Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner heading to Seahawks OTAs. Julio Jones is not
Russell Wilson — and, apparently, Bobby Wagner — are showing up.
Julio Jones is not.
The Seahawks are beginning their final week of organized team activities (OTAs) at team headquarters in Renton. Monday, their captains are set to make their first appearances on the field with their team since January, when Seattle’s 2020 season ended with a home playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
On Sunday, Wilson posted a video online from an aircraft crossing over downtown Seattle and Lumen Field, presumably moments before landing.
“about that time...,” the quarterback posted on his Instagram account.
Wagner is apparently joining his co-captain on the field Monday at OTAs. ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson reported that later Sunday.
Wilson and Wagner were among the 40-50 veteran Seahawks players who skipped all or most of the first six voluntary OTA practices Seattle had from May 24 through Friday. The captains joining this week’s workouts indicate most of the team could be on the field this week.
The Seahawks said last month through the NFL Players’ Association they would take part in only the mandatory practices of this offseason. The only ones are within the veterans’ minicamp June 15-17.
The majority of the team’s starters and veterans, an estimated 50 of the 90 players on the offseason roster, have been doing their offseason work entirely remotely. That’s how they did it in all of 2020 offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Many veteran NFL players wanted to continue that after the precedent set last year. Team owners wanted this offseason to be a return to the pre-pandemic normal of players at team facilities for voluntary and mandatory workouts.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said at the start of OTAs he expected more players to come in for the voluntary practices this week, to prepare for next week’s mandatory minicamp. The minicamp is the last time on the Seahawks’ fields for the players before training camp begins at the end of July.
“Our activities will pick up as we get closer to minicamp.” Carroll said May 27. “We expect a pretty darn good attendance at minicamp. There are a couple of guys that have some special situations, but for the most part we expect most of our guys to be there.
“The week before is really important week, as well, in preparation for it. We’ll see more guys coming thru as we get to the middle of June.”
Jones traded ... not to Seattle
All that hubbub over Wilson reportedly talking with Julio Jones about Atlanta’s All-Pro wide receiver coming to the Seahawks in a trade?
That ended Sunday.
The Falcons traded Jones to the Tennessee Titans.
On the surface, the deal appears to be something Seattle, without a first-round choice in the 2022 draft, could have done. Tennessee got Atlanta’s second-round pick next year plus the Falcons’ sixth-round choice in 2023. The Titans sent Atlanta a fourth-round pick for 2023.
But it wasn’t about just the trade price for Jones.
The 32-year-old veteran has three seasons remaining on the $66 million contract the Falcons gave him in 2019. A wowing $64 million of that money is guaranteed. Jones is scheduled to earn base salaries of $15.3 million and $11,513,000 in the next two seasons, including 2021.
The Titans are taking on all of that money.
The Seahawks in the last couple weeks explored what it would take to possibly acquire Jones from Atlanta.
Ultimately, the chose to plan their future money and salary-cap spaces on attempting to re-sign receiver DK Metcalf, who is nine years younger than Jones, and All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, 25.
Metcalf’s rookie contract ends following the 2022 season. After his 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, Metcalf is setting up to command a mammoth contact perhaps approaching $20 million per year. That would put him among what is currently the top four NFL wide receiver contracts.
Jones is second among receivers at $22 million per season. He’s behind Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins at $27,250,000, and ahead of the Chargers’ Keenan Allen at $20,025,000 and Dallas’ Amari Cooper at $20 million.
Adams intends to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety after his contract ends with the 2021 season. His deal will likely cost the Seahawks $16 million or more per year, a price Carroll and Seattle general manager John Schneider knew when they acquired him last summer.
If the Seahawks fail to re-sign him, their trade of two first-round picks and veteran starter Bradley McDougald for Adams last year would be a waste.
Wagner’s contract ends after the 2022 season, Wilson’s after 2023. Both have gotten the highest-paid deals at their positions from Seattle in their last extensions. Both are younger than Jones.
The Falcons were in salary-cap hell, with a new, first-time head coach and first-time GM. They needed a team to take on all of Jones’ contract. Tennessee did, in Sunday’s trade.
Seattle did not — because they intend to keep Adams and Metcalf.
This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 6:01 AM.
