Finding a QB This Off-Season

by dcrockett17 on Dec 17, 2010 10:55 AM PST

Breaking: ESPN is reporting that Redskins QB Donovan McNabb has been benched. Rex Grossman will start for the team on Sunday. The talking heads on the worldwide leader are speculating that the Redskins are done with McNabb, barring a near-miraculous change of heart, and will exercise the buyout clause in the deal he recently signed.

What, if anything, does this have to do with the Seahawks?

After the jump.

It seems quite likely that Seattle will be in the market for some kind of QB help this off-season. The team has given no indication that it is beholden to Hasselbeck beyond this season, nor any indication that it views Whitehurst as a starter in-waiting.

I doubt Seattle has much interest in acquiring McNabb. But more to the point, McNabb effects Seattle directly no matter where he signs. First, he could sign with another team in the division. An aging McNabb in San Francisco makes them far more formidable. McNabb is not what he once was but he'd play much better on a team with San Francisco's talent. Second, even if McNabb signs in Cleveland he almost certainly impacts competition for QBs in the upcoming draft--and the impact could go either way. He could thin the herd by signing with a team who feels like it is a QB away and push them out of consideration for a first round QB. Or, any number of teams might look to play him while they groom a QB of the future (possibly from this draft).

McNabb is gonna be a big deal regardless because the first round QB picture is still so uncertain. We don't know what Andrew Luck is going to do for sure. If Stanford plays well in their bowl they could have better than a puncher's chance at a national title in 2011. Returning to Stanford would be a mild surprise at best, as Luck has said that he wants to play four years. Without Luck, the first round probably looks like Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, and possibly Cam Newton in some order (I'd be stunned if either Mallett or Newton returns to school). Juniors Nick Foles (Arizona) and Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) could deepen the class but neither is a sure-fire first round prospect.

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Comments

We can only hope that the teams with better complimentary parts

i.e. Cleveland, San Fran, etc. take long looks at the veteran QB’s available this offseason. Unless McNabb gets outright released, some team is going to be coupled with his contract..

The best scenario for the Hawks is for Hasselbeck and Carson Palmer to end up on teams that see them as starters. Preferably teams picking higher than the Hawks.

by 12thman on Dec 17, 2010 11:16 AM PST reply actions

I actually don't think Cleveland is going to look for a QB. McCoy has played pretty well.

And he is going to start the rest of the season. Delhomme only played because McCoy got hurt.

Its finally happened.

by Scruffy Lefty on Dec 17, 2010 11:49 AM PST reply actions

According to Clayton Arizona is set on getting a veteran QB if they can.

by Nate Dogg on Dec 17, 2010 12:26 PM PST reply actions

Makes sense.

Fitzgerald, Breaston & Doucet could make for a McNabb career resurgence. Or Hasselbeck.

by jacobstevens on Dec 17, 2010 4:33 PM PST up reply actions

And you have to assume SF would absolutely be thrilled to grab McNabb.

The only thing I quibble with is this statement:
If Stanford plays well in their bowl they could have better than a puncher’s chance at a national title in 2011.

I have to think they have a legit shot regardless of what happens in their bowl game.

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 17, 2010 10:39 PM PST up reply actions

Don't they have a bunch of seniors on the OL?

by Greetings from the Lord Humongous! on Dec 17, 2010 10:50 PM PST up reply actions

Counting their blocking TE they have five, five year seniors on the OL

There is a reason that Luck hasn’t been touched and also a reason he won’t stick around.

by stufr on Dec 18, 2010 5:10 AM PST up reply actions

Still a very good team regardless.

But I think he’ll look at Locker’s fall this year and declare.

by MT Olson on Dec 18, 2010 9:04 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah

I’m guessing that Locker is an object lesson for him and Newton

by stufr on Dec 18, 2010 9:20 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah, there's no way Luck returns

given the likely fall from #1 overall and the replacement of 4 OL.

by Greetings from the Lord Humongous! on Dec 18, 2010 11:47 AM PST up reply actions

Good points, all.

I was going on the same point as MT Olsen, that they’d still be a good team.

