Great ESPN article posted today regarding the Russ/Seattle divorce

[Anointed One]

I do think in the end this can still be a win/win for both sides.

That's the key here... I believe it was definitely a win/win for both sides... I don't view it as one side got the bad end of the stick... It was something both sides were able to negotiate and meet their needs while moving on at the same time... Win/Win is how I definitely view this...

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

That's the key here... I believe it was definitely a win/win for both sides... I don't view it as one side got the bad end of the stick... It was something both sides were able to negotiate and meet their needs while moving on at the same time... Win/Win is how I definitely view this...

Most major sites and analysts did NOT consider it a win for Seattle in the slightest, so I think that's why it continues to get a bit of discussion.

That said, we haven't really seen a trade QUITE like this in the NFL.... Seattle basically said, "Fuck our near term future and we're going to trade away a future HOF QB who has cleared medical who is still 33...." That quite hasn't happened in the NFL before at least that I recall...

You kind of think back to like a Herschel Walker trade... but this is a QB. I mean Brees was traded but VERY early on in his career and the Chargers had Rivers. The 49ers had Young, etc.

So this is kind of new territory for everyone... It'll be the running story for years and easily this season. If Wilson doesn't work out it's a massive blunder by the Broncos, but it's also a massive blunder and will IMO easily result in Pete/John getting fired if Wilson puts up a Super Bowl in a couple seasons.... and IMO I think that's Wilson's window. 2 or so seasons. I think by then his playstyle will either result in another injury or just a lost style of play beyond that point.

But again, it's such an anomaly to let a franchise QB go at this age. Meanwhile we're seeing insane contracts given out to guys who haven't won a playoff game (in fact he pretty much did everything in his power to lose it) in Murray, or Rodgers who hasn't really done fuck all since his Super Bowl, or Watson who will nearly be 2 years in since playing a snap, etc.

IF Wilson doesn't work out, then Seattle sets a trend by just being the team that said, "Fuck it, go walk." And refuse to sign a mega deal and just draft a new QB and build around them.... no team has really done that either (or attempted to). And people need to understand it's a QB driven league now and Colleges are going to start adapting as well generating a lot more NFL caliber QBs out of College. I'm dying to see if Baltimore balks on Lamar's demand... and IMO they should 100% go that route. Lamar is done. Another QB that did F all in postseason who is now getting injured and already losing his steam (in a different way than I think Wilson is - obviously their age is very different).

 

[flyerhawk]

Most major sites and analysts did NOT consider it a win for Seattle in the slightest, so I think that's why it continues to get a bit of discussion.

That said, we haven't really seen a trade QUITE like this in the NFL.... Seattle basically said, "Fuck our near term future and we're going to trade away a future HOF QB who has cleared medical who is still 33...." That quite hasn't happened in the NFL before at least that I recall...

You kind of think back to like a Herschel Walker trade... but this is a QB. I mean Brees was traded but VERY early on in his career and the Chargers had Rivers. The 49ers had Young, etc.

So this is kind of new territory for everyone... It'll be the running story for years and easily this season. If Wilson doesn't work out it's a massive blunder by the Broncos, but it's also a massive blunder and will IMO easily result in Pete/John getting fired if Wilson puts up a Super Bowl in a couple seasons.... and IMO I think that's Wilson's window. 2 or so seasons. I think by then his playstyle will either result in another injury or just a lost style of play beyond that point.

But again, it's such an anomaly to let a franchise QB go at this age. Meanwhile we're seeing insane contracts given out to guys who haven't won a playoff game (in fact he pretty much did everything in his power to lose it) in Murray, or Rodgers who hasn't really done fuck all since his Super Bowl, or Watson who will nearly be 2 years in since playing a snap, etc.

IF Wilson doesn't work out, then Seattle sets a trend by just being the team that said, "Fuck it, go walk." And refuse to sign a mega deal and just draft a new QB and build around them.... no team has really done that either (or attempted to). And people need to understand it's a QB driven league now and Colleges are going to start adapting as well generating a lot more NFL caliber QBs out of College. I'm dying to see if Baltimore balks on Lamar's demand... and IMO they should 100% go that route. Lamar is done. Another QB that did F all in postseason who is now getting injured and already losing his steam (in a different way than I think Wilson is - obviously their age is very different).

Pretty much agree with all of this. This was a HUGE gamble, not just by Pete and Johhn, but by the entire Seahawks organization. If Russ winds up going to a AFC championship game and the Seahawks go 6-11, the Seahawks will be a laughing stock.

