Getty Bruce Arians' Buccaneers are in the market for a new quarterback.
It did not take long after the retirement of Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to turn their attention towards the Seattle Seahawks. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Buccaneers intend to “explore a potential trade for Russell Wilson” before adding that the Seahawks have not given any signs that they are open for business.
“The Buccaneers are leaving the door open for Tom Brady in case the legendary quarterback changes his mind on retirement, and sources say they would do whatever is necessary for him to return — a possibility Brady himself isn’t completely ruling out,” Rapoport and Pelissero detailed on February 13.
“Should he remain retired, the Bucs have shifted their focus to other veteran QBs who could be available via trade. Sources say they’re doing extensive homework on Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and are one of multiple teams expected to explore a potential trade for Russell Wilson, though the Seahawks have given no indication they’ll deal him.”
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Wilson & Carroll’s Relationship Is ‘As Good as It’s Ever Been,’ Says Insider
The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: #Bucs want Tom Brady back; Tampa will swing big if Brady isn’t back; Zeke Elliott will be back for Dallas; The latest on Russell Wilson; #Raiders plan to commit to Carr… & #Packers want to do so for Aaron Rodgers.
The Buccaneers are likely going to have to pursue other avenues as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Seahawks are intent on keeping Wilson. The NFL insider added that Wilson and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll “have been talking a bunch” during the offseason and their relationship is “as good as it’s been.”
“Back to what you said about Russell Wilson, the Seahawks [are] giving no indication that they want to trade him,” Garafolo noted during NFL Network’s Super Bowl pregame show on February 13. “They plan for him to be their quarterback in 2022, as of right now. And Russell Wilson was here in Los Angeles doing a bunch of media saying he expects to be in Seattle and would like to win multiple Super Bowls there.
“He also said that he and Pete Carroll, their relationship [is] as good as it’s ever been. That is the truth, those guys have been talking a bunch. So, there is communication back and forth, we’ll see where this goes. You put it all together and you say, well, it’s going to take a lot if someone is going to try to pry Russell Wilson away from Seattle.”
What Would the Seahawks’ Asking Price Be If They Traded Wilson?
Wilson’s current four-year, $140 million contract runs through 2023 giving the Seahawks an additional two seasons with their franchise quarterback signed in the Pacific Northwest. All signs point to Wilson suiting up for the Seahawks in 2022, but what would the Seattle’s asking price be if they were to consider a trade for their franchise quarterback?
The Lions were able to get two first-round picks and Jared Goff as part of a trade with the Rams involving Matthew Stafford. One NFL executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando that a Wilson deal would land the Seahawks more than the Lions received from the Rams in the Stafford deal.
“This part is tricky because the Seahawks will control whether a deal gets done,” Sando explained on January 3. “They could insist for unprecedented return in a trade. Wilson himself could even push for max compensation if being part of the biggest trade in recent memory mattered to him, as some execs suspect it might, given Wilson’s open talk about winning at least three more Super Bowls, achieving greatness, etc.
“’I think it would take at least two ‘ones’ (first-round picks) and a player — maybe three ones,” an NFL executive told Sando. “’The (Matthew) Stafford trade is pretty informative, but it would be more than that.’”
The Buccaneers have plenty of future draft picks and young players they could offer the Seahawks for Wilson. So far, the Seahawks are giving signs that they are closed for business when it comes to their franchise quarterback.