Russell Wilson Trade Rumors: 3 1st-Round Picks Would Be 'Realistic Price' for QB

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson hasn't made it a secret that he's unhappy with the way the organization has handled certain things, which of course has led to speculation that he could get traded. 

While that still seems unlikely, NFL Network's Michael Silver shed more light on the situation and the sort of return Seattle would be expecting if it decided to pull the trigger on a trade:   

"Teams have been calling. Probably a third of the league has reached out to inquire about Russell Wilson, and remember, Seahawks general manager John Schneider is not one of those people who ever says, 'We have nothing to talk about.' He listens to anything and everything all the time. And so that doesn't mean that there are actual trade talks going on, but certainly teams have reached out. What's a realistic price if the Seahawks were to trade Russell Wilson? I think you start with something like three first-round draft picks, that's kind of the message that other teams believe would be conveyed. But I still think there's a lot of time to get through this rough patch."

Trade buzz started circulating around Wilson earlier this month, to the point that he commented on it during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show:

He also said in that interview that he wanted more of a say in the team's roster construction. And he told Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk and Sports Radio KJR that he was "frustrated at getting hit too much" and suggested that improving upon his protection was a necessary point of focus:

"I came to play this game to win championships. So if you asked me about the trust factor of it all, I mean, I've always put my trust in the Seahawks and trying to do whatever it takes to win and hopefully that will continue. I think that's a key part and so I think part of that is how we go about the protection part of it and figuring those little things out like that. Those are important things."

Despite Wilson's remarks, it's hard to imagine the Seahawks trading him anytime soon. He's fresh off a season in which he threw for 4,212 yards, 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, completing 68.8 percent of his passes. He was sacked 47 times, a number that probably would have been higher were he less mobile. It was the eighth straight season he was sacked 40 or more times. 

He's finished in the top five of sacks taken seven times in his career. Any frustrations he has with his protection are warranted, and if the Seahawks don't make some changes and address some of his concerns, all of the mild trade buzz surrounding Wilson may become more fire than smoke.