Does Russell Want Out?

[RiverDog]

Given the controversial nature of this article, it's probably time for a new Russell Wilson thread.

There's rumor circulating that Russell Wilson would rather not continue playing for the Seahawks:

"Per a league source, the Seahawks think that Wilson would like to play elsewhere, even if he hasn’t and wouldn’t ever say it."

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -seahawks/

[c_hawkbob]

Phew, it's just another Florio fantasy ... had me worried for a sec.

And it's still based on the same Jimmy Fallon show that the other RW thread was based on ...

[Uppercut]

His ol lady and agent driving him off the cliff

[RiverDog]

Phew, it's just another Florio fantasy ... had me worried for a sec.

And it's still based on the same Jimmy Fallon show that the other RW thread was based on ...

Although he does mentioned Russell's comments to Fallon, which are now a month old, the rumor was not based on it. According to Florio, it's based on "a league source."

[c_hawkbob]

I have to listen to Florio every morning on the way to work, he's a Seahawk and a RW hater. If any article is coming from him I worry a lot less.

[RiverDog]

I have to listen to Florio every morning on the way to work, he's a Seahawk and a RW hater. If any article is coming from him I worry a lot less.

I watch/listen to Florio occasionally but not enough to get a line on whether or not he's a Hawk/RW 'hater'. I'm certainly not ascribing any truth to the rumor, but it is a new one and not something recycled from Russell's "Tonight Show" appearance with Jimmy Fallon.

Jack del Rio, a former head coach one year displaced, has stated recently "not to be surprised" if the Hawks trade Russell, so the rumor is not just the result of some rouge reporter's over active imagination.

https://nypost.com/2019/04/10/jack-del- ... de-rumors/

[NorthHawk]

Now PFT is reporting Tyrann Mathieu says Wilson wants to go to NY.
If players are saying it there might be some truth to the rumors.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -new-york/

[RiverDog]

Now PFT is reporting Tyrann Mathieu says Wilson wants to go to NY. If players are saying it there might be some truth to the rumors.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -new-york/

Or it could be that the combination of the increased talks between Russell's agent and JS that you mentioned earlier and the rapidly approaching April 15th deadline is leading to more speculation.

This is exactly the reason why I'd like to see this thing resolved one way or another before the start of the season. At the end of last year, I had a really good feeling with the direction our team was heading and I don't want to see the next 2 or 3 years consumed by a continuous soap opera, especially now that it's been elevated to speculation that Russell's heart is somewhere else besides with the Hawks. Remember the never ending Bret Favre drama?

[Hawktawk]

Russell wants paid. He deserved to get paid. Trading him for any amount of picks would be the dumbest thing JS and PC ever did and they would be signing their death warrant in Seattle if they did it. These media talking heads are just playing us for the suckers we are to sell stories.

They don't have to do a damn thing other than tag him for the next 3 years at least and hes still under contract for this season but the smart thing is to get this done. The greatest duel threat QB in history doesn't just fall out of the sky just because you have some picks....Whats the plan? Paxton Lynch? Find the next Pat Mahomes? Good luck with that. Ridiculous. Other than Manning in 2012 no team in recent history has parted ways with a potential HOF SB winning QB and Manning was possibly never going to play again. Wilson is coming off his best season. Put down the pipe

[RiverDog]

Russell wants paid. He deserved to get paid. Trading him for any amount of picks would be the dumbest thing JS and PC ever did and they would be signing their death warrant in Seattle if they did it. These media talking heads are just playing us for the suckers we are to sell stories.

They don't have to do a damn thing other than tag him for the next 3 years at least and hes still under contract for this season but the smart thing is to get this done. The greatest duel threat QB in history doesn't just fall out of the sky just because you have some picks....Whats the plan? Paxton Lynch? Find the next Pat Mahomes? Good luck with that. Ridiculous. Other than Manning in 2012 no team in recent history has parted ways with a potential HOF SB winning QB and Manning was possibly never going to play again. Wilson is coming off his best season. Put down the pipe

Let's get the record straight. In addition to Manning, the Packers parted ways with Bret Favre and the Niners Joe Montana, but to be fair, their teams all had plans in place to replace them. Nevertheless, teams have parted ways with some pretty good QB's. It's not completely unprecedented.

