Has Russell Wilson scared NFL teams from going all-in? NFL analyst pins blame on Broncos QB
Russell Wilson is coming off the worst season of his career from a production standpoint. However, from a financial standpoint, he's never been better. At the same time, Denver is smart in both places.
Speaking on the Herd with Colin Cowherd, NFL analyst Albert Breer listed five teams that invested in the position and explained that none of them are happy with where they are.
Then, using Wilson and others as a cautionary tale, Breer claimed that teams are becoming content to avoid expensive, brand-name players. Here's how he put it:
"Vegas, Denver, Cleveland, Green Bay, [and] Arizona did one. Which of those teams came out of those deals happy like a year later? Which of those teams is saying, 'wow, we had a home run here.' There's something happening in the league where [there is] a push back on the idea of going and paying top dollar to get good but not great at [quarterback]."
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He continued, listing several teams that are attempting to go cheap at the position:
"I think what you seen in Tampa with Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield in Washington with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett in Atlanta with Desmond Ridder... We're going to be economical at the position and we are not going to go and pay top dollar for a "Derek Carr" or a "Daniel Jones."
Lastly, Breer explained the long play for teams following the strategy:
"We're going to spend the money we save everywhere else, and we're going to wait until there's a quarterback we're all-in on before we make that big splash."
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Instead of reversing course, the Denver Broncos have doubled-down on their philosophy of getting name-brand people to join the franchise. Not long after their final snap of the season, the team signed Sean Payton to coach the team.
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The move came days after finishing the season at 5-12. The team spent most of the season with half as many wins before a late surge got a couple of feel-good wins added. Russell Wilson threw for 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his lowest touchdown total of his career.
"Let's pretend Aaron Rodgers is now a Jet... What we don't want it to be is Russell Wilson to Denver."
— @ColinCowherd lays out potential parallels https://t.co/1nnIzjgtE9
As a starter, No. 3 went 4-11 in what now has become a steady decline for the quarterback. In 2020, he went 12-4 and in 2021, he went 6-8. The quarterback, front office, and Broncos fans are hoping that Sean Payton can right the ship in a quick way.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit the Herd with Colin Cowherd and H/T Sportskeeda.