The Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson definitely stole the show on Tuesday.
No one saw this move coming.
Cris Collinsworth has been in football a long time, but even HE was shocked by today’s trade! 😅 pic.twitter.com/hIrOZgymG1
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) March 8, 2022
The Seahawks are gaining a slew of draft picks and some players.
For those of us who remember the Cowboys trading Herschel Walker to Minnesota, this is a trade we will look back on years from now and see which team benefitted more from it.
Wondering if we will one day look at the Russell Wilson trade as we did the deal that sent Herschel Walker from Dallas to Minnesota in 1989. That trade jumpstarted Dallas’ run to three championships in the ’90s. Now Seattle’s getting 5 picks/3 guys.
— Gordie Jones (@gordonwjones) March 8, 2022
In the short term, it is the Broncos who are the beneficiaries of a franchise quarterback which is something they have searched for and sought out in all the wrong places since Peyton Manning retired.
They also get the quarterback who beat them in the 2014 Super Bowl.
Russell Wilson now will become the first quarterback to start for a team that he beat in the Super Bowl, according to ESPN Stats & Information. pic.twitter.com/y5uedOV502
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2022
Wilson is saving the Broncos from themselves because they have horrible results in the NFL Draft.
Trading away draft picks for a player of Wilson’s caliber is good for them.
Consider some of the Broncos’ past quarterback draft picks in order from most recent to oldest.
1. Brock Osweiler
The Broncos passed over Russell Wilson and drafted quarterback Brock Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
In 2012, the Broncos used a second-round pick on Brock Osweiler, when Russell Wilson was still on the board. Ten years later, Denver gave up two ones, two twos, and three players to get Wilson.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 9, 2022
Osweiler spent five years in Denver and started 11 games and appeared in 27 games.
He had 16 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions, and 35 sacks in his Broncos career.
2. Tim Tebow
The Broncos drafted Tim Tebow as the No. 25 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
He provided some theatrical and exciting moments, but overall his performance was disappointing.
Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas, first snap of OT.
legendary moment…Rest easy 8️⃣8️⃣ pic.twitter.com/GwbWdepcwa
— 𝙕𝙖𝙘𝙝🦦 (@NewEraZach_) December 10, 2021
Heard an interesting stat on the radio this morning:
The number of playoff wins for the Denver Broncos by a QB they drafted…
1 – Tim Tebow
— Trudem (@Trudem84) March 9, 2022
Tebow appeared in 23 games with the Broncos during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
He started 14 games.
Tebow threw 17 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and was sacked 39 times.
3. Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler was the No. 11 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Cutler started in 37 games in his three seasons with the Broncos.
He had 54 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.
Cutler was sacked 51 times.
Jay Cutler’s Denver Tenure Provides #Broncos a Cautionary Tale in Pursuit of a QB | via @BobMorrisSportshttps://t.co/GQUrIajFJz pic.twitter.com/U7EG6at0x1
— Mile High Huddle (@MileHighHuddle) April 7, 2021
Conclusion
Deemphasizing player and team development through draft picks is going to become more popular now that NFL teams saw what the Los Angeles Rams did in 2021.
They essentially assembled a dream team of high-caliber players and ran the table with them.
Given the Broncos’ checkered history with drafting quarterbacks, going after a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl Champion like Russell Wilson was a wise decision.
The next question will be if they have enough pieces surrounding Wilson to win quickly and emulate the Rams model.
Wilson, 33, previously said he wants to play for at least 10 more years; unless he has Tom Brady‘s longevity and success, we can realistically expect peak performance from him for three years.
Russell Wilson wants to play at least 10 more years, then own an NFL team. https://t.co/hHqVxe9Qcc
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 17, 2021
This trade will be a huge success for the Broncos if Wilson can lead Denver to the Super Bowl despite heavy competition in one of the toughest divisions in football with the Chargers and Justin Herbert, Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, and Raiders and Derek Carr, making up six games of the team’s schedule.
AFC West football was already exciting to watch, but with Wilson in the division, it just got an added dose of adrenaline to attract more viewership in 2022.
