Everyone knows the Washington Commanders would desperately love to pry quarterback Russell Wilson away from the Seattle Seahawks. All signs point to the Seahawks keeping Wilson unless a team absolutely blows them away with an amazing offer that could help Seattle rebuild its entire roster.
Even if Seattle lands a haul for Wilson, it’s still difficult imagining anyone with a franchise quarterback of his caliber trading him at 33 years old.
Most mock drafts are created to place the best available player fitting the given team’s position of need. For instance, most mock drafts have the Commanders selecting a quarterback at No. 11 overall, even if there may not be a passer worth taking that high.
Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus did a fun mock draft recently, shaking things up with superstar quarterbacks on the move. Gayle has Green Bay trading Aaron Rodgers to the Denver Broncos and the Seahawks moving Wilson to the Commanders. Gayle also has the Raiders sending Derek Carr to the Steelers.
Talk about an ideal scenario for Washington. And the compensation isn’t bad for a player of Wilson’s status. Per Gayle, Washington would trade the No. 11 pick and its second-round pick in April, along with a 2023 first-round pick to the Seahawks for Wilson.
In return, the Seahawks draft Wilson’s replacement in North Carolina’s Sam Howell.
Here’s what PFF had to say about the potential trade:
If the rumors mount to results and Seattle does pull the trigger on a Russell Wilson trade, Washington is a realistic landing spot for his services. The Commanders shouldn’t consider themselves in rebuild mode with a roster chock full of talent at multiple premium positions. That’s not to say they fit into the tried trope that is “being a quarterback away,” but they’re closer than a lot of other quarterback-needy teams and should view a trade for Wilson as the shorter path to a Super Bowl than drafting a rookie signal-caller at No. 11 overall.
Washington coach Ron Rivera becomes a hero to Commanders’ fans if he lands Wilson. While landing Wilson doesn’t make Washington an automatic Super Bowl contender, it puts them in the conversation as an immediate NFC contender. Landing Wilson, in addition to some smart free-agent choices, could make the Commanders one of the NFC’s top four teams in 2023.