THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Seahawks' life without Russell begins now

Do the Seahawks have the onions to go get Deshaun Watson?

I mean, seriously.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider have had a year to think about life without Russell Wilson, so you can take one thing to the bank …

They have a plan.

They’ve puzzled and plotted over this scenario, and for better or worse, they won’t be guessing when they anoint Wilson’s successor.

And remember now, Pete will soon turn 71 — and he’s made it clear he’s not going to wait around for a full-scale rebuilding project.

Two years?

Maybe Pete could be coaxed into babysitting a rookie quarterback for one season, while Drew Lock is QB1 and tries to unload all his bad habits (which are numerous).

Maybe.

But Pete has said over and over, he wants to win now — and he’s not kidding.

So …

Think about it.

The concept of making a Super Bowl in the loaded NFC West gives you very little room for experimentation.

The Seahawks almost certainly need a quarterback as productive as Wilson.

SCOUR the list of free-agent throwers, and there’s really nobody that lights you up.

There really isn’t a quarterback who can take you on that deep and exciting run.

Trade?

The Raiders might move Derek Carr, but if you wanted him, why not just trade them Wilson and work out a few side pieces?

Jimmy Garoppolo?

He’s not exactly an upgrade on Russ, for starters, and the 49ers likely wouldn’t trade him within the division, anyhow.

However you try to look at this thing, it feels to me as though there are two options …

Draft a rookie (like combine sensation Malik Willis from Liberty) and wait a year while this kid becomes a thrilling pro.

Or bite the bullet, along with absorbing mountains of negative publicity, and trade for Watson.

There are plenty of teams looking for elite quarterbacks, but Seattle now has the draft capital to outbid anybody if Watson is their target.

And you know what?

Perhaps they’ve wanted Deshaun Watson all along, but had to wait a year until his baggage — more on that in a minute — faded a bit into the past, and the dead cap hit on Russ took a huge drop.

If they think Watson can get this team to the Super Bowl, the Seahawks might go for it.

If …

WATSON still has lawsuits involving sexual misconduct hanging over his head.

Plus, he hasn’t played in a year while training in Houston’s version of exile.

Still …

We’re talking about genuinely elite talent here, perhaps a quarterback who is now BETTER than Wilson.

For what’s it worth, always keep in mind that the NFL is a winner’s league, and being a bad boy can be overlooked if you show remorse — or settle 10 lawsuits.

ESPN’s Kimberly Martin posted an interesting comment about Watson on Tuesday.

She suggested that Watson and Garoppolo are the two quarterbacks most NFL personnel expect to be traded this offseason.

Then she added on Twitter …

“None of the coaches, personnel execs or scouts I talked to saw Watson’s unresolved legal situation as a clear deterrent.”

If the Seahawks trade for Watson, we’ll find out just how forgiving the Northwest can be.

Surely, women’s advocacy groups would protest immediately — but (sadly, perhaps) that would fade away.

You only have to look at the miscreants and lawbreakers playing in the league right now to understand the first rule of choosing NFL personnel — as stated again and again by Pete Carroll.

Win now.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published weekly during the season.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”