Seahawks Ex Russell Wilson & Sean Payton: 5 High Draft Picks and Trade 'Pressure' for Broncos

“The pressure is on us to put a good run game together and reduce the degree of difficulty on his position. I’m excited about him.” - Sean Payton on Seahawks ex Russell Wilson as they team up for the Broncos.

Russell Wilson has a new boss with the Denver Broncos, and one vowing to making it work with the former Seattle Seahawks QB - while admitting that there are demands to do so.

“Russell is a hard worker and has played at a high level and won a lot of games in this league,” said the just-hired Payton, per nola.com. “The pressure is on us to put a good run game together and reduce the degree of difficulty on his position. I’m excited about him.”

The Broncos have acquired the former New Orleans Saints coach in a trade that means they will send to the Saints a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick in exchange for Payton and a Saints 2024 third-round selection.

Payton is now set to join longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback Wilson, who is of course coming off an abysmal 2022 season in Denver after Seattle dealt him away for a massive haul in March.

"Pressure''?

"Degree of difficulty''?

"Excitement''?

That was all in play a year ago ... in part because of the trade price Denver spent for the QB. Consider that in total, for the coach and the QB, the Broncos have given up three first-rounders and three-second rounders, and yes ...

There is some pressure. There is a degree of difficulty. And the level of excitement is up to the Broncos fans.

Last year, despite entering the season with playoff expectations, Wilson and the Broncos finished with a 5-12 record and averaged the fewest points per game in the league (16.9) under coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before the conclusion of the regular season.

Wilson posted a career-worst 16 passing touchdowns along with 11 interceptions. The 34-year-old finished with 3,524 passing yards, but posted the worst completion percentage of his decorated career (60.5).

The Seahawks will now continue to move further away from the days of Wilson while the Broncos and Payton aim to pick up the pieces after a forgettable season. ... with an admission from the Denver brass that the new coach must "fix'' Wilson.

In Payton, the Broncos hired a candidate who might be as capable as anybody of achieving that task. But five premium picks for the tandem?

There's your "pressure.''

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