Is Russell Wilson worth extending?

[IndyHawk]

I don't want to be misunderstood on this...Yes we should resign Russ but I wouldn't put a ton of guaranteed $$ into the contract..Yes it can be a high one but make it like Kraps where it is cap friendly with incentives..I don't ever want another
Harvin poison pill contract...We are buit to win with defense and want that to stay but to get better on offense we need $$
and cap friendly contract insures to buy decent linemen, wr and really to extend someone like Beast...I don't want to be a weak team with a qb that takes up a ton of cap space like the Ravens,Broncos ect it catches up to you where you'll be weak after the cap implodes on you...Then it's a nighmare for years to recover..I think the Broncos are about find that out and the Ravens as well..I don't care if the cap gets bigger..It doesn't mean it's ok to get crazy and stupid..all it means is more pos players will want to be paid more all the way around..This is why the cap was put in the first place to keep it all reasonable but clubs find ways to screw it up so here we are paying 20-30% to QB...

 

[razor150]

This may sound like sacrilege to many to the 9th degree, but it has been a question that has been nagging at the back of my mind for awhile. Wilson is going to due a huge pay day soon somewhere in the range of 120 million dollars. He is going to be one of the best, if not the best paid Quarterback in the NFL. This means the roster is going to have to undergo a serious makeover. No longer can we have big free agent acquisitions, this contract will certainly mean letting go of a few contributors on our team at this moment. We won the superbowl last year largely to a team that was good in all phases of the game. We can no longer count on that to be the case in the future, as we're already starting to see this season.

In lieu of the looming future the question I'm asking myself is: Can Wilson carry the team, can he be that elite QB that can carry the team on his back. If we re-sign him Wilson is going to have to shoulder a much larger burden, as it is going to cost the team in a few extra areas.

Russell Wilson is a good Quarterback, certainly better than the washed up Hasselbeck, the Flynns, TJs, and Whitehursts of this world. I have my doubts though as to whether he can transcend his point guard Quarterback status.

If you believe he will be one of the best, if not the best QB in the NFL then it is a no-brainer. You extend him. I think he is good, but I don't know if you can elevate him to that level.

However, our offense stinks, as does the passing game. The 20 to 25 million a year for Wilson that is being thrown around he just isn't worth at this point in his career. You can't blame having the 30th ranked passing attack on everybody but Wilson. Great QBs have done well with poor OLines and pedestrian receivers, he just isn't elevating the players around him. He has had a lot of 4th quarter comebacks in his young career, but I would like to see a lot more consistency from him before he gets one of the insane contracts QBs get.

I am not saying we let him walk, because it isn't easy finding a good QB, I just don't think he is worth what he is likely to demand in negotiations.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

I congratulate the OP for having the balls to start such a thread. It's a legitimate topic for discussion. This is only Russell's 3rd year, and Year 3 ain't looking so great. There is the possibility that Russell has peaked, that teams have "figured him out", and that his lack of height is affecting his ability to adjust from the things defenses are taking away from him. It's not something a lot of us 12's want to admit, but it is a possibility, however remote.

If it were any other position, I'd be very hesitant, but franchise quarterbacks are in such a demand that you don't let one go even if there's a good possibility that they'll fail. It could be ten years before we acquire a quarterback that shows us what Russell has in his first two seasons. It's a risk we have to take.

It's funny how year three isn't looking great given I remember him having 2 game winning drives, setting an NFL record as the first player with over 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a single game and tossing 11 TDs to 3 INTS (while rushing for 3 more).

He's done this while taking snaps from 3 different centers, playing behind a rookie LT and two different LTs, missing his number 1 TE through injury, watching his number 1 target from 2013 go in FA and his number target through games 1-6 get traded away. His #1 and #2 receivers are UDFAs, his number 1 TE is a 4th round pick that can't catch the ball, his starting fullback was signed just last week.

He's not playing as well as he has in the past - he's in a bigger shitstorm right now than he's ever been in the past - and likely to ever be again in the future. Put it this way, he's in a worse situation right now than Brady was last year when he was throwing to a bunch of no-names... but he's playing a lot better (let's not forget Brady had games like we did against the Raiders against the Jets and Dolphins last year, as well as an awful game against the Bengals... but at least they were half decent at the time). Even Manning had an awful game at the Patriots last year where he tossed for 150 yards, 53% completion and 4.2 YPA - and that was in a record setting offense.

Set your expectations lower.

GREAT post.

