Seattle Seahawks

Drew Lock could be the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback in 2022 after being part of the trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos sent five draft picks and three players to Seattle in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-rounder, but Lock was an essential part of the deal.

"I'm told the team did not consider Lock a throw-in in the Wilson trade, but rather a viable fallback option," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. 

This comes despite the Seahawks being considered a potential landing spot for Deshaun Watson, per Mike Jones of USA Today.

Lock spent the 2021 season backing up Teddy Bridgewater after losing the preseason battle to the player acquired for a sixth-round pick in the previous offseason.

While Bridgewater led the Broncos to a 7-7 record as a starter, the team lost all three of Lock's starts. In six total appearances, Lock totaled 787 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and an 80.4 rating. 

According to Fowler, those in Seattle put some of the blame on Broncos coach Vic Fangio and "a revolving door of offensive coordinators." 

Neither Rich Scangarello nor Pat Shurmur were able to help Lock reach his potential in his three years in the NFL.

The 25-year-old made 13 starts in 2020 but finished with just 16 passing touchdowns and 15 interceptions, averaging 225.6 passing yards per game. His 75.4 quarterback rating was 32nd out of 35 qualified players that year.

The 2019 second-round pick will hope a fresh start will give him a chance to reach his potential.

Lock showcased an excellent skill set during his college career at Missouri, and his strong arm was on display often in Denver:

Drew Lock throws a DART to KJ Hamler 😳

His 4th TD pass of the day

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/D4WrfK50ax

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 13, 2020

The 6'4", 228-pound passer has great size for the position and also showcased his mobility at times with 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2020. If he can cut down on the turnovers, he could be a quality starter in the NFL. 

Seattle could provide an opportunity for Lock to prove himself in 2022.

The Seattle Seahawks' decision to trade Russell Wilson might not have been the indication they are preparing to start over that it initially seemed. 

Per Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network, the Seahawks "are interested in" Deshaun Watson and "are expected to explore trade scenarios" for him. 

Wilson noted Watson is scheduled to give his first deposition Friday regarding some of the 22 civil lawsuits he's facing after being accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, and there is "no trade imminent or developing" for the three-time Pro Bowler.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the Seahawks agreed to send Wilson and a fourth-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks and a fifth-round draft pick. 

There will be competition for Watson if his legal situation is resolved during the offseason. Wilson noted the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders are interested in acquiring the 26-year-old. 

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones noted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also "keeping tabs" on Watson. 

In addition to the civil lawsuits, Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, told ESPN's John Barr in July that 10 women have filed criminal complaints against Watson to Houston police.

"Eight of the women, according to Hardin, are among the 22 women who have alleged in lawsuits that Watson sexually assaulted them or engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior during massage sessions," Barr wrote.

Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing many women in the civil lawsuits, told Jenny Vrentas and Juliet Macur of the New York Times that "several" of his clients have been subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury Friday. 

Watson is also subject to potential discipline from the NFL under the personal conduct policy. 

The Seahawks shut the door on their previous era Tuesday. After the team agreed to trade Wilson, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Seattle informed linebacker Bobby Wagner he was being released. 

A complete rebuild doesn't seem to make sense for Seattle. Pete Carroll is the oldest active head coach in the NFL (70). The Seahawks still have dynamic talent on offense with Tyler Lockett signed through the 2025 season and DK Metcalf eligible for an extension this offseason. 

Watson didn't play for the Houston Texans in 2021. He remained on the 53-man roster but was inactive for all 17 games.   

It's a new era in Seattle. 

The Seahawks reportedly traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday for young quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

It's as big a blockbuster as you'll see in the NFL, and it has transformed the Seahawks depth chart at several positions:

• QB: Lock / Geno Smith (free agent) / Jacob Eason
• TE: Fant / Gerald Everett (free agent) / Will Dissly (free agent)
• DT: Harris / Al Woods (free agent) / LJ Collier

It remains unclear what years the picks in the deal are for, so there is still an incomplete picture of what Seattle will have at their disposal in April's draft. Before the trade, the team was without its first-round pick, dating back to the Jamal Adams trade. 

But the Seahawks do have their own second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks, and a fourth-rounder from the New York Jets, in this year's draft.

