Getty Things between Russell Wilson and the Seahawks appear to be on the mend.
It has been a slow start to NFL free agency for the Seattle Seahawks which 12s have come to expect from a franchise that prides itself on patience during the offseason. The challenge is the Seahawks are under a lot of pressure from their franchise quarterback to revamp their roster.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported Wilson would have “loved” the Seahawks to add former Patriots guard Joe Thuney, but the Chiefs signed him to a five-year, $80 million deal to protect Patrick Mahomes. According to Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith, the Seahawks were not going to “come anywhere close” to this type of lucrative contract for Thuney.
“Russell Wilson would have loved for the Seahawks to sign Joe Thuney, but that seemed highly unlikely given his expected price tag and Seattle’s MO in free agency,” Henderson tweeted.
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The Seahawks Showed an Interest in New Ravens Guard Kevin Zeitler
The Seahawks were also connected to guard Kevin Zeitler who signed a three-year, $22 million contract with the Ravens after being released by the Giants. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Seahawks showed an interest in signing Zeitler as well. Henderson detailed Zeitler’s connection to the Seahawks, including being Wilson’s college roommate at Wisconsin.
“A more likely option at left guard might be someone like Kevin Zeitler, who was just released by the Giants,” Henderson explained. “A college teammate of Wilson at Wisconsin, Zeitler is a solid and experienced starter who will probably be more in Seattle’s preferred price range. If the Seahawks don’t re-sign Ethan Pocic, Austin Blythe could be an inexpensive alternative to Linsley at center and would help with Seattle’s offensive transition under new coordinator Shane Waldron, who coached Blythe with the Los Angeles Rams.”
The Seahawks Could Look to Recently Released 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson
The Seahawks may have a second chance thanks to a couple of cap casualties in Las Vegas. The Raiders recently released three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson along with guard Gabe Jackson. Henderson noted that the Raiders’ offensive line was a big reason why Las Vegas was on Wilson’s approved list of trade destinations.
“A reason Russell Wilson put the Raiders on his list of teams he’d OK a trade to, from what I understand, was their expensive/loaded OL,” Henderson tweeted. “But it’s now being dismantled, leaving C Rodney Hudson and maybe G Gabe Jackson available. Seattle needs a LG and C.”
The Seahawks have been one of the least active teams to start NFL free agency which is not exactly a surprise. What is different this time around is the public pressure Wilson put on the franchise to make changes.
“I’m frustrated at getting hit too much,” Wilson said earlier this offseason, per Pro Football Talk. “I’m frustrated with that. At the end of the day, man, you want to win, you know. …You never want to get hit. That’s just, that’s the reality of playing this position. Ask any quarterback who wants to play this game, and I think, at the same time, it’s part of the job and everything else. I think that the reality is is that I’ve definitely been hit, been sacked, I don’t know, almost 400 times. And so we’ve got to get better. I’ve got to find ways to get better, too.”
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Seahawks Strike out on Russell Wilson’s Free-Agent Wish List: Report