Who you telling to put down the pipe? No one in this thread is advocating trading Russell, we're simply discussing the rumors that someone else started and playing "what if" games.

The Hawks aren't going to tag Russell for 3 years in a row as the 3rd one would be well over $50M and in all likelihood unworkable. Hopefully we'll have resigned him before then and if not, I'd rather trade him for a king's ransom and have some control where he ends up rather than let him go FA to who ever and get nothing in return.

My position on resigning Russell remains the same. Pete Carroll has earned my trust, and as such, if he decides that we can resign Russell and remain competitive, then I'm good with it no matter what the amount is. If he says hell no and decides to trade him, I'm good with that, too. I like Russell more than any current player on our roster, but it still doesn't trump my status as a diehard Seahawk fan that wants to win more Lombardi's.

[toffee]

We can't part ways with Russ, we don't have any QB to replace him. If the Charger wants to trade for Russ with Rivers + lots of picks? That way, Russ gets to play in a big market: LA, Hollywood, and Chargers got some talent on their roster. For the Hawks, we will have Rivers for couple of years, we can use the time to find our next Russ.

[trents]

We'll probably know a lot more by the end of the day tomorrow or the next.

[idhawkman]

I have to listen to Florio every morning on the way to work, he's a Seahawk and a RW hater. If any article is coming from him I worry a lot less.

You're probably right about the Florio fantasy scenario because he's hated on RW so long that a change in teams might give him enough cover to change his tune on the guy and maybe even the Seahawks. Maybe he's finally seeing that his "take" on the team and RW has been way off for so long and now he wants to flip that script.

[RiverDog]

We'll probably know a lot more by the end of the day tomorrow or the next.

Maybe, maybe not. If nothing happens, it still doesn't mean a whole lot. If Russell is true to his word, all it would mean is that formal negotiations would be tabled until the end of the season, but I don't completely buy that story. Unless Russell wants out bad, I'm sure that his agent won't be blocking JS's number and that they'll continue to talk regardless of whether or not Russell is directly involved.

[RiverDog]

We'll probably know a lot more by the end of the day tomorrow or the next.

Wow, you may have had it right, my friend!

Peter King writes in Football Morning in America that when Wilson said today is his deadline to sign a long-term deal, he means it’s the absolute final deadline: Wilson and his agent have told Seahawks G.M. John Schneider it has to be done now, or not at all.

"...But the implication of today’s deadline is that things are more dire between Wilson and the Seahawks than many people realize: If he doesn’t get a long-term contract done today, he may never sign one in Seattle."

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -or-never/

[mykc14]

Peter King writes in Football Morning in America that when Wilson said today is his deadline to sign a long-term deal, he means it’s the absolute final deadline: Wilson and his agent have told Seahawks G.M. John Schneider it has to be done now, or not at all.

"...But the implication of today’s deadline is that things are more dire between Wilson and the Seahawks than many people realize: If he doesn’t get a long-term contract done today, he may never sign one in Seattle."

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -or-never/

This is not good news. To me this represents an unreasonable request by RW's camp. If they are willing to say that they will never negotiate again if they don't reach a deal today then what's to say they are negotiating from a realistic position? The could easily be asking for other unreasonable things as far as the contract goes. This is not a good look for RW and even if a deal is agreed to makes it seem like he is a 'me first' guy.

[RiverDog]

Peter King writes in Football Morning in America that when Wilson said today is his deadline to sign a long-term deal, he means it’s the absolute final deadline: Wilson and his agent have told Seahawks G.M. John Schneider it has to be done now, or not at all.

