To the surprise of most, the Seahawks have stood pat at quarterback since trading Russell Wilson. They did re-sign Geno Smith, who has been a backup for seven years, and are prepared to give him a legitimate shot to succeed Wilson.
Smith and Drew Lock are engaged in an open competition for the job, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Pete Carroll has praised Lock throughout the offseason and said during a KJR 93.3 appearance (via Pro Football Talk) Lock would have been the first quarterback taken had he been in this year’s draft.
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Lock, who went 42nd overall to the Broncos in 2019, is entering a contract year. He has largely struggled as a starter, and while the ex-Mizzou prospect did play in two offensive systems in his first two years, Teddy Bridgewater beat him out for Denver’s QB1 job last year and held him off throughout the Broncos’ time in playoff contention. Lock replaced an injured Bridgewater in a close Week 15 game against the Bengals; the Broncos lost that game and their final three to finish 7-10. This came after the strong-armed passer tied for the 2020 interception lead, with 15, despite missing three-plus games.
Seattle also has ex-Indianapolis draftee Jacob Eason on its roster, but Lock-Smith appears to be the battle. Refusing to capitalize on the non-Kenny Pickett QB prospects’ collective freefall, the Seahawks did not select a QB with their nine draft picks. A player they were connected to, Malik Willis, did not appeal to them. Seattle did not view the Liberty prospect as close to NFL-ready, Henderson adds. Seattle passed on Willis, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral three times on Day 2.
Smith, 31, has made five starts over the past seven seasons. Three of those came last season, his third with the Seahawks. The former second-round pick did show some promise, completing 68% of his passes on 7.4 yards per attempt — numbers superior to his Jets-era work, albeit in a small sample size — and finishing with a 5-to-1 TD-INT ratio. But he has been a backup on four teams since 2015.
If the Browns end up releasing Baker Mayfield, the Seahawks will surely look into adding him to this mix. They were connected to the four-year starter earlier this offseason, and he would seemingly give the team a better chance to win this season. For now, however, Lock has a legitimate opportunity to snag another starting gig.
Drew Lock and Geno Smith are also not NFL ready.
Even if they had someone ready, the offense can’t get any possession time because the defense is so bad.
The defense is so bad the other team will score quick and often given the offense many opportunities for 3 and outs
Do you think they realize how stupid that statement sounds given the throwaways they have in their QB room?
Define NFL ready
NFL ready to win games? No
NFL ready to lose games? Yes
That’s wrong. As a jets fan I’d have thought you’d know better about Geno. He’s a little turnover prone, but he moves the ball and makes plays. I don’t think it’s crazy for Seattle to give him a shot. If you read the article, he played very well last year. I watched some of those Seattle games. He looked pretty good. But you’re the same guy that thought Sauce Gardner got that nickname from dipping sauces, so who knows where you get your NFL takes from lol
Come on. He’s maybe a viable backup on a team with a very good starter, but he’s not a legitimate NFL starting option.
As a placeholder, he is. I’m not sure where the Seahawks critiquing is coming from consider Malik Willis would be ~QB8 next season. Clearly they want to use Lock or Smith as a stop gap so they can take Stroud, Young, Levis, Haener, Van Dyke, etc. next season, unless the starter really impresses. Why waste a pick on another turnover prone QB in Willis when you can build the roster up for a future franchise QB?
Depends on what you’re trying to do. Atlanta does not want to win this year. They’re building a roster around what is hopefully a top pick next season. So they have Mariota there to be an okay NFL player but ultimately to lose games. Sure they took Ridder but a third rounder wouldn’t stop you from taking CJ Stroud of Bryce Young.
Seattle is in the same boat. Sign Geno back and have Lock there but they’re building a roster for the next QB, not for Lock or Geno. Taking Willis this season doesn’t make them any better and what happens if they draft Willis high and then get the first pick? Probably proves Willis isn’t ready and then they’re forced to look at a QB with another high pick. I’d rather do what seattle did. Took a tackle, drafted a replacement for Carson and Penny and then took some upside swings on defense. They’re not going to be good next year and going 6-11 doesn’t help their future. They’re trying to build smart at this point.
