Hue Jackson claims Russell Wilson rumor to be false

Former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson claims the trade rumor involving Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was not true.

By now everyone should be aware of the rumored trade involving Russell Wilson to the Cleveland Browns for the 1st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Former Browns head coach Hue Jackson has come out and denied the rumor. Jackson called it crazy and that he has never heard the rumor. Just because he didn’t hear it does not make it illegitimate. What it comes down to is who would you rather believe. Hue Jackson or literally anyone else? The answer is really easy, literally anyone else. 

In case anyone forgot, anything said to Jackson would result in a Mike Silver tweet pretty quickly. It is possible that in an effort to keep this news from making the rounds via Silver that Jackson was simply kept out of the loop. If the goal is to let everyone know your intentions and secret plans, sure tell Jackson. On the other hand, if the goal is to maintain secrecy Jackson cannot be informed of any trade involving the 1st overall pick. 

Something that needs to be mentioned is that former general manager John Dorsey valued known commodities over potential of draft picks. Dorsey traded away draft picks in order to acquire players such as Odell Beckham Jr., Olivier Vernon, Jarvis Landry, and Tyrod Taylor, so there is a track record of this particular type of trade. The only difference is that they did not involve the top pick in the draft. Perhaps that may have been a dealbreaker for Dorsey, but it does not seem likely.

This simply could have been keeping a lame duck head coach out of long term plans. Jackson’s time in Cleveland had a definite expiration date and the fact he was still the coach was quite surprising. Dorsey not informing Jackson of a potential trade would not be out of a character. When it comes to a trade of this magnitude, it seems more likely than not that this was the case.