Getty Russell Wilson's recruiting skills should help the Seahawks in NFL free agency.
The Seattle Seahawks have a not-so-secret weapon they plan on using when NFL free agency begins later this month: Russell Wilson. The Seahawks’ quarterback’s impact on the field is clear, but the front office indicated they plan on using him to bring in a few more key players as well. Seahawks GM John Schneider called Wilson a “natural recruiter.”
“He’s competitor, so he loves it,” Schneider noted at the NFL Combine, per Seahawks.com. “He’s got a lot of relationships, works out with a lot of different guys. He just knows a lot of people. He’s a natural recruiter, right? Because you look at our games this year, why wouldn’t you want to play with a guy like that, right? So he’s just a natural recruiter, especially with the way he finishes games. Guys want to play with a guy like that. He’s a pretty inspirational dude.”
We have already seen this in action after Greg Olsen was released by the Panthers. Wilson was spotted with Olsen at NFL Honors and began recruiting him publicly on social media. It will be worth watching who the Seahawks are able to sign when free agency begins given the sizable amount of cap room the team has to potentially spend.
The Seahawks Agreed With Russell Wilson’s Request for Superstars
Wilson has been vocal about his desire for the Seahawks to add stars this offseason. Rather than these comments creating tension within the organization, Schneider noted he agreed with Wilson in his first public comments since the Seahawks’ quarterback made the request.
“I agree,” Schneider said, 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.”
Pete Carroll Admitted that Russell Wilson & Bobby Wagner’s Salaries Make it Challenging in Free Agency
The Seahawks have money to spend this offseason, but the team also has to be aware of how the contracts they sign impact future years. Wilson is not only the team’s franchise quarterback but was the highest-paid player in the NFL last season.
Pete Carroll explained that Wilson along with Bobby Wagner’s salaries mean they have to be prudent in their free-agent signings. The Seahawks want to re-sign pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney which would also eat into their cap space.
“…And we got Bobby and Russell, two of the highest-paid guys at their positions,” Carroll noted at the NFL Combine, per Seahawks.com. “They deserve it, they’re worthy of it, they played like it again. We couldn’t be more thrilled that decision because they’re the two guys that lead our football team and lead our franchise. But it causes challenges and you have to hit right in free agency, in all aspects of free agency, and we have to do a really good job at every opportunity when players become available—even going down to the 53-man cut and all of that, every single step of the way we have to be on it to keep fortifying the competitiveness on the roster. Fortunately, I’ve got a great partner in John doing it.”
