Russell Wilson trade rumors: 3 reasons Jets are ideal fit
If the Seattle Seahawks end up trading Russell Wilson, the New York Jets make for an ideal fit.
Russell Wilson is potentially ready to move on from the Seattle Seahawks, and reportedly listed the New York Jets among his preferred destinations.
If general manager Joe Douglas has the chance to pull off a blockbuster to acquire the MVP caliber quarterback, it would jumpstart the Jets’ rebuild.
“They’d contend immediately,” a current NFL personnel executive tells FanSided of the impact acquiring Wilson would have on the Jets. “But, they’d need to go and get him some receivers, running backs, and tight ends this offseason.”
The fact the Seahawks have allowed the relationship with Wilson to sour this badly that he has requested a trade is among the great failures in recent NFL history. But, Seattle’s loss could immediately change the fortunes of the Jets, one of the league’s woebegone franchises.
Wilson is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career, completing a career-high 68.8 percent of his passes for 4,212 yards with a career-high 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 513 rushing yards and two more scores.
On the surface, the Jets might be a puzzling destination for Wilson, if he is chasing a Super Bowl ring. However, this union would make a lot of sense for Wilson both on and off the field.
One of Wilson’s chief gripes about the devolving situation with the Seahawks was the organization’s inability to build an adequate offensive line in front of him. The Jets are well on their way in that regard, after choosing Mekhi Becton in the first-round of last April’s NFL Draft, with the assets to fortify it this offseason.
Additionally, Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is viewed inside the league as a rising star. It is well documented that Wilson hoped to be part of the Seahawks’ search for a new offensive coordinator this offseason, and if LaFleur was among his preferred candidates, the Jets make even more sense as a trade destination.
Likewise, the New York market would open up all kinds of possibilities both for Wilson, and his wife Ciara, in terms of each of their earnings and endorsement potential.
Here’s a look at three reasons why the Jets are an ideal fit for Wilson:
Immediate upgrade at the most important position in sports
Douglas has made little secret that the Jets plan on exploring quarterback options this offseason, and Sam Darnold is very much available on the trading block.
“Look, we’ve got a lot of decisions to make. I think Sam’s going to be a great quarterback,” Douglas said recently.
Darnold completed just 59.6 percent of his passes last season for 2,208 yards and nine touchdowns, but still struggles mightily protecting the football, tossing 11 interceptions and fumbling four times.
There might not be a more significant upgrade over Darnold, and certainly not one with a more proven track record than Wilson.
The Jets have been linked this offseason to Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the ongoing rumor mill, and owners of the No. 2 overall pick, are well within reach of BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields in the NFL Draft.
However, Watson would cost a king’s ransom, and while Zach Wilson and Fields might offer more upside than Russell Wilson, they are unknown commodities and perhaps far more of a risk than adding Russell Wilson would be for a general manager who might have a limited window to build a Super Bowl contender.