"...But the implication of today’s deadline is that things are more dire between Wilson and the Seahawks than many people realize: If he doesn’t get a long-term contract done today, he may never sign one in Seattle."

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... -or-never/

This is not good news. To me this represents an unreasonable request by RW's camp. If they are willing to say that they will never negotiate again if they don't reach a deal today then what's to say they are negotiating from a realistic position? The could easily be asking for other unreasonable things as far as the contract goes. This is not a good look for RW and even if a deal is agreed to makes it seem like he is a 'me first' guy.

It's still just a rumor. King is quoting "a source close to the talks". "The talks" has to be a pretty limited number of people, JS, PC, and perhaps one or two others, and a similar number on Russell's side. It seems pretty unlikely that a person would run out of the meeting room and report to King that they heard this, that, or the other thing. More than likely King's trying to put two and two together.

However, there's an increasing amount of smoke around these negotiations as it's not the only negative story to come out in recent days, and where there's smoke, there's usually a fire. I agree, this is not good news. The deadline never did make a whole lot of sense to me, so perhaps Russell has wanted out for some time and is looking for some plausible deniability.

[trents]

Maybe the old saying is true: "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

But I'm almost to the point where I don't much care one way or the other. We as the viewing audience watching all those commercials are participating in a sport industry that is propelled by greed and ego. The salaries being paid to individual star athletes has gotten way out of hand and has hurt the sport as the team sport it is supposed to be. It's way out of balance. Same is true in basketball and baseball. And I'm tired of the way the leagues manipulate the rules just to make the sport more exciting and marketable (although, baseball does really need some help there). Maybe it's time to start getting back to club sports where all these professional sports "entertainment" businesses have their origins. Okay, I'm through ranting for now.

[RiverDog]

Maybe the old saying is true: "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

But I'm almost to the point where I don't much care one way or the other. We as the viewing audience watching all those commercials are participating in a sport industry that is propelled by greed and ego. The salaries being paid to individual star athletes has gotten way out of hand and has hurt the sport as the team sport it is supposed to be. It's way out of balance. Same is true in basketball and baseball. And I'm tired of the way the leagues manipulate the rules just to make the sport more exciting and marketable (although, baseball does really need some help there). Maybe it's time to start getting back to club sports where all these professional sports "entertainment" businesses have their origins. Okay, I'm through ranting for now.

You touched on a subject that deserves its own thread. Your sentiments aren't too far from my own.

The others in here have long gotten tired or my rant, but since you're a relative newcomer, I'll risk their scorn and repeat it once again. I never have and never will buy a jersey with someone else's name/number on. My Seahawks gameday jersey is a Nike home blue #12 with "River Dog" on the back. I'll be damned if I'm going to worship another human being. It's not that I don't like or admire certain athletes, rather I don't consider any one of them to be any better or worse than me, my family, my friends, or my various associates. They put their pants on the same way as we all do, so I'm not going to look up at them with glossy eyes and drooling lips as a grade schooler would.

If Russell leaves, I'll be very disappointed because I think it will hurt our chances of success at least in the short run, but I won't be upset, either at Russell or PC/JS. I'll simply thank him and wish him well, so long as his next team isn't competing with mine. Next man up!

[trents]

Amen! Next man up!

I wish legally there was a way to limit player salaries and have a standard salary schedule not just for rookies. One that takes into account experience and productivity and also provides reasonable incentives. It should be the same for all positions. One that is generous enough to provide for the players and their family's needs and takes into account that professional sports is going to be a short career path at best, good insurance, reasonable disability and retirement benefits, etc. But not one that enables some of them to live like kings the rest of their lives and to own three mansions in various parts of the world. And no, I don't subscribe to socialism in any way.

[RiverDog]

Amen! Next man up!

I wish legally there was a way to limit player salaries and have a standard salary schedule not just for rookies. One that takes into account experience and productivity and also provides reasonable incentives. It should be the same for all positions. One that is generous enough to provide for the players and their family's needs and takes into account that professional sports is going to be a short career path at best, good insurance, reasonable disability and retirement benefits, etc. But not one that enables some of them to live like kings the rest of their lives and to own three mansions in various parts of the world. And no, I don't subscribe to socialism in any way.

