Seattle Star Leaves for Mile High

It’s that time of year again, just a month after the Superbowl, the start of the new NFL season arrives. 

Teams start looking to build their team up and have the chance to compete in the Superbowl in the upcoming season. Free Agency, Trades, and retirements are all factors that teams take into play when the new season officially starts. 

The start of the new season is on Wednesday, March 16th, so while trades and deals are announced, they won’t go into play until this date. 

Some big-name players have already been on the move this season, with one certain player affecting a lot of sports fans in the northwest. 

On March 8th, long-time veteran and face of the Seattle Seahawks, Russel Wilson will be going to the Denver Broncos in of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent history. 

Russel Wilson is known as the QB for the Seahawks for nine years, a fan favorite who helped the team win a Superbowl in 2013.

The Broncos will send QB Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders, and one fifth-rounder. All of this for Russel Wilson and a fourth-round pick. 

In an area where there is a lot of Seattle Seahawks fans, many went to social media to voice their sadness and frustration with Wilson moving on from their beloved team. 

“Good for the long term, rebuild is going to suck,” Lakeland senior student Richie Thomas said about the Wilson trade. 

Fans of the Denver Broncos have a lot of optimism for the upcoming season with the new trade. 

Lakeland junior student Kaleb Lister expresses that this is “the best trade ever” and “Broncos are now a Superbowl contender.”

On the same day that Russel Wilson was traded to Denver, the Seahawks also released Bobby Wagner after ten years with the team. 

Bobby Wagner played Middle Linebacker for the Seahawks and played a crucial role in the Seahawks defense. Being selected to eight pro bowls, six all-pro teams, and a member of the hall of fame 2010s team. 

Lakeland junior Devon Howell thinks the Seahawks are “making a big mistake”. 

“Bobby Wagner is still one of the top linebackers in the league, he continued to put up great numbers for them,” Howell said. 

Wagner will be able to choose a new team to play for once the season starts on Mar 16th. 

The move for the Broncos to get Russel Wilson is huge for the team. Ever since Peyton Manning retired in 2015 after their super bowl win, the Broncos haven’t had a good quarterback and their win record shows the effect of that. 

I think the Broncos will be a playoff contender next year with the new addition of Russel Wilson and the already star-stuttered team they have.