:13:, and don't forget Brady had a shit game vs. KC about 5 weeks ago. Even the greatest aren't every week.

 

[Largent80]

Before......


After....

 

[Passepartout]

Of course, Seahawks love him. Worth extending you bet!

 

[northseahawk]

If 16-18 million gets you a Carson Palmer or Dalton, then without any objection, RW deserves 20 million.

 

[theincrediblesok]

"You can't blame having the 30th ranked passing attack on everybody but Wilson"

Last year we were 26th in passing and won a Superbowl. The reason we are 30th is because we are a run first team. Look at the Redskins (Passing almost 40 times a game) they are 3rd in pass ranking but are 3-6. Russell will get his groove back. There are blames to go around but i guess focusing on the leader of the team is an easy pick. Looks like Wilson will never win against the media or his own team's fans. I would hate the day where he goes to another team and lights up the NFL ala Drew Brees.

 

[Seahawks Guy]

I extend every time I watch Russell Wilson scramble in the pocket.

 

[-The Glove-]

This may sound like sacrilege to many to the 9th degree, but it has been a question that has been nagging at the back of my mind for awhile. Wilson is going to due a huge pay day soon somewhere in the range of 120 million dollars. He is going to be one of the best, if not the best paid Quarterback in the NFL. This means the roster is going to have to undergo a serious makeover. No longer can we have big free agent acquisitions, this contract will certainly mean letting go of a few contributors on our team at this moment. We won the superbowl last year largely to a team that was good in all phases of the game. We can no longer count on that to be the case in the future, as we're already starting to see this season.

In lieu of the looming future the question I'm asking myself is: Can Wilson carry the team, can he be that elite QB that can carry the team on his back. If we re-sign him Wilson is going to have to shoulder a much larger burden, as it is going to cost the team in a few extra areas.

Russell Wilson is a good Quarterback, certainly better than the washed up Hasselbeck, the Flynns, TJs, and Whitehursts of this world. I have my doubts though as to whether he can transcend his point guard Quarterback status.

If you believe he will be one of the best, if not the best QB in the NFL then it is a no-brainer. You extend him. I think he is good, but I don't know if you can elevate him to that level.

However, our offense stinks, as does the passing game. The 20 to 25 million a year for Wilson that is being thrown around he just isn't worth at this point in his career. You can't blame having the 30th ranked passing attack on everybody but Wilson. Great QBs have done well with poor OLines and pedestrian receivers, he just isn't elevating the players around him. He has had a lot of 4th quarter comebacks in his young career, but I would like to see a lot more consistency from him before he gets one of the insane contracts QBs get.

I am not saying we let him walk, because it isn't easy finding a good QB, I just don't think he is worth what he is likely to demand in negotiations.

Last year people were saying Tom Brady was done without Gronk and throwing to the likes of UDFA Kenbrell Thompkins

 

[SoulfishHawk]

For some reason, there is a group of people who just LOVE to find fault in RW. It's like they just can't accept that he's one of the best in football. Even being short and not black enough :stirthepot:

 

[DrDix]

The Wilson detractors are hilariously entertaining. Like do you people even understand that he has NEVER, had a consistent O-Line, let alone GOOD line? Give me a fkn break. Your arguments are trash, as is your understanding of the game. It's a TEAM sport, you need to be balanced to win. But NAH, gotta throw 40 times a game if you want to be good!!!

Absolutely unbelievable.

 

[-The Glove-]

So Wilson never throws in the pocket, doesn't work the middle of the field, doesn't take downfield shots?...hmm...nothing can be said if this is what is being seen and said

 

[byau]

For some reason, there is a group of people who just LOVE to find fault in RW. It's like they just can't accept that he's one of the best in football. Even being short and not black enough :stirthepot:

Seems like Russell Wilson will continue to be overrated and underrated all at once

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Good point

 

[Tical21]

I'm sorry, I'm not good enough at formatting to quote each discussion.

DavidSeven and Volsung, thank you for your answers. I'll buy that. I wholeheartedly agree that by extending Russell, we're probably going to be in the playoffs more often than for most of his career. And I do see great value in that. it gives us optimism every game, every year that he is on the field. I would, however, slightly disagree. If we don't win another Super Bowl with Russell, at the end of the day I would consider it a bad move. In a vacuum, I would rather have one Superbowl and 9 losing seasons than making the playoffs 6 out of 10, or whatever.

Byau, I see your logic. I still think though that there can be a tangible ending.