Players salaries don't bother me nearly as much as public financing of stadiums. The owners, the players, and the league itself is filthy rich and don't need public subsidies. IMO the next CBA ought to have a stadium fund with the players and the owners each contributing 5% into a stadium fund, and when they go to divvy it out, give priority to the smaller markets that do not have the same resources as teams like the Cowboys and Redskins.

I don't subscribe to socialism, either, but the NFL is in my mind a monopoly and ought to be either broken up or regulated. They can charge pretty much whatever they want for tickets and people will still pay it.

Back to the OP. I've been watching Dan Patrick off and on this morning, and they've been talking about the same thing, ie speculating that Russell might be trying to leverage his way out of Seattle.

[obiken]

He is tired of being under appreciated and taking a back seat to the LOB, the genius of PC, and the 12th man. He wants people to acknowledge he is the reason for our success. He saved our franchise, and Pete Carroll's career, He put us on the map FB wise. He is better than any QB except Brady, and he is probably getting sick of all the crap. AND I agree with him 100%, the problem is busting the cap is not the way to get the acknowledgement that he is due.

[RiverDog]

He is tired of being under appreciated and taking a back seat to the LOB, the genius of PC, and the 12th man. He wants people to acknowledge he is the reason for our success. He saved our franchise, and Pete Carroll's career, He put us on the map FB wise. He is better than any QB except Brady, and he is probably getting sick of all the crap. AND I agree with him 100%, the problem is busting the cap is not the way to get the acknowledgement that he is due.

How do you know all this?

IMO Russell owes Pete and the LOB just as much, if not more, as they owe him.

[trents]

Under appreciated? I don't buy that idea, not for RW or anyone else. No player should be concerned about being underappreciated. That's an ego problem.

[burrrton]

Players salaries don't bother me nearly as much as public financing of stadiums. The owners, the players, and the league itself is filthy rich and don't need public subsidies.

I don't disagree all that much in principle, but stadiums and pro sports teams are huge boons to cities. Why shouldn't they be asked to take part in funding them on some level, at least in theory?

It's also worth remembering that, at least in Seattle, the public money is generated by taxing those things either directly benefiting from the presence of the stadiums (eg. hotels) or directly related to the teams (eg. merchandise).

If you choose not to take part in any of those things, there isn't a dime of your money financing them.

[obiken]

How do you know this?

IMO Russell owes Pete and the LOB just as much, if not more, as they owe him.

River, Very few times we disagree, this is one of those times! The title, no doubt, but read between the lines. He is tired of Pete, no OL, running for his life, WR by committee. Imagine him with a Julio Jones. IF he goes to the Giants, and that is the rumor for 2 two months now, now its among the players, he becomes the Superstar that he is not in Seattle. PC had plenty of time to build an offense in Seattle, he never did because he had RW. Now we all might find out what life is like without him. An ego? Ok but we found out with Shaun Alexander, that they all have egos. I think its over, if a deal is not done by the end of the day.

[HawkDawg]

Foreshadowing maybe? I'm sure there were some cozy dinners during Spring Training.

[trents]

I don't think it's fair to say the Hawks management had plenty of opportunity to build an offense around RW but never did because they were leaning on RW. True, some of their draft picks and some of their trades didn't pan out but that is not necessarily John and Pete's fault due to neglect. Often in sports, that's just the way things pan out. And some of those issues were injury related, especially with regard to the run game. Besides that, you are ignoring the fact that many of those issues were corrected last year.

[jshawaii22]

Well, with all you people asleep, here's an update.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/04/16/russell-wilson-hey-seattle-we-got-a-deal/

"Hey Seattle, We Got a Deal"

The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson have reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million extension that includes a $65 million signing bonus and makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday morning.