Pete Carroll, John Schneider Weigh In On Seahawks' Current QB Group, Incoming Draft Class
With Russell Wilson now slinging the pigskin in Broncos' orange and navy, the Seahawks will enter the 2022 season with a new quarterback, steering the organization into uncharted waters after enjoying great stability under center for the past decade.
In the aftermath of Wilson's exit, after re-signing veteran Geno Smith earlier this week, Seattle currently has three signal callers under contract. Given his experience in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's system, Smith may have the early edge over Drew Lock, who came to the Pacific Northwest as part of the Wilson trade, while former Washington standout Jacob Eason may also be in the mix.
Speaking with reporters in their annual pre-draft press conference, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll weighed in on the state of the Seahawks' quarterback room minus Wilson and shared thoughts on an incoming draft class that has generally received lukewarm evaluations from draft experts.
Looking at the trio of veterans set to compete against one another, Carroll cited Smith's return on a one-year contract as "important for the stability [at the position] moving forward." Last season, he started three games replacing an injured Wilson, performing admirably while throwing five touchdowns compared to only one interception and completing 68 percent of his pass attempts.
While Smith only led Seattle to one win in those three games, he kept the offense afloat during adverse circumstances and earned the respect of coaches and teammates. He also quickly developed a strong rapport with receiver DK Metcalf, who posted two of his three best receiving yardage totals last year in games where Smith took extensive snaps.
“He been here a number of years. He's got great background with us, and he brings that real sense of what we're all about," Carroll said of Smith. "He’s helping the younger quarterbacks as they're transitioning to learning our stuff. He's a great illustration for them, and what it takes. It feels good. He's really excited about the opportunity and it's going to be a real competition.”
As for Lock, Carroll has gotten his first look at the ex-Missouri star in person this week with Seattle kicking off its offseason program. Both he and Schneider have lauded the 2019 second-round pick for his physical tools since he came over as part of the Wilson trade, including Schneider calling his throwing arm a "hose" and praising his underrated athletic ability.
While the Seahawks can't conduct team-related drills for a couple of weeks per NFL rules, Lock has been able to start throwing and building chemistry with his receivers in phase one of the offseason program. He's also been partaking in meetings beginning to learn a new offense, something he's unfortunately been familiar with having played for multiple coordinators with the Broncos.
After losing his starting job in Denver to Teddy Bridgewater last August and riding the pine most of the 2021 season, Carroll said Lock has thrown himself head first into his new opportunity in Seattle as he aims to impress the coaching staff and his new teammates.
“His first impression for me, is that he's really excited about the new energy of our club, the energy that he can feel from the players and the coaches of about his opportunity," Carroll remarked. "He's upbeat and very comfortable with how the everything's gone so far. It's been really quick, but he's been open to say that and express that. It's a new lease on life for him and he's looking forward to taking full advantage of that. He's coming in with his competitive hat on a ready to roll."
While all signs point to Smith and Lock being the favorites to start in Week 1 in September, Schneider and Carroll reiterated on Thursday that the Seahawks remain very much in the quarterback business heading into next week's draft.
Unlike a year ago where five signal callers went in the first 15 selections, this year's class lacks the star power and depth at the position. With that said, there are still several intriguing prospects in the group, including Liberty's Malik Willis, who many analysts view as the cream of the crop with a cannon for an arm and unrivaled athletic traits.
Considering the obvious importance of the quarterback position, while this class hasn't garnered near the attention of last year's group, Schneider wouldn't be surprised to see several of them come off the board earlier than anticipated like they did back in 2011.
“I would say there's a quietness about it that can make people feel either anxious or extremely calm. There doesn't seem to be a lot of buzz right now," Schneider said. "That's happened in the past too, where all of a sudden, I think it was the year that Jake Locker and [Christian] Ponder, and that whole group of guys went, or it was pretty quiet, and then they all went really high.”
Of course, reading between the lines, Schneider may have been offering a word of warning with that statement. While Cam Newton ended up eventually being an NFL MVP as the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, Locker only lasted four years in the league before retiring, Ponder didn't play another snap after four poor seasons in Minnesota, and Blaine Gabbert has bounced around with five teams primarily as a backup in 11 seasons.
None of those three players panned out as a franchise quarterback as hoped and if Schneider views this incoming 2022 class in a similar vein, that may be a sign Seattle isn't necessarily interested in drafting one early.
Still, the Seahawks have certainly done their due diligence assessing this quarterback class. They met with Willis, Mississippi's Matt Corral, and North Carolina's Sam Howell at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and brought Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder in for a top-30 visit earlier this month. They also had at least one representative at the pro day workouts for each of the top five prospects at the position, including Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett.
How have those meetings gone? While several of those quarterbacks didn't play in pro-style systems in college or spend much time under center and each have their own flaws in their respective games coming to the next level, Carroll praised them for their preparation and readiness.
“Guys have been really impressive. They’re raised well and regardless of the style of the offense, these guys are prepared for this time. They've held their own," Carroll commented. "John's guys and our coaches have had numerous meetings with guys, and just trying to dig in and figure out where they are, are there limitations in their background? And these guys have been really impressive. I don't think the style of offense is a big factor. The guys are ‘repped’ out and they know what they need to know. They're ready for the next challenge and all of that, it's pretty obvious.”
As far as predictability goes, the Seahawks have always been known for throwing a curveball or two in the NFL draft with Schneider and Carroll at the controls. Keeping that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising to see them draft a quarterback at No. 9 overall if they fall in love with the right prospect. At the same time, it also wouldn't be a surprise if they waited until later in the draft or bypassed the position completely with an eye on landing their franchise signal caller next year.
If that does happen, Seattle would either be giving quite the vote of confidence to Smith or Lock as the potential starter or the exact opposite vibes for an underwhelming class. Or it could just be another smokescreen before the team ultimately acquires Baker Mayfield from Cleveland.
With a number of alternatives at their disposal and four top-75 draft choices in hand, it's anyone's guess what Schneider and Carroll have in mind heading into next weekend. Depending how the first round plays out and how quickly quarterbacks fly off the board, their plan under center entering the post-Wilson era remains a fluid one in every sense.
