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Deshaun Watson isn’t the only superstar quarterback who soon could be on the move.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported Thursday that although Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson has not yet formally demanded a trade, Wilson has provided an exclusive list of teams he would prefer to land with and waive his no-trade clause for — the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears.
Checking into the situation, Schefter’s former coworker, Josina Anderson, reported the Seahawks have “no comment” while the Cowboys continue to posture Dak Prescott, an impending unrestricted free agent, as their franchise QB.
“Dak is our QB. Still working on getting something done,” a team source told Anderson on Thursday.
As of press time, according to SportsBetting.com, Dallas boasts the fourth-best odds (10/1) to acquire Wilson in a potential blockbuster deal that likely would include multiple first-round draft picks and perhaps an exchange of starting players. Earlier this month, when Wilson trade rumors originated, the Cowboys were installed with the second-best odds.
The Raiders (4/1) are the current favorite for the eight-time Pro Bowler, followed by the Miami Dolphins (7/1) and Washington Football Team (8/1).
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Cowboys Media Tamps Down Speculation
Wilson-to-Dallas sounds fun on paper, but its materialization remains highly improbable given the many complicating factors surrounding a franchise-altering deal. And they go beyond the capital required to pry him from Seattle’s surely tight grip.
To trade for Wilson is to give up on Prescott, and that — to put it kindly — would not be smart. The latter (32) is five years younger than the former (27) and arguably a better fit in Kellen Moore’s offense. Rather than rent Wilson, who inked a $140 million new-money extension in 2019, the Cowboys can purchase Prescott, with whom long-term contract negotiations have begun, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer on Monday.
But even if the front office inexplicably decides to part ways, because there’s no chance Prescott walks for free, they must first place the franchise tag on him and then hope he formally signs the tag. And then hope to find a trade partner willing to pay him upwards of $40 million annually.
Put simply, a lot of dominoes are needed to fall in just the right order. It’s a scenario as fantastical as it sounds. But fantasy and reality rarely intersect, which is why you’ll believe Wilson will be in a Cowboys uniform when you see him in a Cowboys uniform.
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Source of Wilson’s Frustration
Anyone who has watched a Seahawks game recently knows the root of the issue driving a wedge between Wilson and the franchise. The former third-round pick was sacked 47 times last season, the third-highest mark in the NFL behind Carson Wentz (50) and Watson (49). Wentz, of course, was traded from Philadelphia to Indianapolis and Watson is attempting to force his way out of Houston.
Wilson, careful not to foment national headlines, prefaced critical remarks to reporters earlier this month by insisting, “I love playing for the Seahawks.” However, in the very next breath, he cried foul over what can be adjudged as pro football negligence, precipitating the smoke-to-fire rumors witnessed on Thursday.
“The reality is that I think it’s frustrating being there and watching the game and sitting there. Part of it, like any player, you never want to get hit, that’s the reality of playing this position, ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. At the same time, it’s part of the job,” Wilson said, via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar.
“I’ve definitely been hit — I’ve been sacked almost 400 times. We got to get better. I got to find ways to get better, too. Just continue to try and find that. As we continue to go along the process and I think about my career and what I want to be able to do, it always starts up front, offensively and defensively. It always does. I’m grateful for the time I’ve been able to put in every day to the process. I love this game. I came to play this game to win championships.
“I’m frustrated with getting hit too much.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL