moves, but landing Wilson could be huge for the Windy City moving forward.
The Bears, who were also one of four teams mentioned in Russell Wilson’s dream team saga, should literally do whatever it takes to land the services of Wilson. The Bears, however, may not have all the same tools that a team like the Saints or Cowboys may have to try to land Wilson, but they should still give it a shot.
Chicago would certainly have to, at minimum, give up their first-round draft picks for the next three years, but it would be worth it to have a guy who would instantly be the best quarterback in franchise history. The Bears need to be calling early and often when it comes to potentially landing Wilson.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots were not one of the four teams mentioned that Wilson would agree to play for, but that shouldn’t prevent them from trying to get their hands on the star signal caller. The Patriots, who squared off against Russell Wilson in the Super Bowl a few years back, are in need of a franchise player at the quarterback position.
The Patriots not only need a franchise quarterback, but they have the assets to potentially lure him to join the team. The Patriots could offer Seattle their number 15 overall pick this season (to draft a guy like Mac Jones), their 2022 first-round pick, their 2023 first-round pick, and Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore should be able to get the deal done.
Bill Belichick would greatly benefit from having a signal caller like Russell Wilson on the team and he could certainly carry the Patriots back into the playoffs in 2021. The Patriots should be all aboard with this opportunity.
Houston Texans
I know, this seems like a bit of a wild card, but if the 2021 NFL offseason has proven anything it’s to expect the unexpected. The Houston Texans have a new coaching staff and general manager with a disgruntled quarterback and we could see a one for one trade take place between the Texans and Seahawks.
This would be the biggest shocker of the offseason as well as the best deal for each team. Both Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson are very mobile quarterbacks with powerful arms and both are unhappy in their current situations. Watson would welcome a trade to Seattle with an established, Super Bowl winning head coach and Russell Wilson could re-ignite the flame down in Houston.
This trade is certainly not one to be expected, but it honestly makes a lot of sense from a value stand point. The Texans could keep their hopes alive if they managed to bring in Wilson this offseason.
