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I've been pondering this for some time, and have come to a conclusion that in Wilson, or Lynch, or any football player's case, there is a strong moral case for taking the maximum amount of free agency money possible:
Observe,
Maximizing a contract ensures that the market is properly set for other players who aren't as good as Russell Wilson.  Owners may take his cheap, hometown discount deal as evidence to go cheap on their players.  "You think you're worth $5 million guaranteed?  That's ridiculous.  Russ Wilson his ownself is only worth $10 million.  Take it or leave it."  This football salary cap is completely arbitrary, and is used as a way to keep the football players from fully sharing in the league's profits.  No matter how profitable football becomes, only so much money will be made by players.    The only way that players can fight against this, is if prominent, and not so prominent players hold out for maximum money.  If every player demanded a maximum amount, the salary cap would have to be adjusted for teams to have a complete roster.  It is the high turnover and lack of star power of players that got the players union into this weak bargaining position in the first place.
 
The pain from losing star players to the salary cap may cause outcry and reform in the system.  Why is Payton Manning not a Colt?  Why has his legacy been sullied by having to play for two teams?  If enough of these hall of fame salary cap injustices occur, then the fans may require the system to be changed.
 
Football players put their lives on the line every play.  There are any number of defensive backs who would love to put Russ Wilson in a wheel chair.  If his brain and body are priceless, then why is he going cheap when risking these things?  Does he not think his brain is worth $100,000,000?  
 
If Russ Wilson has a chance to make $100 million, it allows him to do 50-100 lifetimes worth of charitable work.  He could send thousands of kids to college, or feed orphans, or seek political reform in Haiti.  The possibilities are endless, and many of them may be more important than keeping the band together in Seattle. 
 
Wilson doesn't owe the league, the team or the fans anything.  He has lived up to his contract and his draft, and he has played hard and focused since he arrived.    Fans are greedy for success, and they shouldn't expect their favorite players to work below market value to achieve that.  Put it this way: Fans don't deserve to have a good football team.  They haven't worked for it.  Russ Wilson deserves to be paid like a good football player.  He has worked for it since his youth.  In asking a star player for a hometown discount, the fans are asking him to forbear on something he does deserve to give them something that they don't deserve. Smeagol: "Give us that Deagol My love."  Deagol: "Why?"  Smeagol: "Because its my birthday and I wants it."  Deagol had already given Smeagol a birthday present.  It was manipulative of Smeagol to call Deagol's friendship into question because he wasn't turning over extra freebies.  The fans, expecting Dangeruss to give them a discount, are acting like Smeagol.  The message is: "If you loved us Russ, you would take a home town discount."  Russ should rightly reply, "But I already got you a present.  A Lombardi trophy(ies)."
 
 
I see the other side of it, but this is what I've been noodling on for a few weeks.