THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Go ahead, laugh at Russ' mess

It would be rude to laugh at Russell Wilson and the Broncos.

But …

Feel free.

Whatever funny line you invent, though, however slick your insults and general hoo-hah might be, the rest of America has probably gotten there already.

Seriously, you couldn’t make up the chaos surrounding Russ and the hapless Broncos.

A 51-14 beating by the Rams JVs, during which Wilson threw three interceptions — two of them on his first three attempts?

A shoving match between backup QB Brett Rypien and offensive lineman Dalton Risner?

Rypien taking Wilson out of the firing line and immediately throwing a pick-six?

A fistfight on the field after the game?

Coach Nathanial Hackett fired almost before the Broncos’ charter rolled to a stop back in Denver?

It’s been a hysterical soap opera, and Wilson – who cares desperately about his “legacy” — now has to start working upward from "laughing stock.”

Among other things, Wilson’s performance (12 TDs, nine picks) is rapidly shoving him out of contention for the Hall of Fame.

And for a guy with Wilson’s pride, the notion that he’ll be remembered for this catastrophe in Denver rather than a terrific decade in Seattle will tear at his guts.

GO AHEAD and poke fun at Russ.

It’s open season.

Talk show host Shannon Sharpe, who played 12 years in Denver and won two Super Bowls, gave Wilson (and his attitude) both barrels on Monday.

After discussing Hackett’s sacking with that dismal 4-11 record — as the Broncos appeared to “down tools” and simply quit against the Rams – Sharpe lit into Wilson.

“I don’t know who the new head coach is gonna be,” Sharpe said, “but the first thing you do (is say), ‘Russell Wilson, I’m locking this office. You will no longer have an office. All those parking spaces you get the stadium, they’re gone too — because you’re putting yourself in front of the team.’ “I said it before, I’ll say it again, and I stand by it: You ticked a lot of people off with your attitude, bro.

“You can come out here and talk about how we’re a team and I’m good with my teammates, but deep down inside, they’re seething, and I’m gonna leave it at that.”

Asked about Wilson’s horrible year throwing the ball, Sharpe repeated what plenty of knowledgeable people around the NFL already have been saying.

It’s also the reason why the Seahawks were willing to let him walk away from the only team he’d ever known.

Russ has NEVER been a quarterback who can get the ball out quickly.

He’s not a bang-bang guy.

His success has always been based on a strong arm, coupled with holding the ball and then using his athleticism to escape the pocket and make spectacular off-schedule throws.

The Seahawks realized last year that Wilson had lost some agility, and frankly, that was his game.

They had put up with his ego and his “people” and all the rest, because he could escape trouble and get the ball downfield.

But then he lost a step.

Or two.

Or more.

NOW, THAT brings me to the part of this whole drama that I don’t understand.

Think about this for a minute …

The Broncos gave away a boatload of draft picks in the belief that Wilson was the missing piece.

Somehow, they thought that Russ could take them to the promised land.

Okay, first of all, that tells you the Denver hierarchy overrated its own roster.

On top of that error, though, they gave away the ranch for a 34-year-old quarterback who has lived and died with speed and footwork.

Didn’t they wonder if a guy in his mid-30s might lose that athletic piece of his game going forward?

Apparently not, because …

Astoundingly …

They gave Russ a five-year, $245 million contract extension without seeing him take a single snap from scrimmage.

Not even in a preseason game.

They tossed away the draft picks and a Brinks truck full of cash for a quarterback who basically HAD to go backwards — and fairly quickly.

Why not wait a year, see how this shiny new QB performs, and THEN talk about money?

Look, everybody is making fun of Russell Wilson right now, and fair enough.

He’s blowing his legacy to hell and gone.

The truly staggering failure in this mess, though, belongs to the Broncos.

As the old saying goes …

“I don’t blame you. I blame the guy who hired you.”

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

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