Getty The Seahawks could make a key change.
Until Dak Prescott is signed to a long-term contract, the Dallas Cowboys are likely to continue to be linked to Russell Wilson trade rumors. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith detailed why his source believes Wilson being traded prior to June 1st is “anything equal to impossible.”
“One source linked to a team Russell Wilson reportedly would be willing to play for indicated to me that the chances of a deal happening before June 1 are ‘anything equal to impossible,'” Smith noted on Twitter. “There is no way Seattle will absorb that cap charge. Absolutely none.”
Why is the June 1st date significant in regards to a potential Wilson deal? The Seahawks would take a $39 million cap hit this season if they trade Wilson prior to June 1st, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. If Wilson was traded after June 1st, the Seahawks would have a $13 million cap hit this season and $26 million would carry over to 2022. Neither scenario is ideal which is why a trade would be complicated for the Seahawks to pull off no matter how frustrated Wilson is with the situation.
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If the Seahawks & Cowboys Explored a Trade, It Is Likely to Happen After June 1st
As a reminder, the Cowboys became linked to the Wilson after the quarterback’s agent floated Dallas along with three other teams as squads his client would be willing to waive his no-trade clause in a potential deal. Smith speculates that the Cowboys would be one of the top contenders in a post-June 1st trade for Wilson.
Under this scenario, Prescott would likely be franchised tagged for the second straight season and without a long-term extension. Prescott would have to sign his franchise tag tender in order to be traded by the Cowboys.
“This is all speculation – but I would think that means the Raiders and Cowboys are the two teams that would have the best shot at swinging something,” Smith added. “Prescott and Carr could be flipped and cap hits wouldn’t be as large for Seahawks. Again – all speculation on that front.”
Sports’ Illustrated’s Mike Fisher noted that the Cowboys likely view Wilson as a “superior” quarterback to Prescott. The Seahawks would be expecting more than just Prescott in a potential trade.
“Dallas surely views Wilson as being superior to Prescott, and would therefore likely attach a premium pick to any swap,” Fisher detailed. “But those hoops… Prescott would need to sign his tag tender and would have to okay being dealt to Seattle. Seattle would have to negotiate a new deal with Prescott (technically, the pre-trade contract would be done with Dallas). Seattle and Dallas would have to agree on a trade price. (How many picks would the Cowboys have to include?) Dallas would get Wilson, on an affordable three more years on his deal – while hoping he doesn’t slip into the conversation a desire to be given a fat extension.”
The Cowboys Continue to Back Prescott & Shoot Down the Wilson Trade Rumors
The Cowboys have repeatedly shot down the idea of a Prescott for Wilson swap through multiple NFL insiders. Yet, Prescott still does not have a new contract and the Cowboys are headed towards using the franchise tag for the second straight season if a contract extension is not agreed to prior to March 9.
The Cowboys can still sign Prescott to a new extension after March 9, but it would seem likely the team needs to at least reach a resolution by the time the NFL draft rolls around in April. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Cowboys are “unfazed” with the Wilson chatter, but things may look a lot different in June if Prescott does not have a deal.
“From what I’m hearing, Dallas is unfazed by the Russell Wilson talk,” Fowler recently noted, per 247Sports. “They are dug in with Dak Prescott. They’ve gone underground. They know they’ve been talking about this for two years and that people don’t believe them — that it’s not going to get done. They want to finalize this with Prescott. They’ve got until March 9 before the franchise tag.”
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