Russell Wilson was dealt to the Denver Broncos in one of the biggest trades in NFL history and there aren’t any definitive winners and losers. Seattle acquired mainly draft capital and young assets in return for the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
The Wilson trade culminates the busiest 24-hour stretch thus far in the NFL off-season. I’m not sure if I’m more surprised that Aaron Rodgers is still a Packer and not a Bronco, or if Russell Wilson is a Bronco, but here we are.
Wilson waived his no-trade clause to be in Denver, which will make him the first player to start for a team that he had previously beat in the Super Bowl. Funny enough, Wilson was drafted to play baseball by the Colorado Rockies and now he’ll be playing in that state anyways.
Here are the immediate winners and losers.
Winner: Broncos receivers
Need we say more?
Winner: Nathaniel Hackett
The Broncos head coach and former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator is in Denver to run a high-powered, West Coast offence. Wilson has never been an on-time, rhythm thrower. Whether he’ll be successful in a more regimented system is up for debate.
Hackett’s presence in Denver was assumed to be in the hopes of luring Rodgers to follow him from Green Bay, but when the MVP decided to stay put, Wilson becomes a consolation prize that is less of an exact fit. Either way, for an offensive-minded head coach, the offensive tools at his disposal are appreciably better today than they were when he took the job.
Loser: Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll is 70 years old. Does he have the time or energy for a rebuild?
Carroll told anybody that would listen that the Seahawks weren’t looking to move Wilson, only for Seattle to promptly move Wilson. Carroll wants to win by running the ball and playing good defence. That’s how Seattle won the Super Bowl back in 2014. It is tough to do that when Wilson is begging to throw the ball and is the highest-paid player on the team.
This is either an ideological shift back to what Carroll wants or a sign that he is no longer wanted and the youth movement will continue both on the field and on the sidelines.
Loser: Russell Wilson
Yes, Wilson wanted a trade but the grass isn’t always greener.
The situation Wilson is leaving isn’t appreciably better than the one he’s going to. Wilson leaves the hardest division in the NFC for the hardest division in the AFC. Seattle is exploring a rebuild because, as presently constituted, they are the fourth-best team in the NFC West. Even with Wilson, the Broncos might still be the fourth-best team in AFC West. They might even be the fourth-best offence. When you compare the AFC West skill position players, Denver still has an uphill battle.
Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Patrick Mahomes
WR: Tyreke Hill
WR: Mecole Hardman
TE: Travis Kelce
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
San Diego Chargers
QB: Justin Herbert
WR: Keenan Allen
WR: Mike Williams
TE: Jared Cook
RB: Austin Eckler
Las Vegas Raiders
QB: Derek Carr
WR: Hunter Renfrow
WR: Zay Jones
TE: Darren Waller
RB: Josh Jacobs
Denver Broncos
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Javonte Williams
WR: Jerry Jeudy
WR: Courtland Sutton
TE: Albert Owuegbunam
Loser: Russell Wilson dynasty fantasy owners
Wilson might win more, but can we expect Wilson to have more production in his new offence? He just left DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. He’ll be working with a better offensive line and running backs but certainly a less talented receiver group.
Loser: The remaining QBs on the market
Deshaun Watson and Jimmy Garoppolo lost two potential destinations on the same day. The quarterback carousel continues but the demand is decreasing. When you add Jameis Winston and Mitch Trubisky to the mix — plus any QBs in the upcoming draft class — the proverbial game of QB musical chairs tells us someone is going to be left without a dance partner.
Winner: Seattle’s salary cap
Wilson has a 2022 base salary of $19 million with a cap hit of $37 million, followed by a 2023 base salary of $21 million with a cap hit of $39 million. Seattle absorbs a $26 million dead-money cap hit but frees up $11 million by trading Wilson.
Loser: Seahawks fans
Rebuilds aren’t fun and they are far from certain. Seattle hasn’t drafted well since they selected Wilson and Bobby Wagner in 2012. And on the same day that they dealt Wilson, they also let go of the QB of their defence in Wagner.
The draft picks received in the trade mean nothing if you don’t hit on them. The haul is great but in the aggregate they only have one extra first-round pick if you look at what they traded for Jamal Adams not long ago. The easy part is tearing it down. The hard part is building it back up.
