The Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos and you already knew that. But when I recorded Tuesday’s podcast with Samuel Gold of Field Gulls and YouTube fame, the news was still so fresh. It had happened less than an hour before and we were immediately talking about the biggest news drop of my Seahawks writing career.
And for many of you, the biggest news drop in your Seattle sports fandom probably.
Seaside Joe subscribers may have already listened to this podcast, I posted it hours ago, but I wanted to repost it on Substack because a) Sam made some great points about the trade and b) I wanted to give the episode its proper due by posting a breakdown of our talk, which you can read below. Subscribe to “Seaside Joe: A Football Podcast” on your podcast apps and follow the free newsletter:
In this episode of the podcast, Samuel Gold and I discuss:
0:00-8:00 What the last 10 years of Russell Wilson has meant to the Seahawks organization, spending more time covering him than I have covered any other person in the world; from being an overlooked college recruit, then an overlooked draftee, and a Super Bowl champion in his second season
8:00-11:30 Sam’s reaction to Wilson being traded to the Broncos. “I’m blown away not only that a) it happened and b) the compensation that was given. I’m more shocked at what little the Seahawks got” and “Is this confirmation of a rebuild?”
11:30-14:00 I compare what the Lions got for Matthew Stafford and what the Seahawks got for Wilson. “It’s a HUGE difference!” And are the Broncos really in the championship conversation now? Will Wilson be able to win the AFC West?
14:00-16:00 “I would have always preferred that the Seahawks would get a top-5 pick and to get players who had proven themselves a bit at the NFL level.” And why the 2023 first round pick helps Seattle gain ammunition for a much better QB class a year from now.
16:00-17:45 Sam on what this trade does for the Denver Broncos: “This clearly puts them over the top.” Will Von Miller join Russ in Denver? Will the Broncos beat out the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders?
17:45-20:00 Covering Seattle’s cap savings by trading Russell Wilson right now and their potential future costs at quarterback, compared to the competition.
20:00-21:30 “There’s no way to spin this other than the Seahawks are worse… right now. There’s nothing that they can do in the offseason to get better this year, and nothing that they will do to get better this year.”
21:30-23:45 Sam’s evaluation of Drew Lock as a quarterback. “I view him as the replacement level guy. I don’t think he really does anything for us. In college, he would do a 3 or 5-step dropback and he would throw this beautiful pass that would connect. But any time he moved from that initial spot, it was awful.”
23:45-25:00 Sam considers if the Seahawks are tanking in 2022.
25:00-29:00 Why I can’t endorse any team drafting a quarterback in the first round this year and for the Seahawks it would be malpractice. “You can’t waste your first opportunity to draft in the top 10 since 2010 on a quarterback when the whole team isn’t going to be good, and doesn’t have anything to support a quarterback yet.” And “No matter what anyone tells you about a QB prospect in this draft being worth a first round pick, that is only a narrative that is being created right now after months of agreement that there’s no consensus pick.’
29:00-30:30 Second round is the worst place for drafting a quarterback. More on former second round pick Drew Lock.
30:30-33:00 Sam’s take on Wilson’s final season in Seattle and the first year of Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. “To be fair, this was his first season in this role and it seems things were out of whack, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
33:00-36:30 Where Russell Wilson has struggles and issues, and the reason that he was still a great player in 2021, and the plan in Denver to build around Wilson.
36:30-40:00 What does Sam Gold know about the Nathaniel Hackett offense in Denver? “You rely on things in your past that you got used to and your frame in reference is from that.”
40:00-45:00 What positions does Sam think that the Seahawks should focus on with their newly-found first round pick?
Analyzing how Russell Wilson and Drew Lock will play in their new homes