Tag Archives: Russell Wilson

Thursday Night Football sucked last night

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Last night’s game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts was terrible.

It was not too long ago that a primetime game featuring Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan would have been must see TV. Unfortunately it is 2022 and what we got on Thursday Night Football last night was abysmal. If you were one of many (including myself) who sat through last night’s field goal contest, disappointment in the product that was broadcast was an overwhelming feeling. Well that, and shame for sitting through it.

Wilson and Ryan were unable to find the end zone as all 21 points in the contest came courtesy of field goals. A combined 10 sacks and four interceptions between the two quarterbacks highlighted the disappointing night. Ryan also fumbled twice while Wilson fumbled once, just the cherry on top of terrible outings for both. Wilson did manage to do his best Baker Mayfield impression at the end of the contest, becoming a common talking point about his future in Denver.

This was the type of Thursday Night Football contest one would expect from a team like the Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions not too long ago. A 12-9 final score in an NFL game in 2022 is simply embarrassing. The good news is that next week’s Thursday Night Football contest is between Washington and Chicago. Did I say good, I’m sorry, I meant cannot possibly be worse right, right? It is not like this is a high bar to climb over. In fact, it is so low a baby can crawl over it. Let’s hope that they can at least score one touchdown, that is not too much to ask is it?

Browns would be better off with Russell Wilson

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The Cleveland Browns would be in a much better spot right now if they made a trade for Russell Wilson instead of drafting Baker Mayfield.

Whether or not you believe the trade rumor involving Russell Wilson is true, one thing is true. The Cleveland Browns would be in a much better spot right now with Russell Wilson instead of Baker Mayfield. Hue Jackson has denied the rumor, but he is hardly the best source of information.

What would it cost to get Russell Wilson?

To be blunt, a lot. The 1st pick in the draft would be a starting point. 4th overall would probably been the table as well. Even one of the Cleveland’s 2nd rounders, possibly the 33rd pick. (There is no basis for these specific picks, just an attempt to make something work that would be expensive from a draft pick standpoint). This is a lot, but not unacceptable for a team looking for an answer at the quarterback position. The Cleveland Browns would be a better team right now if they made this trade for one reason and one reason only. The quarterback position would no longer be an issue. Cleveland instead opted to draft Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward, and Austin Corbett.

Nobody is quite sure what Mayfield is and the more we see of him the less there is to like. Ward is a good corner, but a cornerback should not take precedent over a quarterback. Austin Corbett has since been traded and the less said about him, the better. If the cost was Cleveland’s first three picks in the 2018 draft, it is an easy decision to make. This is a trade that should be made every single time. 5-7 years of really good quarterback play and a few more at the end that are average would have been worth the cost if Cleveland really wants to climb out of the basement of the AFC.

Roster additions/subtractions that may not have been necessary

Maybe the Browns still trade for Odell Beckham Jr. and sign Austin Hooper, maybe not. What is known is that the Browns would not be in a position where top-tier talent is needed for the quarterback to be successful. The team could build from a more balanced approach. An effort would be made to build on both sides of the ball instead of simply punting on defense this year and hope they can thread the needle with one-year deals. The Browns would not have to overcome the shortcomings of their quarterback and could build up their offense and their defense. The fact that Baker Mayfield needs this much talent around him says a lot about his future as an NFL quarterback doesn’t it?

Cleveland traded away Jabrill Peppers and Kevin Zeitler in the blockbuster deal to acquire Beckham and Olivier Vernon. Perhaps both could have remained in Cleveland resulting in the offensive line and defense looking very different compared to now. One could argue they are significantly better with those two in the mix rather than without them. Add in the 2019 1st round pick used to acquire Beckham and this team may have been better off overall than they currently are now. They would not have been Super Bowl contenders, but playoffs would not be out of the question.

Looking at this version of the team they would be a solid team pegged for playoff contention with no glaring holes on either side of the football. This is completely different compared to what they actually look like now in their current form.

There is one downside

While fixing the quarterback situation in Cleveland is the ultimate goal, there is one downside to this scenario. Russell Wilson would have won enough games to extend Hue Jackson’s time in Cleveland and the last thing anyone would have wanted is more Hue Jackson.

Hue Jackson claims Russell Wilson rumor to be false

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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.