Former NFL exec, ESPN draft guru sees Seahawks' offseason vision and he loves it

Most analysts didn't like the Seattle Seahawks' big moves at quarterback this offseason. The crowd seems to think Geno Smith was a better option and that Sam Darnold will inevitably regress to the frog we saw early in his career with the Jets.

There are exceptions to the rule, though. Some long-time analysts and former executives really like what the Seahawks got up to this offseason, with one telling The Athletic that they scored an upgrade and also set themselves up well for the future. It seems we can count former Las Vegas Raiders general manager and ex-ESPN NFL guru Mike Mayock in the group who "gets" what Seattle has pulled off, here.

Here's what Mayock said about the QB moves when he was a guest on Brock & Salk earlier this week on Seattle Sports radio.

Mike Mayock on Geno Smith-Sam Darnold swap

"Philosophically, I love what they did, because very few NFL teams are intentional about the quarterback position, in my opinion, the way they should be... So basically, it’s two moves. They go out and they trade Geno at age 34 (and then sign) a 27-year-old Sam Darnold. They pay Sam a reasonable starting salary that they can effectively get out of after two years for plus or minus $65 million and a reasonable dead cap hit. And then they draft a developmental quarterback behind him. So there’s a plan A and a plan B here."

It seems like a pretty easy concept to understand, but nevertheless a lot of analysts think the Seahawks somehow shot themselves in the foot and that Geno Smith would have given them a dramatically higher ceiling, both in 2025 and beyond.

Oh well. Let's hope the Seahawks' big vision plays out well on the field, because we're already tired of litigating it online.

Mike Mayock on Geno Smith-Sam Darnold swap

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