In the first three drafts of the Carroll era, the Seahawks knocked him out of the park. From 2010 to 2012, Carroll, GM John Schneider and Co. selected Earl Thomas, Golden Tate, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner and Wilson, forming the basis of a championship program. But since that three-year streak of writing excellence, Seattle just hasn’t chosen so successfully. And it’s not just a fleeting trend – it’s been almost a decade. The last nine drafts have produced a gem here and there (SEE: Day 2 wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett), but for the most part the returns have been slim.

So, with that as a backdrop, why would the Seahawks give up their most valuable coin to suddenly bet on their strong sense of the suspect draft? Wilson is an elite quarterback, the NFL’s most sought after product. They are supposed to return voluntarily this for lottery tickets that are draft picks? And in case you haven’t started your 2022 draft prep yet, this QB class looks far less attractive than recent cultures.

That’s why the Seahawks need to keep moving forward with Wilson as a franchise player. Improve the roster around him, so he can thrive as his athleticism wanes and his game changes in the last nine of his career. I know there are some quarterbacks who are capable of playing into their 40s these days, but the Seahawks need to focus on a five-year plan, based on Wilson’s age and contract status. The veteran has two more years on a four-year, $ 140 million contract. With an average annual salary of $ 35 million, the deal reset the market in 2019, making Russ the highest-paid player in the NFL at the time. But of course the market overtook it in the years that followed. Despite an undercut 2021 campaign full of Wilson’s injuries, the Seahawks need to soften the pot to bring the quarterback’s average annual salary to the $ 40 million mark that is the new normal for top quarterbacks. A contract extension / increase would not only help mend the relationship with Wilson, but give the team more flexibility in terms of salary caps to acquire some of the established veterans Seattle needs to close the gap with its division rivals. in the difficult NFC West. To his credit, Carroll knows that last part is a need.

“When you look around our division, and you look when the Cardinals were really rolling and they had all their guys on their way, they had a lot of star players on their football team. Like, star guys. of the National Football League, ”Carroll said. this week. “The Rams looked to be pretty loaded too. You could see it. The Niners have a lot of firepower.

“We love what we have, but you have to admire what the other teams have and recognize that they also have great players there. It has been really balanced.”