Eh, now we’re getting into the grey area of what nfl ready means. Because that’s really what I objected to. Viable backup is nfl ready to me. On a good team, you can throw him in there, and he’ll move the ball and make plays. On a bad team, he’ll move the ball and then force things too much and cause a turnover
His scouting report from some scouts made his passing ability a real question. Not what you want at the QB position. Everyone acknowledged that he can throw the ball far. What they also said is he can’t or wasn’t throwing it accurately and might never be that guy. If that’s what you’re drafting, he’s not NFL ready.
I’ll say it like this, if he ran a 4.8 then not a soul would have drafted him. People like his mobility upside and not his throwing ability upside.
What a stubborn and foolish front office and coaching staff. Make Russ run for his life rather than drafting OL. Then trade him only to draft OL. The coach and GM will be shown the door next offseason.
Pete Carrol should be taken out for a lovely seafood dinner and never get called again
Well if you knew anything about Seattle they did draft OL but they turned out to be OK or just not good. Show your ignorance with another ignorant post please.
Exactly. Criticize a franchise that won a SB and really should have been 3. The Rothlesberger BS TD before replays and then the dumb Butler INT when the whole world knew Lynch should have pounded it in. It is what it is, but let’s not act like we’re talking about a failure of a franchise
Hawks haven’t had a top 10 pick since drafting Wilson, so trying to draft an elite LT has not been possible for the last 10 years. They have put more draft capital in the O-line than nearly every team, so it wasn’t like they didn’t try to improve that unit.
I wish RW3 the best in the future, he’s a top 10 QB in the league but not elite by any means. He needs a very good running game to be effective. He does not see the middle of the field within 10 yards of the LOS at all, and has major limitations. Hawks were right in trading him at peak value and the $50 million per it would of taken to re-sign him will be better spent elsewhere.
I agree with nearly everything you said, and your comment regarding Wilson not seeing the middle of the field within 10 yards is interesting; I don’t watch every minute of every Seahawks game to know, but if you’re correct, it’s probably due to Wilson’s height. I don’t believe the Seahawks want to win this season, and hope to get a top 2-3 pick next spring and draft a quarterback then. Your comment about Wilson’s salary cap-swallowing contract is spot on, and it makes me shake my head that so many teams have no problem doing that, while other players are forced to settle for what remains. I do disagree, however, regarding your comment about needing a top 10 pick to get decent OL help. You can get excellent talent in the mid-late first round or in the second or third round. Seattle just hasn’t done a good job at it since Wilson’s been their quarterback. Other areas, they’ve done very well, but not OL.
They did draft OL, just never had a chance to take an elite OL prospect. They drafted plenty of guys around the draft position where Abe Lucas went though.
The Seahawks did not resign Duane Brown, so the Seahawks had to draft an offensive tackle in the first round. The Seahawks did not have a first round pick in 2021 because of the Jamal Adams trade. The Seahawks were right to not draft an offensive tackle in 2020.
Whoever performs worse gets the job. Secure that top pick Pete.
Do they have next years first? That’s how this ends.
They got 2 first and 2 seconds next year and 2024 1st to so if they wanna move up for a QB next year they easily can
And they’re finally done with the Adams trade.
They’re tanking for a QB in 23. Only reason any team would trot Lock or Smith out there.
Or the fact that this year’s QB class was the worst since 2013. Bad franchises reach for a QB and give said QB the reigns to the position.
Both can be true.
Let’s go Levi Lewis!
Seahawks are clearly tanking for a 2023 QB.
They are not trying to win many games, for sure. They do like Drew Lock though. He could be the next Charlie Whitehurst.
I wouldn’t be surprised if 70 year old Pete Carroll steps down after this season.
He won’t. They will compete. They won’t win a lot of games, but they are going to be no fun to play.
Lock arguably also took a Broncos that was teetering on the edge of playoff contention completely out of it single-handedly. Watching him run that offense was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to watch.