Now if Russ completely fizzles and the Broncos miss the playoffs and the Seahawks somehow get 9 wins, they will be seen as geniuses.

I've made my views on what is likely to happen pretty clear on that.

 

[Screamin12th]

I can't really pin point when I started noticing that RW was getting thicker and a bit slower and had become less inclined to run for yards, but I'm sure it began further back then two years ago, but at the time I thought RW would start being more of a pocket passer and his arm was soooo dang good I figured it would be fine. Unfortunately RW never got comfortable in the pocket, didn't like having big bodies flying around him with him in the middle and he started falling in love with throwing bombs every chance he had, even when it was inadvisable. Seahawks brought him new OC to work on that and had RW input on the hire, but it never did work out.

2016 was when Wilson decided getting BIG was his best option and started to bulk up, He came into the season thicker than ever. 2016-2017 he started to eat 5000 calories and 8 to 10 full meals A DAY lol. So to put a time stamp on your question it was the 2016-2017 seasons that Wilson went fat mode.

I remember because I said in 2018 "Until Wilson gets off this stupid 5000 calorie diet he will never be the same." When you age your body burns a lot less fat so it can build up quickly and this will lead to injury as you are carrying weight your body is not use to. Wilson pretty much avoided the injuries thankfully but his quickness and mobility which were staples of his game also vanished.

 

[MrS]

He wanted an MVP award and was willing to hurt the team's chances at success in order to get that.

same reason why he threw a repeat championship away, he wanted to be MVP over Marshawn.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

same reason why he threw a repeat championship away, he wanted to be MVP over Marshawn.

Don't agree. That pass was called so the Seahawks could run another play if needed. I swear BB had practice film on that play because he actually was practicing against that very play, which was very odd.

 

[MrS]

Don't agree. That pass was called so the Seahawks could run another play if needed. I swear BB had practice film on that play because he actually was practicing against that very play, which was very odd.

we had at least 1 TO, maybe 2?

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I still to this day agree with passing.... Lynch was 1 of 4 during the regular season in converting runs within 2 yards at goal line and the Pats had the box stacked.

But the playcall of that pass was terrible (should've been to a corner endzone spot with an option for Wilson to take off if needed), and it still blows my mind why Ricardo fuckin' Lockette was the target.

We had two timeouts if I recall correctly. So Pass, then run/run as needed, then pass on 4th down and that's it. Running on first forces you into a remaining 3 downs with little time which means 2 passes are required back to back, if you're playing by the #s.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Simmering tension, a 'declining player' and a public breakup: Inside Seattle's trade of Russell Wilson

I couldn't help but shake my head in agreement throughout this article. It is a great rendition of how things went down. It definitely doesn't pull its punches, and makes me all the more happy with the situation.

Really good read.

 

[Wolvie]

same reason why he threw a repeat championship away, he wanted to be MVP over Marshawn.

yeah I really didn't buy into that narrative at the time, but after reading this article I definitely find that more plausible.

 

[Screamin12th]

Don't agree. That pass was called so the Seahawks could run another play if needed. I swear BB had practice film on that play because he actually was practicing against that very play, which was very odd.

Yeah That was the greatest reaction from a CB I have ever seen, He INSTANTLY went for the hard slant inside. That defense 100% knew what was coming and sold out to stop it. Had Seattle faked the inside slant then had the slot go hard outside after the jab step ( A play the Hawks do have ) it would have been wide open and people would have been talking about the busted coverage at the 1 by the patriots.

The Patriots took a 50/50 chance and it worked out for them. They took a risky shot something the Hawks never do. Whats that saying? "History favors the bold" ?

 

[flyerhawk]

The Patriots took a 50/50 chance and it worked out for them. They took a risky shot something the Hawks never do.

Or they knew it was coming.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Or they knew it was coming.

Yes

 

[Screamin12th]

Or they knew it was coming.

I said that. They 100% knew it was coming so they took their shot. But like I said the Hawks had the counter to that but at the 1 with so little time to work they took the quickest and safest option ( the Hawks ), playing straight up. Not so safe when the defense sold out for that very play. It was 50/50 they sold out for it. Now had the Hawks used the counter like I said we would be talking about the blown coverage by the Pats. Pete was out coached and out smarted.

