Getty The Seattle Seahawks are beefing up their protection for Russell Wilson.
After striking out on the first wave of NFL free agency, the Seattle Seahawks finally made a move to improve Russell Wilson’s protection. The Seahawks traded for Raiders starting offensive lineman Gabe Jackson in exchange for their 2021 fifth-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Seattle now only has three draft picks remaining in the 2021 NFL Draft, thanks in part to their previous deal for safety Jamal Adams. Jackson has experience playing both guard positions in his seven seasons as a Raiders starter. The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta projects Jackson will start out at right guard for the Seahawks pairing nicely with Damien Lewis who is coming off a solid rookie campaign.
“As noted here, Jackson played first two years at left guard, then has been at right guard since,” Condotta noted on Twitter. “Hunch is he goes to LG with Seahawks leaving Lewis at RG. Now to find a center…”
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Jackson Comes With a $9.6 Cap Hit for the Seahawks
Watch what RG Gabe Jackson and LG Kelechi Osemele do to these poor LBs. This mentality on the OL wears on people #Raiders
The good news is the Seahawks have heard Wilson’s frustrations, but the challenge is Jackson comes with a $9.6 million cap hit leaving the team with less money to spend in free agency. It was still a necessary move with offensive linemen flying off the board in free agency.
“Gabe Jackson has 2 years, $19.2M ($0 GTD) remaining on his contract, bringing cap hits of $9.6M each of 2021 & 2022 with him to the #Seahawks,” Spotrac tweeted. “The Raiders take on $0 dead cap, clearing all $9.6M.”
The Seahawks Are Attempting to Mend Their Relationship with Wilson
It’s almost Gabe Jackson time. And then the OL will be at 100%.
The trade comes just after news broke that the Seahawks signed former Rams tight end Gerald Everett. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler described the signing as a way of the team showing “it hears Russell Wilson’s frustrations.”
“Gerald Everett signing is example of Seattle showing it hears Russell Wilson’s frustrations,” Fowler explained on Twitter. “Seahawks got very close to signing OG Kevin Zeitler and are exploring other established guard options (Gabe Jackson, Trai Turner, more) — signs, for now, that the relationship can mend.”
Wilson: ‘I’m Frustrated at Getting Hit Too Much’
Imagine Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson coming at you with a full head of steam….
The Seahawks had also been linked to guard Joe Thuney who signed a massive deal with the Chiefs and new Ravens guard Kevin Zeitler. Earlier this offseason, Wilson admitted he was “frustrated at getting hit too much.
“I’m frustrated at getting hit too much,” Wilson said, 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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