Ought to the Seahawks take a QB within the draft with Geno Smith enjoying so nicely?


We’re turning the nook from the NFL season and into draft season. With it there shall be all manners of arguments about participant positioning and who deserves to go No. 1 general, however one of the intriguing predicaments within the top-5 comes from the Seahawks.

This can be a workforce who have been predicted to crater this season. In reality, 2022 was presupposed to be a tank yr earlier than it even started, with the notion being that Seattle would commerce away Russell Wilson, be rubbish because of this, and purpose to pick out their quarterback of the longer term with a top-3 decide. Now they’re pushing to discover a spot within the playoffs, and Denver’s misfortunes have put the workforce in a generational place to overtake all of the workforce’s want positions in a few brief years, and that begins now.

That stated, this draft is extra difficult now due to Geno Smith. The quarterback’s resurgence has been simply the very best story of 2022, and his play has actually warranted persevering with because the workforce’s starter. Is one comeback season sufficient to disregard the QB place and handle different wants? Right now myself and Mark Schofield make our instances for whether or not Seattle ought to take a QB within the first spherical.

The Seahawks HAVE to a take a quarterback — by James Dator

I really like Geno Smith. I really like his play this season, I really like his story, and I really like how he’s defied expectations to legitimately turn out to be the most effective quarterbacks in 2022. I nonetheless assume Seattle can be silly to disregard the chance to take a high passer this yr.

The Denver collapse has handed the Seahawks what I name a “Golden Goose Draft.” It’s one thing that solely comes alongside as soon as in an amazing whereas, in any sport. The prime instance of this was the 1996-97 Spurs, which collapsed from a 59-23 report the yr earlier than, to ending up with the No. 1 decide due to a season-ending harm to David Robinson. It allowed San Antonio to take Tim Duncan with the highest decide, and construct a dynasty due to it.

Sure, it is a little completely different, however I believe the impact is similar. Seattle is simply too good of a workforce to plummet again into having a High 3 decide, no less than within the fast future. This has to be the workforce’s alternative to take a passer, even when they sit behind Geno in 2023.

Because it stands the Seahawks with have the No. 2 general decide. Until you actually dislike all the tops passers this yr there isn’t a purpose to not take one. Each potential draft state of affairs I can consider is nice. Each Bryce Younger and C.J. Stroud have the potential to be high tier NFL starters. Ought to the Texans be silly and roll the cube on Will Levis you possibly can take your decide of the very best NFL-ready QB within the draft.

I do know this workforce has big holes on protection that have to be stuffed. I perceive that going all-defense in 2023 may end in getting Seattle again to being an everyday playoff contender shortly. Nevertheless, Geno can also be going to be 33 years previous subsequent season, and time is catching up on him earlier than we even discuss concerning the chance he can preserve this run going.

So far as I’m involved you are taking a QB at No. 2. You lock up Smith to a 3-4 yr performance-heavy extension, and let it rip. The worst case state of affairs is you wind up just like the Chargers after they took Philip Rivers, and you would discover a QB-needy workforce to commerce Geno for to recoup extra picks transferring ahead like San Diego did with Drew Brees.

If you wish to get higher proper now, then by all means, draft protection. In order for you an opportunity to show the Seahawks right into a decade-plus menace within the NFC you are taking a high passer and chuckle all the way in which to the financial institution figuring out your future is safe.

Seattle ought to comply with the Eagles’ method — by Mark Schofield

Seattle is in place to run the NFL draft subsequent yr.

They may lengthen that in the event that they comply with what Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles did this previous offseason.

Let’s set the framework for this dialogue. Proper now, the Seahawks maintain 5 picks within the first three rounds of the NFL draft, in keeping with Tankathon. They’ve their very own first spherical choice (at present seventeenth), their very own second spherical choice (at present forty eighth general), and their very own third spherical choice, which is at present 82nd general.

In addition they, due to the Wilson commerce, have further picks within the first (2nd general) and the second, at present thirty fifth general.

That’s a whole lot of draft capital.

Previous to final yr’s draft, the Eagles had a trio of first-round picks at their disposal. That gave Roseman a ton of choices. However the Eagles have been in an identical place final spring as Seattle finds themselves this yr.

Are they certain about their quarterback?

So what did Roseman do? He constructed round his quarterback, however gave himself a future hedge. In a pre-draft commerce with the New Orleans Saints, Roseman flipped a type of 2022 first-round picks, however added a 2023 first-round decide.

Because it stands proper now, the Eagles are selecting fifth with that Saints choice.

And due to the expansion from Jalen Hurts this season — in addition to how they used the remainder of their draft capital to construct round him, like they did with the A.J. Brown commerce that concerned one other of these first-round picks — they don’t have to draft a quarterback.

Nevertheless, if Hurts didn’t have the MVP-type season this yr that he’s having, they might be in place, with a pair of first-round picks, to maneuver up for a quarterback in the event that they wanted to.

Now let’s speak about Seattle. Due to what Smith has executed this season — he ranks among the many league leaders in various passing classes, together with ANY/A, QBR, EPA, and CPOE — Seattle is 7-6 and chasing a playoff spot. Past the numbers, and the wins, what Smith has proven on the sector is known as a continuation of what we noticed from him final yr, when he was pressed into motion after Wilson suffered his hand harm. Contact, trajectory, accuracy, and pocket administration, are all traits Smith has displayed at a excessive degree this yr, as he did a season in the past.

As I wrote about him this summer time:

Staying and preventing within the pocket is likely one of the hardest issues for a quarterback to do. It flies within the face of all human emotion. Massive males are coming to do you hurt, and whereas instincts may inform you to run for the hills — as they informed me so many instances over time — the power to remain throughout the pocket, create house and preserve the offense on construction is an incredible ability for a quarterback to have. That retains as many choices within the idea in play for the quarterback relatively than instantly reducing the sector in half, forcing defenses to nonetheless defend “each blade of grass.”

If Smith can unleash that trait as a lot as doable, in tandem with the others mentioned, he’ll not solely earn the beginning job in Seattle…however he’ll preserve it.

There isn’t any purpose to imagine that can all of the sudden go away subsequent yr.

So what ought to Seattle do? Discover a means so as to add that future hedge, like Roseman did final yr. There isn’t any have to pressure a quarterback decide this yr. Smith has proven over the previous two seasons that he will be the starter, and that he can play at a excessive degree.

It would contain sliding again from the primary of the 2 picks, which proper now could be second general. There are a selection of groups that can possible be within the quarterback recreation this cycle, together with Indianapolis (at present selecting seventh), Carolina (at present selecting ninth), and probably Detroit, though the Lions may roll with Jared Goff and take an identical method.

Hypothetically, think about Seattle trades down from two with Indianapolis, selecting up a 2024 first-round decide within the course of. They may add expertise on protection, maybe one other move rusher in Myles Murphy or Tyree Wilson, or think about pairing Kelee Ringo with Tariq Woolen? Jalen Carter may nonetheless be there, relying on how groups view inside defensive linemen. (Keep in mind, Jordan Davis slid final yr to … the Philadelphia Eagles).

So what the Seahawks ought to do is construct round Smith for 2023, however give themselves an out for the 2024 draft ought to the necessity come up. Smith has confirmed along with his play over the previous two seasons that this isn’t a flash-in-the-pan scenario. Construct round him, hedge with a future first, and hope that you just put collectively an identical run like Philadelphia subsequent yr.

And if all of it goes south, use that hedge as a method to get Caleb Williams. By some means.

Rahul Diyashihttps://webofferbest.com
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