Seahawks Pre-OTAs Roster Reset: Quarterbacks
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Though the 2023 season remains months away, the NFL never sleeps. And after landing a new 10-player draft class, the Seattle Seahawks have transitioned into phase two of their offseason program with OTAs and minicamps just around the corner.
Under center, the Seahawks won't have to deal with the uncertainty that clouded over the franchise in the aftermath of the Russell Wilson trade this time a year ago thanks to the surprise emergence of Geno Smith as a Pro Bowl signal caller. Rewarding him for an outstanding first season as starter, the organization handed him a three-year contract worth up to $105 million with escalators in March, providing stability at the most important position in the sport.
Transitioning from the frenzy of free agency and the draft to on-field offseason work, where do things stand for Seattle at quarterback? Here's a look at projected starter, backups, a wild card to watch, and what could come next at the position:
Projected Starter: Geno Smith
Nobody may have been a bigger winner coming out of last month's draft than Smith, who not only won't have to worry about a high draft pick gunning for his job but will also have added weapons at his disposal with the arrival of receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet. Those exciting rookies will join forces with an already stacked skill-position group headlined by star receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year runner up Ken Walker III and a trio of tight ends in Noah Fant, Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson.
With such a dynamic arsenal of receivers, running backs, and tight ends around him, the Seahawks have set Smith up with a great opportunity to show his breakout 2022 season wasn't a fluke and take another big step forward in Shane Waldron's offense. Now equipped with a possession dynamo in Smith-Njigba to complement Metcalf and Lockett and a pair of outstanding running backs behind him, expectations and the subsequent pressure that comes with it will be elevated to another level after throwing 30 touchdown passes, completing nearly 70 percent of his throws, and making the Pro Bowl a year ago.
Backups: Drew Lock, Holton Ahlers
Though Lock didn't throw a single regular season pass after losing the quarterback competition to Smith last summer, the Seahawks were impressed by his work ethic and how much he improved over the course of the season. Once it became apparent other teams weren't going to be presenting him with a better opportunity to start elsewhere, the former second-round pick out of Missouri opted to stay put, giving the team a reliable backup who knows Waldron's system and offers an abundance of starting experience in the event Smith goes down with an injury.
All along, coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider weren't subtle in their messaging to Smith and Lock about possibly drafting a quarterback. But once the top three prospects were off the board in the first four picks, the team shifted course to other positions and didn't draft one with any of their 10 picks. Instead, they signed Ahlers, a multi-year starter at East Carolina, as a priority undrafted free agent to bring to OTAs and minicamp.
Wild Card: Ahlers
With Smith and Lock entrenched as the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart, Ahlers won't be pushing for a roster spot unless an injury strikes. However, the smooth-throwing leftie brings a bit of dual-threat intrigue with him to the NFL after tossing 97 touchdown passes and running for another 25 for the Pirates. He also steadily improved his completion percentage and cut down his interception rate over each of his five seasons with the program.
Starting with next weekend's rookie minicamp, if Ahlers makes the most of his limited opportunities this summer, he could play his way into a developmental role on the practice squad with enough upside to be an eventual backup in time.
What's Next?
Now that the 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, the Seahawks likely won't be adding any other quarterbacks to the mix unless Ahlers falls flat at rookie minicamp and the team decides to bring in another player for their offseason program. Sticking with status quo after extending Smith through 2025 and re-signing Lock to continue working with Waldron and new assistant Greg Olson, the organization should feel pretty good about the state of the position in the short term at minimum.
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