Russell Wilson could have been visiting Seattle as the Eagles quarterback Sunday if the Seahawks didn’t draft him first in 2012.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told ESPN.com that Eagles coach Andy Reid called his old buddy John Schneider, the Seahawks general manager, after the Seahawks chose Wilson with the 75th overall pick in the third round.
“He was just giving John a hard time for taking his guy. Kind of regular banter that happens during the draft,” Carroll said.
Apparently the Eagles had their eye on Wilson and planned on taking him with the 88th pick, but the Seahawks ruined those plans. The Eagles settled for Nick Foles.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl berths and one championship. If either the Seahawks or Eagles knew that drafting him would yield those results, they wouldn’t have waited until the third round.
Foles went 8-2 as a starter in 2013, throwing 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions. Chip Kelly traded him to the Rams for Sam Bradford in March of 2015. Foles became expendable in Los Angeles when the Rams drafted Jared Goff, and Reid liked him enough to sign him as a backup with the Chiefs this season.
Reid might still be in Philadelphia, however, if Wilson had lasted 13 more picks in 2012. Or the Eagles could have just done what every other quarterback-needy franchise does and drafted him a round or two early.
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