Where Deshaun Watson Lands Could Have Domino Effect on Seahawks Quarterback Situation
With a blockbuster trade sending Russell Wilson to the Broncos becoming official on Wednesday, the Seahawks will have a new starting quarterback under center for the first time in a decade when the 2022 season opens in September.
Who will ultimately replace Wilson? Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll expectedly didn't name a starter and kept the door open for other moves to be made adding to the position. But despite the player's struggles over the past two years, both members of Seattle's brain trust were complimentary of Drew Lock, who was included as part of the return package from Denver in exchange for Wilson.
"We loved him in the draft, our guys were thrilled about him coming up and taking a shot, maybe he could have gotten a pick and get him, but we didn’t," Carroll said of Lock. "He goes into his first year, finally plays his first five games, and goes 4-1 in his rookie season. All of the promise, all of what you hoped to see, the numbers and stuff showed that he was going to have a great run in his career. The next two years didn’t work out very well, he battled and competed his tail off, but it didn’t work out."
Excited to bring the fourth-year signal caller on board to compete for a starting role, Schneider offered a similar assessment, lauding Lock for his ability to move the pocket and arm strength.
“We’ll continue to explore options, but we have a ton of faith in Drew," Schneider added. "We’re excited about it, we’re excited about a change of scenery for him. I know a couple of my buddies were trying to acquire him all last spring and into the fall. He is a guy that, in my opinion, the media has beat down a little bit. We are excited to get him into our culture with our coaching staff, and we will continue to look for guys that will compete with him."
While Carroll and Schneider's optimism about Lock may be genuine, however, their comments far from guaranteed he would be the starter in Week 1. In fact, with the new league year still in early stages and a big domino yet to fall with Deshaun Watson's fate left to be determined, bringing in another veteran quarterback with ample starting experience remains a strong possibility for the Seahawks.
Shortly after news broke about Wilson being shipped to Denver, Seattle immediately was linked to Watson, who recently avoided criminal charges stemming from sexual misconduct allegations. Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans star reportedly rejected coming to the Pacific Northwest and has since met with New Orleans, Atlanta, Carolina, and Cleveland, with the latter two teams now considered out of the running.
When asked if Seattle inquired about Watson's availability, Schneider declined to answer, responding, “The way to answer that is that he’s under contract right now and he has a no-trade clause as well.”
But while Watson won't be stepping into Wilson's former stead, with the Saints and Falcons engaged in an NFC South bidding war for his services, where he lands could open the door for the Seahawks to acquire an experienced veteran starter.
Pulling out all the stops to persuade Watson to come to the Big Easy, the Saints have met with him twice in the past week. Currently, they only have Taysom Hill and Ian Book under contract at quarterback, with former starter Jameis Winston recovering from ACL surgery and still unsigned.
Per reports, Winston has maintained contact with Saints in the event they can't lure Watson to town and has interest in returning. But if they do pull the trigger and manage to land the three-time Pro Bowler, the former No. 1 overall pick will certainly be looking for a new team.
While he isn't elite by any means, Winston put up quality numbers with 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions before injuring his knee last season. He's also only 28 years old, wouldn't require draft capital to acquire, and after spending a couple seasons working with coach Sean Payton, who has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, there may still be time for him to develop into a long-term starter for a team such as the Seahawks.
As for the Falcons, they reportedly have maintained communications with long-time starter Matt Ryan about their pursuit of Watson. The former MVP will turn 37 years old in May and endured a challenging 2021 season in which he threw only 20 touchdown passes, tying for the second-lowest total of his career, while also failing to hit 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2010.
But while numbers were down across the board for "Matty Ice," Atlanta traded star receiver Julio Jones last offseason and Calvin Ridley left the team during the season for mental health reasons, leaving him without his top two targets. Playing with a short-handed supporting cast undoubtedly impacted his numbers and in the short term, he could still be a quality starter with better weapons around him.
Depending on Atlanta's asking price - they won't have much leverage if they acquire Watson - Ryan would only cost $8.75 million against the cap for Seattle in 2022. The team could still use an early selection on a quarterback this year or next year while adding a proven upgrade to throw to receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
The chase for Watson also appears to have created a bad situation for the Browns, whose interest in trading for the quarterback upset current starter Baker Mayfield. The former top pick out of Oklahoma reportedly has requested a trade believing it would be in best interest for the player and team, though the organization does not look inclined to adhere to that request at this time.
Interestingly, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported the Seahawks have inquired about trading for Mayfield.
Despite coming off a challenging 2021 season in which he played through a left shoulder injury that required surgery, Mayfield will turn only 27 years old in April. Just two years removed from leading Cleveland to the playoffs and posting a quality stat line with 26 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in 2020, if healthy and available at the right price, he could make sense as a possible long-term option to replace Wilson in Seattle.
Until Watson's next destination becomes known, quarterback-needy teams such as Seattle will patiently await a decision. When it's all said and done, Schneider may not have interest in trading draft capital away for an aging veteran like Ryan or an underperforming top pick like Mayfield. Winston may not be a target in free agency either. The team could stick with status quo re-signing Geno Smith to compete against Lock, though that wouldn't inspire the fan base.
But if the Seahawks intend to be competitive in 2022, all options need to be kept on the table when it comes to the most important position in professional sports. At minimum, they need to be keeping an eye out for players who can compete against Lock and as the dominos fall after Watson finds a new home, plenty of viable options should be out there for their consideration.
