The Seattle Seahawks were always going to get a deal done with quarterback Russell Wilson. It was just a matter of when and on whose terms. Those factors mattered a great deal to the Seahawks, as they plan to keep together a team that leads the NFL in total victories (postseason included) since adding Wilson before the 2012 season.

We'll hear plenty in the coming days about contract structure and whether Wilson or the team came out ahead on various negotiation points. Most importantly for the team, getting a deal done with Wilson brings clarity in the place of several potentially disruptive variables: How an evolving quarterback market could affect negotiations, how Wilson's performance in 2016 could affect perceptions of his value, the salary-cap ramifications of using the franchise tag next season and even beyond, etc.

Executives from other teams have long wondered whether the Seahawks could keep their team together once Wilson came off his bargain-basement rookie deal. But the team has already struck deals with cornerback Richard Sherman, running back Marshawn Lynch, defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive end Cliff Avril, free safety Earl Thomas, strong safety Kam Chancellor, linebacker K.J. Wright and receiver Doug Baldwin (while adding tight end Jimmy Graham). There still should be cap room to get a deal done with linebacker Bobby Wagner before the season.

That leaves only a few peripheral players with unsettled futures: left tackle Russell Okung, linebacker Bruce Irvin, guard J.R. Sweezy, receiver Jermaine Kearse and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane. Seattle might like to re-sign any number of them, but other than Wagner, the players most critical to the team's success already have new deals.

It's tough to envision Seattle shelling out top dollar for Okung given his injury history and inability to play at a Pro Bowl level consistently. Irvin, another Seattle first-rounder during the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era, likewise hasn't quite met expectations despite playing well at times. The strategy Seattle has taken with Okung and Irvin has more to do with their demonstrated football abilities than salary-cap limitations. Sweezy could be a priority if the money is right. Kearse's value to the team could depend on how well rookie Tyler Lockett and others play, but the need at receiver is diminished with Graham on the roster as a receiving threat. Mebane, 30, played 268 snaps over nine games last season.

Seattle now must continue to draft and develop players effectively to restore the depth that gave the 2013 team such tremendous finishing power. That was always going to be the case. The urgency could increase if Okung, Irvin and others do not re-sign. But by signing Wilson and nearly all the other front-line players on the team, Seattle is not banking on the draft to find as many immediate starters. That is a luxury the team has earned by methodically re-signing its best players, including Wilson.

If all goes to plan, Seattle will remain strong enough overall for coaches and evaluators around the league to continue debating whether Wilson could carry the team in the absence of a top defense and running game. If the Seahawks do fall off in those areas over the next couple seasons, a growing salary cap could provide some relief. By then, the deal Wilson struck with one year remaining on his rookie contract will account for a smaller percentage of a growing salary-cap pie.

Back in May, an executive from another team sized up Seattle's negotiations with Wilson this way: "Seattle is all about keeping the team together. That seems destined for the franchise tag."

The Seahawks seem to have kept the team together while finding a way to extend Wilson's contract. Their winning formula appears to remain intact.