The Wilson trade will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history. With the Broncos again failing to do anything on offense and tensions having visibly boiled over in their loss 23-10 loss to Carolina, it’s clear that the Wilson trade might be one of the worst trades ever.
Either Russell Wilson is badly hurt, suffered a terrible case of amnesia in the offseason, or has fallen off a massive cliff as he’s been less than a shell of his former self. It truly is quite remarkable how horrendous Wilson has been during his brief stay in Denver as he has not only turned a championship-caliber team into a 1st overall pick hopeful but has also played himself out of the Hall of Fame.
Yes, in my humble opinion, Russell Wilson is not a Hall of Fame quarterback anymore given how atrocious this year and the upcoming six more years is shaping up to look like. You can’t be a hall-of-fame/perennial MVP standard quarterback in one franchise and then an utter bum in another overnight. Literally.
It’s only been a year since Russell Wilson last suited up for the Seattle Seahawks in a competitive game, and even less time since he was in a Seattle training facility. Remember, this (unofficial) sign-and-trade to place on March 8th, which was only six months prior to the start of the regular season.
It’s inconceivable that the effects of Father Time took full control over Wilson’s playing ability in just six months given his relatively young age of 34 years old.
Sure, he might suffer from some age-related effects (such as a weaker arm, slower running speed, less mobility) as not all quarterbacks can be like Tom Brady, but this is a far too extreme drop-off to just be an ‘age problem’. No, I’m pretty sure this has always been Russell Wilson, though to a much more magnified degree.
Back during the Seattle days, Wilson could rely on his fantastic and Hall-of-Fame-like mobility to get around the field when in trouble. Plus, he was surrounded in a great system that Pete Carroll, who is improving his Hall of Fame resume with each passing day, created (i.e.: the Legion of Boom). Yes, Wilson was a good quarterback and could be a great one more often than not, but it is also reasonable to say that his talents were magnified by the system and culture he was in.
That’s not the case in Denver.
Obviously, Nathainel Hackett is a dreadful head coach, the Broncos have had a losing culture for nigh on a decade at this point, and Wilson’s ‘Danger Russ’ brand has clouded his judgement and precipitated his inevitable demise much sooner than expected. He has become way too focused on brand image and personal glory, which has obviously isolated himself from his teammates.
I mean, who wants to listen to a leader who only cares for himself, his own image, and his own statistical accomplishments. Yet, unfortunately for Wilson, he has never been a quarterback who can just sling the ball around the field 50 times and win a game 45-42. Given his small statute and how his arm has weakened as he has aged, his need for a consistent running game and pocket mobility has been more prevalent than ever.
Unfortunately for Wilson, neither of those two things have transpired as the Broncos running game has been a joke all season and Wilson has strangely refused to rush like he used to in the past. Now, I can’t prove this, but Wilson’s reluctance must be down to his brand image.
He wants to be seen on the level as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, etc. in terms of arm strength and skill, but knows he can’t if he is running the ball all the time.
Again, unfortunately for Wilson, that has been one of the biggest factors into why the Broncos have failed this season. And it’s the reason why half of the Broncos locker room dislikes him and his phony persona. Why else would the not show up to his birthday party on a day off? (Bleacher Report: Report: Russell Wilson’s Birthday Party Attended by ‘About Half’ of Broncos Players | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report)
Oh well, Denver fans, at least you can look forward to the draft. Wait, what was that? The Broncos gave up this year’s 1st-round pick (which belongs to a draft class that has a deep quarterback pool) in order to bring in Wilson? Of course.
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Other Sources: (Bleacher Report) (Report: Russell Wilson’s Birthday Party Attended by ‘About Half’ of Broncos Players | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report)