Imagine if the defense didn't go into safe mode early in the 3rd. Pete has always been to conservative, risk adverse. He loves to play straight up and say beat us because we wont beat ourselves. It's one of the reasons Seattle has been so bad at 3rd down lately. Everything is " the safe" thing not the right thing.

Teams know what they are going to get from Pete now and that he isn't just trying to trick them so this in turn makes the Hawks a VERY predictable Team and they no longer have the talent to win the straight up battles. Most teams best is better than our best because of poor drafting, poor scouting and loss of capital from poor trades.

 

[flyerhawk]

I said that. They 100% knew it was coming so they took their shot. But like I said the Hawks had the counter to that but at the 1 with so little time to work they took the quickest and safest option ( the Hawks ), playing straight up. Not so safe when the defense sold out for that very play. It was 50/50 they sold out for it. Now had the Hawks used the counter like I said we would be talking about the blown coverage by the Pats. Pete was out coached and out smarted.

Imagine if the defense didn't go into safe mode early in the 3rd. Pete has always been to conservative, risk adverse. He loves to play straight up and say beat us because we wont beat ourselves.

I agree.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I said that. They 100% knew it was coming so they took their shot. But like I said the Hawks had the counter to that but at the 1 with so little time to work they took the quickest and safest option ( the Hawks ), playing straight up. Not so safe when the defense sold out for that very play. It was 50/50 they sold out for it. Now had the Hawks used the counter like I said we would be talking about the blown coverage by the Pats. Pete was out coached and out smarted.

Imagine if the defense didn't go into safe mode early in the 3rd. Pete has always been to conservative, risk adverse. He loves to play straight up and say beat us because we wont beat ourselves. It's one of the reasons Seattle has been so bad at 3rd down lately. Everything is " the safe" thing not the right thing.

Teams know what they are going to get from Pete now and that he isn't just trying to trick them so this in turn makes the Hawks a VERY predictable Team and they no longer have the talent to win the straight up battles. Most teams best is better than our best because of poor drafting, poor scouting and loss of capital from poor trades.

I seem to recall our pass rush getting wiped out by injury. I think Avril went down, and Bennett got banged up. The moment the elite pass rush went down Brady started carving things up.

 

[Screamin12th]

I seem to recall our pass rush getting wiped out by injury. I think Avril went down, and Bennett got banged up. The moment the elite pass rush went down Brady started carving things up.

Also Lane went down with a broken arm I think it was and that's when it went bad. Seattle started playing safe but was still doing ok until Lane went down and the defense folded up and went Prevent for almost the whole second half. Remember Lane was one of the only defenders playing like a Seahawk in the 2nd half and on his Pick he went snap

Also Bennett was never anything special with out Avril, Avril was the reason Bennett had success. Avrils outside rush was outstanding and he would smack the ball out of QB's hands ALL the time. The QB's started to step up on his rush right into Bennett's waiting arms.

 

[blstoker]

Also Lane went down with a broken arm I think it was and that's when it went bad. Seattle started playing safe but was still doing ok until Lane went down and the defense folded up and went Prevent for almost the whole second half. Remember Lane was one of the only defenders playing like a Seahawk in the 2nd half and on his Pick he went snap

Also Bennett was never anything special with out Avril, Avril was the reason Bennett had success. Avrils outside rush was outstanding and he would smack the ball out of QB's hands ALL the time. The QB's started to step up on his rush right into Bennett's waiting arms.

While true that Lane was playing a good game until the injury, his injury was on NE second drive - at the end of the first quarter. That defense was so banged up - if I remember, Sherm was playing with one arm and Thomas had a hurt knee going into the game. It was just brutal to replace Lane with Simon, and to lose Avril on top of that it was just too much for the defense to overcome.

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

Simmering tension, a 'declining player' and a public breakup: Inside Seattle's trade of Russell Wilson

I couldn't help but shake my head in agreement throughout this article. It is a great rendition of how things went down. It definitely doesn't pull its punches, and makes me all the more happy with the situation.

Cleveland could have had Wilson instead of Baker Mayfield ? That’s a swing and a miss by Cleveland… Seattle was willing to take the Browns 1st overall for Wilson, MAN they should have jumped at that …

 

[Wolvie]

Cleveland could have had Wilson instead of Baker Mayfield ? That’s a swing and a miss by Cleveland… Seattle was willing to take the Browns 1st overall for Wilson, MAN they should have jumped at that …

yeah, I wonder what else we were wanting in that trade. If it was Wilson for the #1 straight up, then that trade would have made the NFL world explode, especially if made the day of the draft.