Tag: Russel Wilson

Broncos’ latest free agent signing was also swayed by Russell Wilson

Billy Turner, Denver’s most recent signee, said Russell Wilson ‘definitely played a factor’ in his decision to join the Broncos.

When the Denver Broncos signed right tackle Billy Turner last month, he indicated that his biggest draw to the team was coach Nathaniel Hackett. But it also didn’t hurt that Russell Wilson is the team’s new quarterback.

“It definitely played a factor,” Turner said on March 29 when asked about Wilson’s presence influencing his free agency decision. “When you’re looking at teams and you look at situations and you look at quarterbacks out there, Russell is one of those dudes that’s going to win you a handful of games by himself.

“That’s the type of caliber player that he is. You throw a bunch of other people into the mix with someone like that, and you have a really good situation on your hands.”

Turner certainly wasn’t the only free agent drawn to Denver in part by Wilson. Broncos edge defender Randy Gregory said he appreciated Wilson being so dedicated in recruiting him, and Wilson also influenced defensive lineman DJ Jones’ decision to sign with Denver.

New Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton, who was teammates with Wilson in 2015, was also eager to join the quarterback in Denver.

The Broncos have a franchise QB again and it’s already paying off.

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Bears trade talks for Russell Wilson ‘could heat up again’

Chris Mortensen might be getting our hopes up, but he says the Bears and Russell Wilson aren’t completely off the table.

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Just when Chicago Bears fans had given up hope for landing quarterback Russell Wilson, these NFL insiders just won’t let us quit.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has repeatedly indicated that he doesn’t think Wilson staying in Seattle is a done thing — something to monitor closer to the NFL draft. He’s also indicated that the Bears haven’t given up hopes in landing Wilson, despite being shut down a few weeks ago.

Now, it’s ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that continues to stoke the fire when it comes to Chicago’s potential to land Wilson.

Mortenson noted that trade talks heated up between both sides a few weeks ago — when the Bears offered the Seahawks three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two players. And he said that it’s possible that trade talks “could heat up again” between both sides.

The one concern that appears to be holding Seattle back is finding Wilson’s replacement, and it’s something Chicago can’t offer with the 20th overall pick this year. But Mortensen said that wouldn’t matter if perhaps the Seahawks could load up on draft picks and trade a lower one to land New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, something that has been a talking point of late.

With the futures of GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy in jeopardy, the Bears needed to make a splash at quarterback this offseason. Their plan was to land Wilson, but that didn’t happen. So they signed veteran Andy Dalton to be the starter — with the possibility of bringing in a rookie to groom under him.

But despite Chicago’s commitment to Dalton as their QB1, the Bears haven’t completely given up on Wilson.

While it can certainly make fans restless to continue to hear about something that probably won’t happen, when these proven insiders say something of substance, it’s important to take note.

“Russell Wilson and the Bears are not totally off the board,” Mortensen said.

Will it come to pass? Who knows. But it’s not dead yet, which certainly makes it worth monitoring.

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Seahawks have history of success after bye weeks

The Seattle Seahawks have a successful history in games following bye weeks under quarterback Russell Wilson and coach Pete Carroll.

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The Seattle Seahawks are in the middle of their bye week, which is the part of the year that all teams look forward to. With their 8-2 record, the Seahawks have certainly earned a breather.

Coming out of the bye, the Seahawks will be playing the Eagles in a battle of the birds. By this time of the season, it is clear Seattle is one of the better teams in the NFL, but what kind of effect could the week off have?

History says not a lot.

Since Pete Carroll took over as head coach in 2010, the Seahawks are 6-3 coming off a bye week, and two of those losses came in 2011 and 2012. That means that Russell Wilson-led teams are 5-2 following the week off from competition.

The last time the Seahawks lost after a bye week was in 2015 when a Week-9 bye led into a 39-32 loss to the Cardinals. The last time the Seahawks’ bye week was during Week 11 it resulted in a 24-21 loss to the Dolphins.

Since 2010, the Seahawks have outscored their opponents 204 to 158 in games after bye weeks.

The Seahawks have never faced the Eagles after a bye week, but they have beaten them recently. The last time the pair squared off in the regular season, Seattle came out with a 24-10 win.

As a unit, the Seahawks have had success recently following bye weeks, and Wilson is a big part of that.

In those games, he’s thrown for a 67.9 completion percentage with 14 touchdowns and only one interception. The lone pick came at the hands of Tyrann Mathieu in 2015.

Wilson and the Seahawks just stuck the 49ers with their first loss in Week 10, and now they get their rest. History says Carroll and Wilson are successful after the breaks, which could be bad news for the Eagles in Week 12.

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