Seahawks Officially Enter New Era With Departure of Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner
Back in 2012, Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson joined the Seahawks as unheralded day two draft choices. Now, after 10 years starring together, the two franchise cornerstones will depart on the same day, officially slamming the door shut on the most successful era in team history.
Shaking up the roster and ushering in its first substantial rebuild since coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider arrived in 2010, Seattle dealt Wilson along with a fourth-round pick to Denver for a pair of first-round picks, a pair of second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and three veterans. Less than 24 hours later, reports surfaced indicating the team had informed Wagner of his release.
Coming off a disappointing last place finish in the NFC West a year ago, the Seahawks have their reasons for choosing to move on from both legends at this time. The 33-year old Wilson took his frustrations with the organization public over a year ago and has been a subject of non-stop trade rumors ever since, while the aging Wagner carried an untenable $20.35 million cap hit in 2022 that made him untradeable and a prime cap casualty candidate.
With the pair of moves, Seattle will net $27 million in instant salary cap relief, providing additional flexibility for the team heading into free agency next week. It's possible additional savings could be netted by moving other proven veterans such as receiver Tyler Lockett.
Still, even if these decisions have merit given the current state of the team and could spur a quicker turnaround in the long run, that won't make the shocking moves hurt any less for die hard fans who watched Wagner and Wilson grow into superstars in front of their eyes and carry the franchise to unprecedented heights. Trying to replace them won't be a picnic either.
When the Seahawks used second and third-round picks to select Wagner and Wilson a decade ago, nobody could have foreseen the immense success the pair would enjoy in the Pacific Northwest. Each player became an instant starter for a burgeoning contender already loaded with promising young talent, helping guide the team to a surprise playoff berth and a wild card round victory in Washington.
Over the next nine seasons, Wagner and Wilson would combine to earn 17 Pro Bowl selections and nine All-Pro selections while leading Seattle to 114 regular season victories and seven postseason appearances. On two occasions, the team advanced all the way to the Super Bowl, including defeating Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII to capture the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy and coming up inches away from a repeat the following year.
Statistically, few players in the NFL were more productive or durable at their respective positions than Wagner and Wilson during their decade starring together. Each player suited up for at least 151 regular season starts for the Seahawks and combined to play in all 16 games a total of 14 times.
Since he beat out veteran Matt Flynn to become a Week 1 starter under center as a rookie, only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady have thrown more touchdown passes than Wilson (292). Additionally, thanks in part to the patented rainbow throws he drops downfield weekly, he ranks eighth overall in passing yards (37,059), fifth in yards per attempt (7.8), and fifth in passer rating (101.8) during that span. He's also one of only two quarterbacks to eclipse 4,000 rushing yards since 2012, illustrating his rare dual-threat capabilities.
As for Wagner, his resume stacks up favorably against the best linebackers from any era. Dominating with sideline-to-sideline speed and top-notch instincts, he has surpassed 100 tackles in all 10 of his NFL seasons thus far and his 1,383 combined tackles sits more than 100 ahead of the next player (Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David) on the list. He's currently one of only 11 linebackers in NFL history with at least six First-Team All-Pro selections, the most of any player in Seahawks history.
Filling the void left behind on the field and in the locker room with their respective departures won't be an easy task and ultimately, Carroll and Schneider's job security beyond next season will ride on their ability to execute quality contingency plans at both positions.
At the quarterback spot, the Seahawks did acquire former first-round pick Drew Lock as part of their blockbuster deal shipping Wilson to the Seahawks. The ex-Missouri star has all of the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback, including a powerful bazooka for an arm, but decision making issues have hindered him in limited opportunities to play and he led the league with 15 interceptions in 2020. At minimum, he will likely have to beat out an incoming rookie or another veteran to start next season.
Among those who could be candidates for Seattle to draft with its newly-acquired No. 9 overall pick, Liberty's Malik Willis, Mississippi's Matt Corral, and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett could all be in play. North Carolina's Sam Howell and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder may be options later in the draft as well with two second round picks.
While uncertainty looms at quarterback for the first time in years, Seattle does have viable successor for Wagner waiting in the wings in Cody Barton. The 2019 third-round pick out of Utah played well in two starts replacing the veteran to close out last season, producing 18 tackles in wins over Detroit and Arizona playing alongside budding star Jordyn Brooks. After being relegated to special teams duty his first three years, the athletic linebacker looks ready for an expanded role.
Aside from Barton, ex-Washington standout Ben Burr-Kirven and Jon Rhattigan should be back from ACL injuries and the team could use their increased draft capital to land another linebacker to compete in training camp. The team appears to have at least a few decent options in that regard.
Nonetheless, if Wagner and Wilson were to hang up their cleats tomorrow, there's a good chance both players would not only be surefire Hall of Famers, but each would have a legitimate shot for consideration as a first ballot selection. Such iconic players simply can't be replaced, which now puts a lot of pressure on the Seahawks as the organization tries to move forward without them and build their next contender in coming weeks and months.