If the Seahawks indeed acquired Denver's 2022 first-rounder they'll be selecting No. 9 overall, putting them in prime position to draft Wilson's long-term replacement. 

Players like Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral may be considerations. 

FWIW, and I said this on radio the other day, the word in Indy was that the Seahawks really like Malik Willis.

Something to file away perhaps

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 8, 2022

Quarterback is now the most obvious need, but positions like the offensive line, linebacker, cornerback and pass-rusher remain positions in need of fortification as well. 

With Wilson off the books, the Seahawks reportedly now have $34.7 million in cap space this offseason, per Spotrac. And that isn't accounting for the huge extension that Wilson surely will sign, as he's under contract through the 2023 season and likely will be seeking a long-term deal. 

The Seahawks still have a lot of talent on their roster, from linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Adams on defense to wideouts D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on offense. But trading a player like Wilson suggests that a soft rebuild could be on the way for a team that missed the postseason in 2021. 

The fractured relationship between the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson has led to the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback reportedly being traded to the Denver Broncos.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Seahawks have agreed to trade Wilson to the Broncos.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the full details of the deal:

• Broncos get: QB Russell Wilson, fourth-round pick
• Seahawks get: two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, QB Drew Lock, DL Shelby Harris and TE Noah Fant

According to Schefter, Seattle will receive Denver's first-round pick in 2022 (No. 9 overall), Denver's own 2022 second-round pick (No. 40 overall), Denver's first- and second-round selections in 2023 and Denver's 2022 fifth-round pick in exchange for its 2022 fourth-round selection.

Russell Wilson now has signed his no-trade provision and passed his Broncos’ physical, per sources. It’s official on his end.

The other players involved in the trade still have to pass their physicals. But the teams now will start the process to confirm the trade with the NFL.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2022

Wilson made several surprising comments last offseason that suggested there might be a problem with the Seahawks. The 32-year-old said in February 2021 on The Dan Patrick Show that he wanted more of a role in the team's personnel decisions.

"It think it helps to be involved more," Wilson told Patrick (h/t Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper). "I think that dialogue should happen more often."

Patrick reported after the interview that Seahawks management was "not happy" with Wilson for speaking publicly about his frustrations.

"The current situation is not sustainable," Patrick added. "That's what I was told."

Per Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic, some of Wilson's frustration stemmed from a meeting the star quarterback held with coaches prior to a Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals midway through the 2020 season:

For some time, Wilson has sought — even pushed — for influence within the organization regarding scheme and personnel. In the meeting, he outlined his own ideas for how to fix the offense. His suggestions were dismissed, multiple sources told The Athletic — another reminder to Wilson that the Seahawks did not see him the same way he saw himself, as a player who had earned greater control over his situation, his future, his legacy.

Despite the apparent unhappiness, Wilson's agent, Mark Rodgers, told Schefter in February 2021 his client hadn't demanded a trade.

Schefter did note that if the Seahawks decided to explore trade options, Wilson would only consider playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.

The 2020 season looked like it was going to be Wilson's MVP year. He threw for 2,151 yards and 26 touchdowns with a 71.5 completion percentage in the Seahawks' first seven games.

The second half of the season was a step back, though, as Wilson had 2,061 passing yards, with 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 66.6 completion percentage over the final nine games. He was picked apart by the Los Angeles Rams defense in the NFC Wild Card Game, finishing 11-of-27 for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

The Rams sacked Wilson five times and hit him 10 times in a 30-20 victory.

Wilson missed games for the first time in his career during the 2021 season. He had to undergo finger surgery that kept him out for three games. The North Carolina State alum had a fantastic start to the year with a 72.6 completion percentage, 1,196 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception in five starts.

He finished the season with 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 64.8 completion percentage in 14 starts. Seattle missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and finished last in the NFC West with a 7-10 record for the first time in Wilson's career.

Wilson has been one of the NFL's best quarterbacks since being selected by Seattle in the third round of the 2012 draft. The Wisconsin alum has thrown for at least 30 touchdowns five times and 4,000 or more yards four times in the past nine seasons.

