The NFL lost another giant this week. While he never took the field, John Clayton made the game immeasurably more enjoyable for everyone who read his work or listened to his words. In addition to being a stellar all-around human being, Clayton was about as plugged in as anyone when it came to the Seahawks. He did not believe that Seattle was going to trade Russell Wilson this offseason – at one point calling it the most overrated story in 50 years.
When he was asked on the radio about why the Seahawks would trade Wilson he offered a very-much to the point reply:
I called John Clayton 10 days ago to ask him why Seattle would trade away Russell Wilson.
His reply: "Because they're stupid."
A straightshooter to the end. He was as big as it gets in this biz. Always admired his love and devotion to his wife Pat. So bummed. RIP. #9sports— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) March 19, 2022
Humility being one of his great strengths, Clayton later admitted he was wrong about Wilson getting traded. That doesn’t mean he was wrong about the reasons.
The Seahawks did get a good haul of draft captal in the deal and there’s still time for them to find a suitable starter to replace Wilson – even if their options are dwindling by the day. That said, right now the trade has put them in an unenviable position. By taking a major step back at quarterback, they’ve done incredible harm to their roster.
According to the Pro Football Focus offseason improvement index, the Seahawks have taken the largest step backwards in the NFL so far. Meanwhile, the Broncos have enjoyed the biggest jump.
Raiders jump to No. 2 in the @PFF offseason Improvement Index with their trade for Davante Adams. Packers fall into the bottom-5.
Adams' effect on the Raiders 2022 win projection is the highest of any non-quarterback move this offseasonhttps://t.co/bKefi6Q84y pic.twitter.com/2BlczHaj1e
— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) March 18, 2022
Not great, Bob.
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