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Despite the Seattle Seahawks‘ insistence that they were not trading Russell Wilson, the team received plenty of offers for the star quarterback. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Seahawks turned down an offer from the Commanders that would have sent Seattle three first-round picks. Part of the reason for the Seahawks’ rejection is that the team did not want to trade Wilson inside the NFC.
“Washington offered high picks in the next three drafts to the Seahawks for QB Russell Wilson, per sources,” Breer tweeted on March 8. “But it became apparent to the Commanders that Seattle preferred to trade him out of the NFC. So Washington’s QB hunt continues.”
The Broncos could offer a higher pick in this year’s draft at No. 9, but the Commanders were close with the potential to dangle No. 11 plus add a third first-round selection as a sweetener. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Seahawks received inquiries from at least 12 teams.
“The Seahawks quietly were listening to offers for Wilson and got calls from multiple teams,” Schefter detailed on March 8. “One league source estimated the total to be over a dozen teams. Wilson sensed he was going to have to move on, and if he did, he wanted to be going to a winning program. Denver, with all its offensive talent and its tough defense, is in “win-now” mode.”
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Washington Submitted ‘Several Substantial Offers’ But Were ‘Hesitant’ to Include Chase Young
It is unclear how much better the Commanders’ offer would have needed to be for the Seahawks to consider a potential blockbuster deal inside the NFC. The Boardroom’s Jordan Schultz reported that Washington submitted “several substantial offers” but were “very hesitant” to include star pass rusher and former No. 2 pick Chase Young.
“The Commanders submitted several substantial offers to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson, sources say,” Schultz detailed on Twitter on March 8. “I’m told Washington was “very hesitant” to include Chase Young in any package, but had no qualms offering multiple 1s. Martin Mayhew/Ron Rivera will continue looking for a QB.”
Wilson Was Unlikely to Okay a Trade to the Commanders
Outside of Washington being in the NFC, the Seahawks would have also had to get Wilson’s approval for the deal to have any chance of happening. During a March 1 interview on NBC’s “Today,” Wilson did not sound like a player thrilled about the idea of playing for Washington.
“Listen man, I love the East Coast, but I think the West Coast is better for me right now,” Wilson responded when asked about the Washington trade rumors. “I got my whole family over here, so. I’m from Richmond, I know what you mean. I got people hitting me up every day, all my friends and all that from the East Coast. But Seattle is the place that I’m at right now, and I love it and it is great.”
The Broncos were the only team on Wilson’s trade list this offseason, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. If true, this created a limited market for Wilson where the Seahawks could not create a true bidding war between teams.
“My understanding was this was the only team Russell Wilson wanted to go to,” Rapoport said on March 8 on “NFL Total Access.” “A couple teams had talked to Seattle about trading for Russell Wilson. Washington Commanders were among the teams that made an offer. It was a big offer, as good or even better than this.
“Russell Wilson wanted to go to the Denver Broncos. It’s a place he likes, it’s near his family, it’s on the West Coast and they have a roster that is essentially stacked at receiver, on defense, at running back. All they needed was a quarterback, and they got one.”
Seahawks ‘Didn’t Counter’ the Commanders’ Offer: Report
ESPN’s John Keim reported Washington offered multiple first-round picks but Seattle opted not to counter. It is hard to imagine Wilson’s no-trade clause did not factor into the decision.
“My understanding: Washington had offered multiple 1st round picks and picks in 3 drafts,” Kleim tweeted. “Asked Seattle if it wanted a player. Seahawks didn’t counter…Why? Dunno.”
There is also the chance that the Seahawks preferred the Broncos’ package of picks and players to Washington. The Seahawks were able to get a promising young tight end in Noah Fant and veteran defender Shelby Harris as part of the deal. Additionally, the Seahawks are in a position to find their quarterback of the future in one of the next two drafts.
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