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ESPN floats scenario where Seahawks trade Russell Wilson to Saints

A rumor’s not a rumor that doesn’t die.

Seattle Seahawks fans were inundated last offseason with reports and rumors that quarterback Russell Wilson would be traded.

Those reports died down during the season, but now that Seattle has been all-but officially eliminated from the playoffs they’re making a serious comeback. The latest from the rumor mill is a scenario floated by Bill Barnwell at ESPN, who came up with an interesting hypothetical trade that would send Wilson to the New Orleans Saints.

“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.”

Barnwell then has Wilson signing a four-year, $160 million extension with New Orleans and Seattle trading a 2023 second-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for quarterback Derek Carr.

While we’d love to get a slot defender of Gardner-Johnson’s caliber, the idea of sending Wilson away at this point in his career just doesn’t sit right.

Yes, Wilson is 33 years old and he may only have a few quality seasons of football left in him. Yes, Wilson’s game can be infuriating at times when he hangs onto the ball too long and walks himself into sacks or doesn’t see open receivers over the middle. There’s also an undeniable appeal to getting a taller QB with different instincts who might have more success in the kind of offense Shane Waldron is attempting to run.

All that being said, Wilson is still one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league when he’s healthy and on his A-game. Getting equal value in any trade will be exceptionally difficult. The Seahawks do need to make major changes this offseason, but getting rid of Wilson shouldn’t be one of them.

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