Seahawks Respond to Russell Wilson’s Demand to Add Superstars

Russell Wilson Father

Getty Russell Wilson shared a heartfelt message about his father.

Russell Wilson made it clear so far this offseason that he has major expectations for the Seahawks in free agency. Seahawks GM John Schneider responded in agreement to Wilson’s request for “superstars” in free agency. Rather than the comments creating tension within the organization, Schneider noted that he agreed with Wilson’s request.

“I agree,” Schneider said at the NFL Combine, per Seahawks.com. “We all want superstars. We all want great players. I think Pete (Carroll) would say the same thing. I stay awake at night, my gut churns all the time thinking about how we can improve in every aspect of our football operation. We’re doing it non-stop, and we have been ever since we walked in the doors here, and we’ll keep it rolling.”

The Seahawks are projected to have about 44.6 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.com. Seattle’s cap space was initially projected to be around $50 million, but the Seahawks used a small portion of this to sign former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Schneider also implied that he expects Wilson to be involved in the free agency process given the number of relationships he has around the NFL.


Russell Wilson Campaigned for the Seahawks to Add “Superstars” in Free Agency

Wilson has been open about the things the Seahawks can improve upon this offseason. The Seahawks quarterback admitted that the team needed a “couple” more players to compete for a Super Bowl and went on to note that the team needed to add “superstars.”

“I think we need a couple more [players],” Wilson told ESPN during Pro Bowl week. “I think we need a couple more. Jadeveon is a big-time guy that we would love to get back on our football team. He was so good in the locker room. He brought so many, just havoc plays to the field. Hopefully, we can get a few other players there on the defense. Then also on offense, we have a great offense, but I think we can always add more pieces. I think that’s going to be the part that’s going to be great with John Schneider and Pete [Carroll], as well, in terms of this offseason’s free agency. Free agency is very, very key to getting those superstars on your team and try to get great players that can fill the space.”


Wilson Is Also Pushing for Changes to the Seahawks’ Offense

Wilson has also been slightly critical of the offensive system noting that he hopes the Seahawks can add more tempo to their play next season. The Seahawks quarterback noticed what many fans also critiqued last season. The two-minute offense often seemed more successful than when the team ran its traditional system.

“I mean we’ve always been really good at two-minute [offense],” Wilson explained to Pro Football Talk prior to the Super Bowl. “We’ve always been really good in those end of the half, those not always hurry-up situations, but those up-tempo situations [and] moments. And the reality is this: I think the defense gets tired, first thing. And I think the second thing is that, you know, I really know kind of what I want to get after them, how we want to get after them, especially in those moments. And guys just make plays in those moments. I think the freedom of just going after it and just scoring as many points, you know?”

A good portion of the Seahawks’ cap space will depend on what the team does with free-agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The team has been vocal about their desire to re-sign Clowney, which would likely cut a significant portion of their available cap space. The Seahawks have a history of pursuing veteran players like Olsen on short-term prove-it deals, and we could see similar signings once free agency kicks off in March.