(Photo: NY Post)
Do you all remember the 2012 NFL Draft? Andrew Luck was the first overall pick selected by the Indianapolis Colts and Robert Griffin III was right behind him at number two. This draft class was highly regarded for its Quarterback talent. I mentioned the first two guys already. This draft also introduced us to Ryan Tannehill, Nick Foles, and Kirk Cousins. In the third round with the 75th overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks drafted a kid named Russell Wilson. I still remember the franchise receiving a ton of criticism for this pick after the free-agent signing of Matt Flynn. I think things panned out well for Russ and the Seahawks. After spending the first ten seasons of his career in Seattle, the veteran Quarterback was traded to the Denver Broncos and the move received praise as the Broncos had struggled to replace Peyton Manning after he retired. The pairing between the two was anything but successful and he was released by the Broncos just a few weeks ago. Last night, Russ himself announced that he would be signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers for his 13th season.
This is still a good Quarterback and trust me, some of you who are fans would take him if he were available and your team needed a signal-caller under center. Please don’t let these few recent years fool you because he can still be a productive Quarterback. The one thing I’ve always admired about him is his leadership. I always say there are two types of leaders in sports, the vocal guys and the ones who lead by example and it’s safe to say Russ is a perfect combination of both. When he speaks, those around him listen and he sets the example and everyone follows him. I’ve always said he plays “backyard football” which is being able to create when nothing appears to be there. His footwork allows him to buy the time to extend the play and move in and out of the pocket. Russ has been one of the best in the league for some time when it comes to the ability to extend the play. His quickness and shiftiness over the years have made it a challenge for defenders and many of his peers have claimed he’s such a pest to defend simply because you never know what he’s going to do. A play is never over with Russell Wilson. What also stands out is how he throws on the run and that’s the perfect segue, his passing. He’s truly come a long way since his early days in Seattle as a passer. He’s become one of the best in the league when it comes to throwing the deep ball. When the ball leaves his hands, it falls right into the bread basket and he simply knows how to hit a receiver in stride with his passing.
These last two years in Denver have been challenging for Russ. The first year, he was paired up with a coach who had no idea what he was doing and should have never been a Head Coach, to begin with in Nathaniel Hackett. I said it up top and I will say it here again. Russell Wilson is a Quarterback who thrives on extending plays and using his feet to create newer opportunities. Nathaniel attempted to turn him into a pocket passer which is far from his game. With Sean Payton, he didn’t mesh well with him and sometimes, I took Sean attempting to coach Russ as he once did Drew Brees. The Steelers needed a Quarterback and now, they have a veteran who’s been to the playoffs and won a Super Bowl. If all pans out, the AFC North could have the best collective group of Quarterbacks in the league. A Super Bowl champ in Russ, a two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson, one of the best in the league when healthy in Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.