Scott, I think the answer to your question, is that we would have to trust John Schneider to find us another one. I am not taking the art of finding a QB for granted, but I'm pretty sure that within a few years, we would have a pretty darn good, cheap QB. I just have faith in him like that. I know all the stats. You're not guaranteed to find that QB.

Roland, I will be screaming at the top of my lungs and giving high fives to everybody I can find if we win another Super Bowl, and will very gladly admit to being wrong, and probably buy a #3 jersey. I've got zero issues with that.


I don't remember who I got into it with, maybe it was Roland, where we found tangible evidence to suggest that it is incredibly rare for a QB to win a Super Bowl down the road after he is paid big money. Maybe it prevents the team from putting the necessary pieces around him.

The plight of most Super Bowl champs, including ours, has gone something like this: Team starts to build, gets a great young QB who they aren't paying big money to, everything comes together, they win a Super Bowl. They then anoint the QB as greatness, pay him big money, and usually can't get back and do it again. Usually they can hang on for a year or two, and then after that QB's contract really starts to weigh on them, they get stuck in that area where their QB is good enough to always get them to the dance, but they don't have the money to buy the hotel room afterwards. I know it is common knowledge that you have to pay your QB big money, but is this actually flawed reasoning? Would we be better off starting this whole process again, finding a decent young QB, and have a bunch of money to surround him with awesome talent? Could that be a better road, if your ultimate goal is to win Super Bowls?

The other, equally important part, is that to be brutally honest, I am not fully convinced that Russell is as good as 99% of the folks here are convinced he is. I just don't see what I would like to see as far as decisiveness and the ability to pick apart a defense schematically to convince me that he will thrive without a dominant running game and defense.

I bit the damn hook.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Yeah, all he does is win in the clutch, when it matters. Ugh

 

[byau]

I'm sorry, I'm not good enough at formatting to quote each discussion.

Haha I laugh with you. I know what you mean.

Byau, I see your logic. I still think though that there can be a tangible ending.

I can understand that too. In hindsight was it the best decision we could have made, something along those linds? That's fair.

I see it as: the alternative is (as you've been stating) we can find another QB of similar caliber, perhaps in the draft. There are always potentially great QBs in each draft.

And while I am not 100% sold that we will get another Super Bowl with Russell. Or I should say I would not be surprised if we didn't, however I also would not be surprised if we did. I think our chances are that good with this guy and with our coaches and front office. So that's why I would choose to resign him.

I don't remember who I got into it with, maybe it was Roland, where we found tangible evidence to suggest that it is incredibly rare for a QB to win a Super Bowl down the road after he is paid big money. Maybe it prevents the team from putting the necessary pieces around him.

And that is fair too. As I mentioned in a previous post, the Seahawks "way" (and really every team) would be

1) sign vet free agents cheap
2) draft well
3) sign those that you discover you want to have as anchors on your team
4) let the others go and then "next man up" and find more anchors

That's what we did with Kam, Earl, and Sherman

The harder part is the QB is such a special position, very complex, a lot of different skills are involved, and so the "next man up" is very rare for the QB position. The margin of error is much smaller because even the smallest errors are magnified when it's the QB. To me, Russell has shown me enough that I would want to keep him and not chance on trying to find another QB in the draft.

For other positions: receiver, oline, D-secondary, etc... you'll have better chances finding that "next man" in the draft or free agency, but not at QB.

I think this is a really good conversation, poopoo to those wondering why we are even talking about this It's a good thought provoking conversation

 

[dumbrabbit]

he's too short

 

[Sac]

Nobody has done as much as Russ this year when you consider what he's had to work with.

Backup LT
Backup Guard
3rd string Center
3rd & 4th TEs with Miller and McCoy out.

Top two receivers were UDFAs

Next two are rookies.

Defense getting gashed, forcing the offense to try and keep up.

Aside from Sherm, we're extensively playing the 4th & 5th corner.

What he's done up until this point has been no less than a miracle. Any other QB, ANY other QB would have been beaten up badly to this point, and likely playing much worse than Wilson.

His instincts, mobility, preparation and dedication are the only reasons we're 5-3.

 

[Hawksfanatik]

How is this thread 100 posts?

Yes, yes he is...........unless you'd like another 38 years of busts and journeymen QB's leading us to 7-9 records.

Quoted for truth. Its a no brainer to extend Wilson. I hate looking for a QB. That carousel seems to go on forever.