The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly on the hunt for more weapons for Russell Wilson.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Seattle has been "asking around" looking for ways to add wide receivers to the depth chart. It's unclear if the team is looking to add depth behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett or make a big splash.

Several notable wideouts are expected to be available via trade or free agency this offseason. Calvin Ridley, Jarvis Landry and Brandin Cooks are among the veterans who could be added via trade; the free-agent crop will be dependent on how many players wind up getting franchised before Tuesday's deadline.

Names like Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and Mike Williams are unlikely to hit the market, but Allen Robinson II, Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Gallup are likely to be unrestricted free agents when the new league year opens.

Lockett and Metcalf have each gone over 900 yards receiving each of the last three seasons, but the Seahawks have consistently failed in finding a third threat in their passing attack. Freddie Swain was third among receivers in yardage last season with just 343 yards, and he was the only other wideout to top the 100-yard mark.

Finding another threat on the outside could result in the Seahawks deploying three-wideout sets more often and opening their offense more for Wilson, who has clamored for a move away from the run-first mentality that's been prevalent throughout Pete Carroll's tenure as coach.

Perhaps adding a third star to the lineup is a way of smoothing over a relationship that's been the source of rumors for two straight offseasons. 

While speculation about Russell Wilson's future is a major talking point surrounding the Seattle Seahawks for the second consecutive offseason, head coach Pete Carroll said the team has no plans to trade him.

Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic relayed the coach's comments:

"At this time of year, there's conversations about everybody. We're talking about everybody. That's commonplace for us to have conversations with teams about all of the players, particularly marquee players, and that's not changed. It's been the same every year we've been here. It's the same as it's been. We have no intention of making any more there. But, the conversations, John has to field those—he always has. But nothing specific."

There have been some rumors involving Wilson this offseason, such as when Boardroom's Jordan Schultz reported Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay "would love to trade for him."

However, the noise has not been nearly as loud as it was last offseason when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the quarterback told Seattle he would be fine going to the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders or Chicago Bears in a trade.

Such a trade never materialized, but the 2021 campaign was far from smooth sailing.

Wilson suffered a finger injury that sidelined him for three games. The team also finished with a losing record at 7-10, which was the first time it ended a season at .500 or below in Wilson's 10 years as the starting quarterback.

He still impressed on the field at times while completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, but it was a step back from 2020 when he completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 4,212 yards and 40 touchdowns.

The nine-time Pro Bowler is 33 years old and a franchise legend who helped lead the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls in his second and third seasons in the league, one of which they won.

The team can remain in win-now mode with playmakers such as Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf on the outside, and holding on to Wilson would further indicate a willingness to go for the Lombardi Trophy instead of shifting toward a rebuild.                   

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is reportedly a "huge" fan of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and would "love" to make a blockbuster trade for the nine-time Pro Bowl selection.

Boardroom's Jordan Schultz reported Irsay's interest in Wilson on Friday but noted the Colts' lack of a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft could significantly hamper those efforts.

Indianapolis dealt its 2022 first-rounder, which turned into the No. 16 selection, to the Philadelphia Eagles last March as part of the trade for quarterback Carson Wentz following the retirement of Philip Rivers last offseason.

Wentz put up solid numbers during his first year in Indy. He completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while playing all 17 games.

Yet, Pro Football Focus gave him a lackluster 70.9 overall grade, and Colts head coach Frank Reich didn't commit to Wentz as the team's starter for 2022 when asked at season's end.

"We've got to be better in the passing game," Reich told reporters in January. "It was definitely below our standards, and there's multiple reasons for that. We have to take ownership of that as coaches and players."

It's raised questions about whether Indianapolis will once again switch quarterbacks after missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record.

Wentz is under contract through 2024 as part of a four-year, $128 million deal, but the Colts can avoid a dead-cap hit if he's traded, per Spotrac. They face a $15 million dead-cap hit if he's released, but that still represents $13.3 million in cap savings.

It's an underwhelming year in terms of free-agent quarterbacks and draft prospects at the NFL's most important position, however, so if the Colts are seeking a game-changer under center, it would likely have to come via trade.

That's where the lack of a pick in the opening round comes into play. Indy's first selection doesn't come until No. 47 overall, so the front office would likely have to build any offer around future first-rounders.

