Russell Wilson trade: What's next for Seahawks at QB after megadeal with Broncos?

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The Seahawks are shaking things up. After 10 seasons with Russell Wilson as their quarterback — which included two Super Bowl appearances and a win — they're moving on from him as they try to look long term. A reported trade with the Broncos will net them two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant for Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

It's a massive haul, and it had to be, both to receive fair value for Wilson and to fill the void created by the 2020 trade to acquire Jamal Adams from the Jets. The Seahawks appear to have a future again, but they have to play their cards right to make that future count.

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The first card they'll have to play is who their quarterback will be in 2022. Trading for Lock gives the Seahawks an insurance policy for a bridge QB, but they likely don't see him as a long-term solution.

With that in mind, here are the Seahawks' options at quarterback heading into the upcoming season.

Draft a quarterback, stick with Drew Lock

This is the most obvious option. If the Seahawks decide they aren't competing in 2022 — and that appears to be the case — it would make sense for them to draft Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis at No. 9 and let Lock serve a buffer for whoever is next. According to draft analyst Charlie Campbell, the Seahawks are also enamored with Matt Corral, although Corral is recovering from an injury he suffered in the Sugar Bowl.

This would move the Seahawks' timeline back, but Fant (one plus a team option) and Harris (two) do have multiple years remaining on their contracts. The issue is that the Seahawks wouldn't want to acquire those players just to lose them after 2023. Although the picks were the real prize, they'd want to draft a quarterback who could start producing by Year 2.

Sign a free-agent quarterback

This would be a hard pill for Seattle to swallow. This year's pool is shallow, and Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater will be two of the bigger fish swimming in it. Bridgewater would complete a true QB swap between the Seahawks and Broncos, but it's difficult to fathom Seattle seeing him as an option, and certainly not a long-term one. Bridgewater's year with the Broncos was inconsistent, a core issue the Seahawks reportedly had with Wilson.

If they decide to pursue Winston, the Seahawks would be taking a swing on a player who is recovering from a major injury (ACL tear) and who was playing well in a system that suited him. The Seahawks do not appear to mold their play-calling to who their quarterback is, so it would run the risk of Winston reverting to being the interception-prone passer he was with the Buccaneers.

Trade for Deshaun Watson or Jimmy Garoppolo

With the haul the Seahawks got for Wilson, this isn't out of the realm of possibility. Either player would be attainable, although the 49ers could charge a "division tax" for Garoppolo that Seattle couldn't stomach. Both players are risky, with Watson's legal issues and Garoppolo's consistency.

The trade cost for Watson would be significant, but when he's playing he is an elite quarterback. That said, a deal would be a risky move for Seattle. It would be contingent upon his Watson's situation being sorted out, and there is no end in sight to that. But if the Seahawks think they're close enough — and if they want a quarterback badly enough — we may see them compromise their scruples as the regular season draws nearer.

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Kevin Skiver is a content producer at The Sporting News