Personally, I wouldn’t care about the money in his shoes. His dad is the AD at West Virginia, so he’s grown up upper middle class. He’s about to finish up a Stanford education. And even if he doesn’t become the first overall pick 2 years from now, he’ll still get a chance.

And the same for Locker. He already got some baseball money, and he made the choice he liked.

Just because we look at it from afar and some of us think about the money first and foremost doesn’t mean the money means as much to them…

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 18, 2010 1:11 PM PST up reply actions

He may also be looking at the teams likely to take him

and coming away thinking that he’d prefer to go back to school.

But yeah, all things equal you’d expect him to come out. On the other hand he has said he plans to come back. Things change, but I don’t think it’s meaningless that he’s said he plans to come back.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Dec 18, 2010 3:47 PM PST up reply actions

Cutting McNabb actually isn't that big of deal to us

because he is also leaving a vacuum in Washington. It is a net even proposition. Say he goes to Cleveland so they don’t draft a QB ahead of us. Washington will then grab QB ahead of us and it sums out.

by Surf Hawk on Dec 17, 2010 12:45 PM PST reply actions

I don't think Cleveland is in the market, so him going there just means another void is opened.

God, Washington is a poorly run team.

by djafrot on Dec 17, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

Not so sure Wash will be in the rookie market (at least in the first round)

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Dec 17, 2010 6:50 PM PST up reply actions

Random thought...

And I don’t recall the dynamic between them being something he would want or not… but I wonder if Shanahan would go after Cutler. Not so much because of reality, but mainly because I’d like to know this:

a) I wonder if Shanahan would offer what Denver once got for Cutler
b) I wonder if the Bears would take an offer that exactly matched what they once offered to get him.

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 17, 2010 10:44 PM PST up reply actions

I don't see the Bears letting him get away.

by thebyron on Dec 18, 2010 10:09 AM PST up reply actions

That wasn't really the point... unless you are saying, "No, they wouldn't accept the same value for him they gave for him."

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 18, 2010 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

Ahh, whoops. Gotcha. I do agree with that statement though.

by thebyron on Dec 18, 2010 5:02 PM PST up reply actions

Interesting, isn't it?

I mean, they traded for him and it looked like a steal.

Then it looked like they got had.

4 months later it now it looks like they got a solid deal again.

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 19, 2010 8:19 PM PST up reply actions

I would guess that Cinci, AZ and SF go after a veteran

So there goes Palmer, Hass and McNabb. It would be interesting if how Wash play’s it, but I would guess a draft.

by stufr on Dec 17, 2010 3:02 PM PST reply actions

This offseason could get crazier than that.

Philly has to decide what to do with Kolb. Now that Buffalo is moving down in the draft, do they decide to hold onto Fitzpatrick? Where is Vince Young going, if anywhere? Will someone try and resurrect Alex Smith? Last one is a reach.

by 12thman on Dec 17, 2010 3:10 PM PST up reply actions

Clayton said two firsts is the price for Kolb.

I’m not excited about us paying that price at all.

Of course, I still think the logical process would have been to give Charlie an honest shot, but whatever…

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 17, 2010 10:46 PM PST up reply actions

I see Cincy, if they cut ties with Palmer... going young.

First, Marvin Lewis will be gone. Most likely they cut ties with Ocho and TO, and start a youth movement in general.

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 17, 2010 10:45 PM PST up reply actions

I heard they got a really tight budget with the contracts

I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul - Invictus

by EequalsMc2 on Dec 18, 2010 12:25 AM PST up reply actions

I think they keep Carson, jettison the rest, and start over with a new coach.

"You tell me with confidence that you think Charlie could have done better and I will laugh beer in your face." JohnnyOsprey

by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 18, 2010 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

What if we already have our QB of the future

I would love to get Locker, but what if the competition that they decide to bring in is a 4th round developmental QB?
I know that they have talked about a first round QB, but that doesn’t mean they decide to. I know PC has the whole competition mantre, but he has also has shown a lot of loyalty to the QB he has in place.

by stufr on Dec 18, 2010 5:32 AM PST reply actions