The new league year is fast approaching, as March 13 is just around the corner. NFL teams are cleaning house by releasing unproductive players with expensive contracts.
First, the Denver Broncos told Russell Wilson on Monday that he wouldn’t return to the franchise after coming over in the 2022 off-season via a league-altering trade package.
Next, the Seattle Seahawks cut ties with Jamal Adams after four seasons of inconsistent play hampered by frequent injuries. The team traded several premium picks for Adams in 2020.
With both players receiving their pink slips in the coming days, fans are revisiting the two trades, asking which was worse.
The Seahawks regret the Jamal Adams trade
Let’s look back at the Jamal Adams trade first. In the 2020 off-season, the New York Jets began shopping their former first-round pick.
Seattle answered the call, trading away two coveted first-round selections, a third-rounder, and safety Bradley McDougald.
The Jets used one of the first-round picks and their extra third-rounder to move up the board at the 2021 NFL Draft for offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.
The Jets absolutely won the Jamal Adams trade 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/AbbnMqj1Dv
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) March 5, 2024
The other first-rounder became Garrett Wilson, the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wilson is already considered one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Adams missed 33 total games for the Seahawks in four seasons, and his astronomical contract has kept Seattle from being able to add better pieces in free agency.
Seattle capitalizes on the Russell Wilson trade
Interestingly enough, the Seahawks got a chance to redeem their misstep with the Adams trade by striking gold in the Russell Wilson transaction.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
As for the Broncos, the front office sent a combination of players and picks in exchange for Wilson.
Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, and Noah Fant all moved to Seattle, bringing two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round selection along with them.
Those picks became the following players for the Seahawks:•OL Charles Cross (starter)•EDGE Boye Mafe (starter)•CB Devon Witherspoon (starter)•Derick Hall (special teams starter)•EDGE Tyreke Smith (not on the roster)
For as bad as the Russell Wilson *trade* was, the Russell Wilson *contract* was eons worse – it didn’t even kick in by the time his tenure was over.Not sure we’ll ever see something like that again.
— Carter Donnick (@CDonnick1) March 4, 2024
Now, only two years after a massive $242.5 million extension, Denver will release Wilson ahead of NFL free agency.
The Broncos lost north of $125 million and a handful of starting-caliber players in the deal.
The Verdict
Given who the Jets selected with the picks acquired from the Adams trade, it makes this debate closer than many expect.
However, Wilson takes the cake for the worst NFL trade in recent memory. A Super Bowl-winning quarterback that failed to reach those lofty expectations in Denver.
Some analysts even claim the Wilson trade is the most lopsided in the history of the NFL, comparing it to the infamous Herschel Walker trade in 1989.
The Broncos trade for Russell Wilson may be, given the cost of his contract — $245 million fully guaranteed — and the traded draft picks — two first & two seconds, a fifth plus three players — the worst NFL trade since Herschel Walker to the Vikings.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 4, 2024
Either way, this chapter is closed for Jamal Adams and Russell Wilson. And for the Seahawks and Broncos fans.