Russell Wilson has informed the Seattle Seahawks that he would be open to a trade to four teams, and the Dallas Cowboys are one of them. The Cowboys, of course, are working toward signing Dak Prescott to a long-term extension, but would the two teams entertain the idea of a quarterback swap?
Longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson asked sources from both teams about that possibility. The Seattle side offered “no comment,” while Anderson’s Cowboys source said Dallas is committed to Prescott.
That doesn’t make the idea any less interesting. There are likely two main reasons the Seahawks don’t want to trade Wilson this offseason. One is that they would be left with an NFL record $39 million dead-cap hit. The other is that Pete Carroll and company have no interest in a rebuild when they already have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Depending on how the Seahawks view Prescott, a Wilson-Prescott swap might address the second issue. Seattle could certainly remain competitive with Prescott and would not have to start fresh by drafting or signing a different QB.
Prescott appears to be headed toward another franchise tag with the Cowboys, but they would rather sign him to a long-term deal. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that they could sign him and then trade him to Seattle but, again, the Seahawks would have to absorb that $39 million dead-cap hit.
Wilson’s dead-cap hit lowers to $26 million next offseason, which is a bit more manageable. He is also open to playing for these three other teams, so Seattle could explore that route.
Blockbuster player swaps are rare in the NFL, and we’d be surprised if Wilson and Prescott traded uniforms. That won’t stop the speculation.
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