First, let me stop you at the beginning. If you came here thinking that I, a writer for TotalFratMove, had a source within the Bronco C-Suite… let alone the two vetted sources needed at a real news outlet… then you are an easy mark.
I have no sources. In any C-Suite. (C-Suite means like CEO, COO, CTO, etc… you know, positions that start with C).
Anyways, this one could be true.
Denver traded Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and Shelby Harris along with two-firsts, two-second, and a fifth-round pick to get Russell Wilson from Seattle. Oh, and a fourth-round pick, too. (Let’s be honest… that feels like that one thing you need to add in Madden to get the CPU to make a deal.)
Double Anyways… Denver had to do this trade. The teams it plays have generational talent Patrick Mahomes, damn solid so far Justin Herbert, and not bad but not great Derek Carr in its division. Denver used the always shitty Drew Lock and the perpetual good guy, bad football player Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback last year. A distant fourth in the division. That can’t work.
The Broncos had to make this deal.
At 33, Wilson can lead the Broncos for the next several years, and make them viable playoff contenders.
Now, the “Would You Rather” game… that could be played… for real…
Denver could have only come with a handful of other quarterbacks that they would want over Wilson. Many of them they could not have landed.
Consider the players that you would want ahead of Wilson… but could not acquire: Mahomes (KC), Herbert (LAC) aren’t getting traded to Denver from inside the division. Josh Allen (Buff) and Joey Burrrr (Cincy) are also starring on teams that struggled to find a quarterback for what feels like forever and not leaving. It leaves Lamar Jackson (Balt) and Aaron Rodgers (GB) as the only other quarterbacks even in this framework that would be available. Well, Rodgers just signed a zillion dollar contract and Lamar isn’t leaving Baltimore.
If we move to the line of players that you could argue are equal to that of Wilson, it is still a short list. And some of the guys aren’t getting dealt so it doesn’t matter.
At any point in their careers, until maybe this year, would you have said you would rather have Matt Stafford (LAR) over Wilson? Would you risk DeShaun Watson (Hou) over a known Wilson? Would you roll the dice on Dak (Dallas) over Wilson? Could you even get Trevor Lawrence (Jax) dealt at all, would he be better than Wilson at this stage?
So… there it is. Six quarterbacks that you “would rather” have than Wilson…. and another four that you can discuss.
The “Would You Rather” led Denver directly to Wilson.
He was the highest rated quarterback on the board that it could possibly get. Now they have him. And they are better at quarterback on the list below… if we extrapolate “Would You Rather”…
AFC East, without Allen, are all worse than Wilson: Jones (NE), Tua (Miami), Whomever (Jets)
AFC North, excluding Lamar and Joey Burr, leaves Baker Mayfield (Browns) and the guy replacing Big Ben in Pittsburgh… currenlty that is Mason Rudolph (Steelers). So, Wilson wins those.
AFC South, is really loaded with risks. Lawrence and Watson already discussed above. Then Tannehill (Titans) and Carson Wentz (Indy) both are worse than Wilson.
AFC West is your home Division. Wilson is still only third in this division but it is an upgrade over being a distant fourth.
NFC East, without Dak, is a disaster. Hurts (Philly), Jones (Giants), Whoknows (Redskins) have nothing on Wilson.
NFC North has some intrigue, but nothing you would rather have on Wilson. Do you want Kirk Cousins (Minnesota) or Justin Fields (Chicago)at all, maybe but probably not. You definitely do not want Jared Goff (Detroit). So, Wilson!
NFC South is barren. Tampa and New Orleans don’t have Brady and Brees anymore… from there you know you don’t want Sam Darnold (Carolina) and certainly have Wilson ahead of the geriatric Matt Ryan (Atl).
NFC West could make some arguments. Maybe we could have included Kyler Murray (Ariz) on the list above. He is kind of a low-rent Wilson, so evolution could come with time. You aren’t taking Jimmy Garrapollo (SF) or Trey Lance (SF) and… well, now that you took Wilson from Seattle they are back in the spot that Denver was. Needing a QB.
