If you’ve been keeping an eye on the radar, this Russell Wilson thing is becoming more significant. It was just a tiny blip at first, some leaks stating that the Seattle QB wasn’t totally happy, and now the blips and have become more frequent as we get rumors now that he wants out, with a couple of specific destinations in mind:

Wait, what about the Eagles? Would you trade for Russell Wilson?

Eh, I dunno. He’s still badass, but if you’re trying to get younger and beginning a transitional rebuild under a first-year head coach, then exploring this trade doesn’t seem to be congruous with the implied macro-level roster strategy.

The real question is what a Wilson trade would do to the draft, because two of those teams listed, the Dolphins and the Jets, are picking above the Eagles, at #2 and #3 overall.

Assuming Trevor Lawrence goes #1 to the Jags, what would the Jets and Dolphins do if they didn’t need a QB? They would likely draft a complementary piece (WR or OL), or trade back for picks and let somebody else go up and snag Justin Fields or Zach Wilson. The first scenario pushes a quarterback down the board, closer to the Eagles, but the latter scenario probably takes Ja’Marr Chase off the board.

A couple of possibilities:

  1. Jags – Trevor Lawrence QB
  2. Jets, after trading for Wilson – Ja’Marr Chase WR
  3. Dolphins – ???

The X-Factor here is that nobody really seems to know if the Dolphins like Tua, or if they might draft a QB instead. A lot of mock drafts have them taking Chase at #3, but if the Jets trade for Russell Wilson and draft Chase instead, then it kind of throws a wrench into that plan.

Scenario 2:

  1. Jags – Trevor Lawrence QB
  2. Jets – Justin Fields QB
  3. Dolphins, after trading for Russ – Ja’Marr Chase WR
  4. Falcons – Zach Wilson QB
  5. Bengals – Penei Sewell OT
  6. Eagles – ???

If something like this happened, the Eagles could take DeVonta Smith, take a swing at Trey Lance, or trade back with a team that likes Lance. The other thing that’s picking up some steam is the Kyle Pitts idea, since people seem to love the guy and think he could be a draft riser. It’s not the worst thought in the world, since he’d be a great replacement for the departing Zach Ertz.

The Wilson thing is intriguing. No clue how seriously he wants out, or if the rumors are just BS, but it’s a significant domino that could fall as we approach the draft, and if it involves the Jets or the Dolphins, then it’s going to create a funky board and perhaps push one of the QBs down.

We’ll keep an eye on it!

Edit – This goes without saying, but obviously if the Jets or Dolphins have to throw this year’s first-rounder into the trade, then they come off the board! But for the sake of the exercise let’s just assume they can find a way to get it done with future picks, or another package.

(Otherwise, Seattle would just take a QB (Fields/Wilson) and the board wouldn’t change too much)

Update –