Tag: trade rumor

Cowboys fans may have thought the franchise tag, long-term contract back-and-forth between the front office and quarterback Dak Prescott couldn’t get more muddied. And then Russell Wilson entered the chat.

Thursday’s announcement was indeed a blockbuster: the Seahawks quarterback would reportedly entertain a trade out of Seattle, but only to one of four teams, one of them being Dallas. After the initial frenzy lit up sports media, though, and once the nuts and bolts of such a potential swap were really considered, cooler heads may be prevailing. In fact, one reputable NFL insider is going so far as to call the idea of a Wilson-to Dallas deal “laughable.”

Jane Slater of NFL Network is as tapped in to the Cowboys as just about any reporter in the business. And she was spot-on when she said on-air Friday, “It’s the offseason; fans always want a bone to chew on.”

Make no mistake, the 32-year-old Wilson- eight-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl XLVIII winner, and reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year- is an intriguing possibility. For practically any team in the league.

Never mind that Cowboys ownership is still saying all the right things about Prescott being their quarterback of the future. Forget for a moment that Prescott has repeatedly said he wants to remain with the team. Both sides are willing, it seems. It is simply coming down to numbers.

But even playing the hypothetical game (because what else would football fans do all offseason?), Slater and many of her colleagues are downplaying any notion of Wilson actually heading to Dallas.

First, Prescott would need to agree to be traded away and sign his franchise tag tender to facilitate the move. Possible, but that would be his concession good time with the Cowboys is officially over.

Then there’s the price tag, no small matter. If a swap of quarterbacks wasn’t enough, Dallas would have to move Prescott elsewhere and pay for Wilson in draft capital.

It’s been reported Seattle could be looking for as many as three first-round picks in exchange for Wilson. That would effectively ground any Cowboys rebuilding efforts for a long time, and 2020 clearly exposed multiple areas in Dallas where a rebuild is desperately needed.

But even if Jerry and Stephen Jones decide Wilson is worth making the move, what about Seattle?

As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News points out, “If [Wilson] is traded before June 1, the Seahawks would assume a $39 million charge of dead money against their 2021 cap.”

And on top of that, they would still have to pay Prescott the market rate for a franchise quarterback, the very figure that the Cowboys and Prescott are quibbling over now.

The debate in Dallas is over paying $40 million or $41 million or even $42 million a year for a quarterback; imagine Seattle suddenly shelling out $61 million a year on the position.

But all of that may be a moot point, Slater says, because the Cowboys and Seahawks have a recent history of not playing well together regarding personnel.

“You had [Seahawks safety] Earl Thomas, a few years ago, who openly campaigned that he wanted to come to the Dallas Cowboys,” she reminded viewers. This was 2017-2018, when the Cowboys were arguably just a safety away from taking the next step.

“The Cowboys were ready to go all-in, and Seattle made it so costly that they didn’t.”

“Then you had [the Jets’] Jamal Adams,” Slater continued,” who also wanted to come to Dallas. Was also costly. The Cowboys were also, at that time, looking for just that one little piece. Seattle comes in, and they pick him up.”

Don’t forget, too, that just this past season, Seattle tried to talk the Cowboys into giving up on Aldon Smith. “The Cowboys, because it was the Seahawks,” explained Slater, “said no.”

Russell Wilson wearing the star may be an alluring thought for some fans who have forgotten how exceptional Dak Prescott is when he’s healthy. And maybe it’s tempting to want the team to simply “blow it all up” over the fiasco that their negotiations with No. 4 have become.

But a Prescott-for-Wilson deal would handicap the Cowboys’ roster, decimate the Seahawks’ finances, and require two organizations who are currently feuding to play nice.

“Not only do I not think this is happening,” Slater says, “I did go ahead and check that with one of my team sources. They equally found the scenario ‘laughable.'”

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