The Seattle Seahawks have seemed committed to Russell Wilson as their franchise quarterback from the time they drafted him, but an interesting report surfaced on Thursday that claimed the team explored the possibility of trading him to Cleveland just two years ago. If those talks took place, former Browns head coach Hue Jackson says he was left completely in the dark about them.
In an appearance on CBS Sports Radio’s “The Zach Gelb Show” Friday morning, Jackson emphatically dismissed the rumors that the Browns and Seahawks discussed a Wilson trade in 2018.
“I’ve never heard anything so crazy in my life,” Jackson said. “I’m sure (former Browns GM John Dorsey) and (Seahawks GM) John Schneider are really tight. I’m sure if they’re having conversations on their own, just jiving around and doing those kind of things – I would think if something was serious about that, we, the executive team and the organization, would have known. I never heard that.”
The rumor was that Cleveland would have sent the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to the Seahawks, and Jackson finds that hard to believe. While Jackson admits teams are always looking for ways to add a “proven player,” he says the Browns were committed to Mayfield and he can’t imagine the Seahawks were ever looking to part ways with Wilson.
“Are you kidding me? Come on now,” Jackson said. “And I know Pete Carroll pretty well. We’re both University of Pacific graduates, and we’ve talked before. I guarantee you I’ve never had that kind of conversation about his quarterback.”
Of course, it should be mentioned that Jackson wanted to trade for a veteran quarterback in 2017, but the deal fell apart in embarrassing fashion. All indications were that the coaching staff and front office were not on the same page. And before the Browns drafted Mayfield, there was a report that they knew which player they were going to select with the top overall pick but did not tell Jackson.
The Seahawks ended up signing Wilson to a deal that made him the highest-paid player in football, so they clearly don’t take him for granted. However, they did go through a rebuild when they tore down their “Legion of Boom” defense, so it would not be impossible to imagine them exploring the idea of rebuilding with a quarterback on a rookie contract.
