Russell Wilson trade grades: Why the Seahawks lost the deal

The Russell Wilson trade had Broncos fans cheering and Seahawks fans crying. But who got the better end of the deal for the Pro Bowl quarterback?

On a day when Aaron Rodgers announced he’d be going back to Green Bay, the Seahawks and Broncos one-upped the breaking news with a blockbuster trade.

Seattle is sending Russell Wilson to Denver for a package including draft picks and players.

As the dust continues to settle on the deal, who won the trade?

Russell Wilson trade details

Broncos grade in Russell Wilson trade: B

The Broncos had been tied to Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson but the likelihood of them landing either felt pretty low right until the moment they got the Wilson deal done.

Denver had success picking up a veteran legend from the Colts in Peyton Manning. With Wilson, they will have another go at it, albeit at a higher cost.

That’s the only reason they don’t get an A here.

The 2022 first-rounder is in the Top 10 and they’re tossing more early round picks into the mix. Drew Lock isn’t a great loss but Noah Fant and Shelby Harris have real value on the field.

Then again, the Rams just won a Super Bowl after deciding a quarterback in hand was worth more than 1st round selections in the bush.

Seahawks grade in Russell Wilson trade: C

Let’s talk positives first. If Wilson wanted to leave Seattle or get paid a lot more than the Seahawks were willing in his next contract, the team managed to get a whole bunch of assets in return, including a productive young tight end and a veteran leader on the defensive line.

The negatives for the Seahawks come from their general strategy because there are only so many reliably great quarterbacks in the league and Wilson is one of them. Seattle will have to get things really right to come out of this trade with a true platform for success.

It doesn’t help that the trade puts a spotlight on past missteps by the franchise.

The Seahawks traded two first-round picks, a third-rounder and a player to get Jamal Adams from the Jets. By comparison, the Broncos are getting a steal for a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Meanwhile, the return for Seattle is just getting back the firsts they lost and adding some role players. Is it really worth losing one of the top QBs in the league for that?