Wilson delivered Seattle its only Super Bowl title in franchise history. To willingly say goodbye to him with no clear plan to get back to championship level is a hard pill to swallow, even if it’s the right decision for the long-term future of the franchise.
Winner: Broncos fans
Football is fun when you have a good QB, and there’s no question that you need a QB to have a chance to win in the NFL. Denver has had 11 different QBs since Peyton Manning retired.
The Broncos’ offence has ranked 21st or worse in scoring each year since Manning hung up the cleats and the team has had the fourth-worst quarterback rating in that time. In that same span, Wilson has had the sixth best QBR. When you look at the list of most passing TDs in their first 10 seasons, Wilson (292) is only behind Manning (306) and just ahead of Dan Marino (290). That’s A-list, Hall-of-Fame status. Even in more recent years, he’s been elite. Since 2020, Wilson’s NFL ranks seventh in QB wins, eighth in completion percentage, fourth in passing-TDs -to-interception ratio, and second in passer rating.
This is a clear upgrade in the short term.
Winner: AFC West
Never has a single division (or conference) had this much firepower.
Total QBR Rank based on 2021 numbers:
Justin Herbert: 3rd
Patrick Mahomes: 5th
Russell Wilson: 10th
Derrick Carr: 14th
The AFC is the WrestleMania of QBs. Add Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow into the mix and the AFC is loaded with franchise QBs on teams in win-now mode — all of which who are considerably younger than Wilson.
If the Broncos aren’t good enough to compete for a championship now, that window might close quickly. Their championship window isn’t as long as they might think.
Russell Wilson rolls out to pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. (Jed Jacobsohn/AP)
Loser: Denver’s long-term plan
Quarterbacks are playing better and longer than ever before, but Wilson is 33 and his style of play specifically doesn’t bode well for aging gracefully. So much of his success, unlike an undersized QB like Drew Brees, relies on his mobility and deep-ball arm strength. When those talents fade, how does Wilson win?
Consider that teams don’t trade franchise QBs. Seattle saw him every day and was still willing to part ways with him. Wilson, rightfully so, will be on washed watch but if he delivers one championship for the franchise like Manning did, nobody will care about not being able to replenish via the draft.
Winners: Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett
Seattle can now use the Broncos’ No. 9 overall pick to select a quarterback in the draft. Liberty’s Malik Willis or Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett would give Seattle a new face of the franchise. Whether real or perceived, the fact Seattle could be a player for a QB at No. 9 will drive up the draft stock of both QBs. No disrespect to Geno Smith or Drew Lock, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet Malik Willis is the Week 1 starter in Seattle.
Loser: The Washington Commanders
The Seahawks turned down a trade offer from the Commanders that included three first-round picks! Washington wasn’t even being subtle. General manager Martin Mayhew said he was “canvassing” the league for a starting QB and, on Wednesday, reportedly landed quarterback Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts.
Even with that reported deal in place, the drop-off after Rodgers and Wilson was always going to be steep — and that could spell trouble for Washington.
Winner: Prospective Broncos Buyers
The Broncos are up for sale and this deal isn’t a bad thing for a future owner. You don’t expect teams being sold to spend money, you expect them to clean up the books and remove any liabilities. But owning a football team is less about return on investment and more about return on fun. The Broncos being relevant and having hope makes the franchise a more enticing purchase.
Winner: Los Angeles Rams
This trade, in a way, is a huge sign of respect to the Rams. The Broncos are essentially saying forget about draft picks, we need a star QB starter kit and we’re in business. The Seahawks are saying the Rams just won and are light years ahead, we need to tear it all down. Both premises might be faulty.
Last year, the Broncos were 7-10 and play in a tough division. The Rams were 10-6 when they decided to go all-in for QB Matthew Stafford. The Broncos are not just a superstar QB away because the AFC West is full of star QBs.
The Seahawks were 7-10 last year but a season when your QB was hurt is a deceiving sample. In the three seasons previous to last, they were 12-4, 11-5, 10-6 and made the playoffs in each of those seasons. They also won the division in 2020. Before last season, the last time they had a losing record was 2011.
Even after the trade I think Denver and Seattle are probably closer in the standings than we might think but both collectively a few paces behind the defending champs.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
