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The Seattle Seahawks could make a run at an unexpected option at quarterback for next season.
At 5-9, the Seahawks’ season is basically over. With Seattle due to miss their first postseason since the 2017 season, that could mean rampant changes for the 2022 season. The Seahawks could decide to move on from Pete Carroll as the head coach and Russell Wilson as their quarterback.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposes an offseason scenario that would see Wilson traded to the New Orleans Saints. In this scenario, the Seahawks would then acquire Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr for a 2023 second-round draft pick.
“Trading Wilson might set the Seahawks off on a retooling of the roster, but I don’t think the 70-year-old Carroll is about to tank or outright rebuild,” says Barnwell. “Getting a viable veteran quarterback allows them to stay competitive while they use their bounty of picks to supplement the roster. With more than $60 million in cap space after the Wilson trade, the Seahawks can also afford to take on some short-term salary at quarterback if the right player pops up.”
“Carr has been a consistently above-average quarterback over the past few seasons, even as the Raiders have turned over their offensive line and cycled through options at receiver,” Barnwell continues. “He isn’t the problem for Las Vegas, but after years of disappointing seasons from the defense, it might be time for the organization to pursue a different sort of roster. With Carr entering the final year of his deal in 2022, the Raiders might prefer to get a solid draft pick for him and go in a different direction.”
Seahawks Would Remain Contender Without Wilson
In this scenario, the Seahawks would still try to contend with Carroll as head coach — while deciding to move on from Wilson. Carroll’s recent contract extension signed last year keeps him in Seattle through the 2025 season.
In the Wilson-Saints trade scenario, Seattle would acquire a bevy of draft picks — including first and third-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
“So, if Wilson is tired of playing under Pete Carroll in Seattle and goes into another offseason seeking a trade, there’s a deal to be done,” says Barnwell. “New Orleans will send first- and third-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and slot cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Seahawks for Wilson. The Seahawks would also get a conditional second-round pick in 2024 if Wilson leads the Saints to a Super Bowl before then.”
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Best Possible Move for All Sides?
While the Seahawks have a number of problems surrounding Wilson, it’s becoming clear that this combination is in the decline. The Seahawks haven’t come close to contending for a Super Bowl in years and the last time they even advanced to the NFC Championship Game was during the 2014 season.
Moving Wilson — who will turn 34 years old next season — while his market value is still high for an NFC playoff contender who is desperate for a QB in the Saints may be in the best interest for both Seattle and Wilson.
The Seahawks would acquire a veteran quarterback in Carr while remaining a playoff contender by acquiring draft picks and a young slot cornerback in Johnson who actually ranks fifth among corners in pass rush grade and 13th in run defense grade.
Meanwhile, Wilson will have another opportunity to contend for a Super Bowl before his career comes to a close with a team that ranks sixth in the league in defense and a well-known penchant for having Tom Brady’s number with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-0 over the past two regular seasons).
As painful as it may sound to Seahawks fans, this may be the best possible move all parties.
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