The Las Vegas Raiders have met many of the top quarterback prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine, and they should have a clearer notion of whether they can or want to trade up. If the perception in Indianapolis is that there is no way for the team to get one of the quarterback prospects they want, they will consider potential veteran choices.
Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is one player to watch out for. He has fallen from grace since becoming a nine-time Pro Bowler, and it appears that Denver will move on. The team could trade him, but they’d have to eat the majority of his $242 million contract from two years ago.
It appears that Wilson will be released and signed elsewhere this offseason, but CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso predicted the Raiders will trade for the quarterback in a February 29 essay. Inner-division deals are becoming increasingly infrequent, particularly among quarterbacks. Given that and Wilson’s contract, any kind of deal seems unlikely. The Raiders would very definitely be unwilling to give up much.
Russell Wilson Could Sign a Minimum Contract
Russell Wilson has won a Super Bowl and spent a long time as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s 35 years old now, but his brief tenure with the Broncos must have left him with a bad taste. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he is willing to pay a significant discount in order to demonstrate that he is still an impact player.
“Everybody I’ve talked to around the league expects the Denver Broncos to rip the band-aid off and release Russell Wilson at some point around the new league year in the next few weeks, even though they owe him $39 million in guaranteed money,” Fowler said during the February 25 episode of “SportsCenter,” via Bleacher Report. “But they can start over; he can sign somewhere else. He’s expected to sign for much less, possibly even the league minimum, because he has all of that money guaranteed. So he’ll have options. According to what I’ve heard from teams and scouts, he’s still an NFL starter, and he’ll find work someplace.
Signing Wilson for the league minimum isn’t a big risk, and he’d be easy to cut if he didn’t work out.
Russell Wilson could like the idea of playing against the Denver Broncos.
Russell Wilson is known for being one of the nicest guys in the NFL, but what happened in Denver may have irritated him as well. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes the Raiders are the greatest fit for the quarterback, in part because they are in the same division as the Broncos.
“Russell Wilson’s market may be even thinner than most realize, which speaks to the rapid decline in his dual-threat stardom since exiting the Seattle Seahawks,” Benjamin said in a column published on March 1. “He remains a serviceable starter, which is exactly what the Raiders need after failing miserably with Jimmy Garoppolo last year. Again, a youngster may be more tempting, but Antonio Pierce possesses win-now weapons. Presuming he is officially released, Wilson may welcome the opportunity to play the Denver Broncos at least twice a year.
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