Whether the Seahawks with Wilson, the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers or any other team that could have a high-profile quarterback on the block this offseason would be interested in that type of offer is unclear, especially since there would be plenty of competition.

Indianapolis could also try to package a player, its second-round pick and other assets to move into the first round, but that would come at a high cost and only make sense if there's already an agreement in place for a star QB.

Wilson, who's been the focus of trade rumors since last year, tossed 25 touchdowns and six interceptions across 14 games for the Hawks in 2021.

While he'd be an ideal fit for the Colts, who otherwise have a roster built to contend for a Super Bowl title, Irsay and Co. would have to get creative to make a deal happen.

DK Metcalf may be recovering from a foot injury, but that isn't stopping him from staking his claim as the NFL's fastest player.

The Seattle Seahawks wideout spoke to TMZ Sports and said he could beat Tyreek Hill head-to-head in a footrace.

"Yeah, yeah, I could beat Tyreek in a race," Metcalf said, before adding he thinks he's the fastest player in the league.

Hill shockingly lost a foot race to Micah Parsons at the 2022 Pro Bowl, though it was clear to everyone who watched (Metcalf included) that the Kansas City Chiefs wideout wasn't running at 100 percent.

Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL combine, just 0.04 seconds behind the 4.29-second time Hill ran at his 2016 pro day. 

Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf underwent foot surgery following the 2021 season.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared a picture from Metcalf's social media Tuesday and noted the procedure removed a screw from his foot that "bothered" him throughout the season:

#Seahawks WR DK Metcalf recently underwent foot surgery to remove a screw from a previous procedure, source said. A minor issue, but he was bothered by a foot ailment all season. Metcalf posted on IG yesterday a pic of himself in a boot pic.twitter.com/PXbD33Z7Dg

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 15, 2022

Metcalf first discussed the surgery in an interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks last weekend:

“I kept it under wraps.” ⁰⁰@dkm14 tells @TaylorRooks about playing with a left foot injury and recently getting surgery

Watch live interview here: https://t.co/p0MgKTUgPJ pic.twitter.com/UHvpO0UKpN

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 12, 2022

Metcalf finished the 2021 campaign with 75 receptions for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns.

It was his third NFL season, and he has yet to miss a game after the Seahawks selected him with a second-round pick in 2019.

He apparently played through pain during the 2021 season given Rapoport's update, but the timing of this procedure for what was described as a "minor issue" suggests he will be back on the field as Seattle's go-to option in the passing attack once again in 2022.

The Seattle Seahawks are planning for veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to return in 2022, and he's been talking "a bunch" with head coach Pete Carroll this offseason amid trade rumors, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero. 

"He expects to be in Seattle and would like to win multiple Super Bowls there," Garafolo said. "He also said that he and Pete Carroll, their relationship is as good as it's ever been. That is the truth. Those guys have been talking a bunch, so there is communication back and forth."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Jan. 2 that there was a "leaguewide feeling" that Carroll and Wilson would not both be in Seattle next season. 

"The offseason decisions on Carroll, who is under contract through the 2025 season, and Wilson, who has two years remaining on his current deal, will hinge on team chair Jody Allen, who has been the Seahawks' de facto owner since her brother Paul died in 2018," Schefter wrote. 

This is the second straight offseason where Wilson has been included in trade rumors. Last offseason, the 33-year-old didn't demand a trade, but his agent Mark Rodgers told ESPN's Schefter that the only teams he would accept a move to were the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears. 

After the 2021 season ended, Wilson confirmed that his future in Seattle was uncertain, telling reporters, “I know for me personally, I hope it’s not my last game [in Seattle]. But at the same time, I know it won’t be my last game in the NFL."

However, he also recently told Chris Russo on SiriusXM that his preference was to remain with the Seahawks, saying, "My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it, never been anything different."

Wilson and Carroll have been together in Seattle since the 2012 season. The Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft, and he started every game of his career until suffering a finger injury during the 2021 season, causing him to miss three games. 

Wilson has a 104-53-1 record since joining the Seahawks in 2012. He and Carroll have also reached two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII during the 2013 season. They have also made the postseason in all but one of Wilson's seasons (2017).