I’ve been thinking about quarterbacks quite a bit lately. One guess why.
(Couldn’t bring myself to use a picture of our ex- with a Broncos logo in it)
SIGH.
Time to move on.
Thought #1
Raise your hand if you’re looking forward to Drew Lock starting games for the Seahawks this season. Now put your hand down if you only raised your hand because you think starting Lock will position Seattle for a top-5 pick in next year’s draft.
I can’t see everyone, but I’d be willing to bet that there aren’t very many hands in the air. There is at least one though - and it’s reaching high into the sky.
“Who’s hand is it?” you ask.
DK Metcalf’s.
Let’s chill on the Drew Lock slander
— DK Metcalf (@dkm14) March 18, 2022
That tweet was on March 17th. A week later, DK spent 40-some minutes talking with Kevin Garnett and gave some love to Mr. Lock. Right near the end, someone off camera interrupts the segment to ask DK a question.
“I’m curious. Without naming names, right ... Is there a type of quarterback you’re hoping for in terms of ... Russell had the arm and the feet, right? A rare mix.”
DK says, “Mm-hmm ... The one that’s there, Drew Lock.”
The off-screen guy asks a follow-up question: “Is he the guy?” DK gives a knowing smile and says, “Just wait. Just wait.”
Thought #2
Admittedly, this isn’t quarterback-related, but it’s hilarious and I have to share.
On the segment with KG (video above), DK talked about his diet.
“I’m a candy type person. I eat one meal a day, drink one coffee, and eat like three full bags of candy.”
That bit starts at about the 26:30 mark. KG is floored. DK walks him through a typical day. It’s truly insane. And now we all know how to show DK how much we love him. With Marshawn, it was Skittles; with DK, it’s gonna be gummies.
Thought #3
Before we leave the DK sub-theme, let’s talk about one of his former college teammates, Matt Corral.
I have read a lot of articles about Matt Corral over the last 3 weeks. Partly because I knew that John and Pete spent time with him at the NFL Combine and assumed there was “something there.”
Pete Carroll hanging with Matt Corral at the NFL Combine this weekend
— PFF (@PFF) March 8, 2022
: @LanceZierlein pic.twitter.com/3iLrBR2zjM
And partly because I find him interesting.
One of the things I read and bookmarked for future use is this passage, from a Daily Journal article that was published last October, while Corral was playing his way into Heisman consideration:
Don’t reign Corral in. You have to let the artist paint. Because more often than not, it’s going to be a masterpiece.
Also, if you have some time, these 2 articles are worth reading:
- Matt Corral opens up on battle with depression, Sugar Bowl injury as he aims to be QB1 this draft (Yahoo Sports, 2/16/2022)
- Ole Miss QB Matt Corral: Leadership, willingness to be vulnerable separate me from rest of QBs in 2022 NFL Draft (NFL.com, 3/2/2022)
Human interest aside, Matt Corral is an intriguing prospect. He’s raw, and the scheme he ran at Ole Miss doesn’t translate to the NFL the way some other schemes do, but Corral has a lot of talent and should be able to transition his game to the highest level.
I wouldn’t take him at #9 overall, but I sure wouldn’t mind welcoming Matt Corral to Seattle as a late-R1 or early-R2.
Pretty sure DK would be cool with that too.
Thought #4
Circling back to Drew Lock, did you know that he finished his college career with the 2nd-most passing yards in SEC history (12,193) and the 3rd-most touchdown passes (99)?
Yeah, neither did I.
As a junior, he set the conference record for touchdown passes with 44.
The more I read and the more I watch, the more convinced I become that John and Pete aren’t just blowing smoke when they talk about this guy; I think they really do believe in Drew Lock - as crazy as that sounds to a lot of us.
And I am starting to wonder if maybe they’re right.
Thought #5
If the Seahawks are going to draft a quarterback with their first round pick, the odds-on favorite has to be Malik Willis.
Our own Samuel Gold recently broke down film on Willis and said, “Out of all of the QBs available in the 2022 NFL Draft, Willis is the only quarterback worthy of their 9th overall pick.”
I, for one, wholeheartedly agree.
Or did ... until I saw this instantly-viral throw from Liberty’s Pro Day:
Unbelievable throw. Great celebration. @malikwillis is doing it all.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 22, 2022
: @LibertyFootball Pro Day on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/9M30Nw39Te
Admittedly, his form is “off” but damn darn! The receiver is outside the 20 when Willis lets fly and catches the ball in stride as he crosses the goal line.
I seriously doubt Willis is still on the board at #9.
Thought #6
Sticking with the draft angle ...
The 2022 NFL Draft is still 4 weeks away but some folks are already casting their eyes toward the future and dreaming about the 2023 draft.
Why?
Because the quarterback class is expected to be significantly better than this year’s class - and with players like Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud headlining the class, it’s easy to understand the appeal.
Here’s the thing though ... It will probably take a top-3 pick to land one of those guys - and you’re going to need the #1 pick to be assured of getting your top choice.
I’ll go on the record right now and say that Seattle is not going to have the #1 pick next year. I’ll take it step further and say that the Seahawks won’t “earn” a pick in the top 3.
ESPN’s current Power Rankings have the Seahawks at #26, ahead of the Houston Texans (32), Detroit Lions (31), New York Jets (30), Atlanta Falcons (29), Carolina Panthers (28), and Jacksonville Jaguars (27).
Heck, Pete Carroll could suit up and play quarterback for a couple of games and I think we’d still finish the season ahead of at least 3 of those teams.
Thought #7
This thought is a 2-for-1.
The 2 quarterbacks that are most often cited as being “ready” to start for a team this year are Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder.
Out of the 2 of them, the one that I would most like to see the Seahawks draft is ...
Kaleb Eleby.
Okay, I’m kidding. Or am I?
Per NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Kenny Pickett is the consensus #2 quarterback in this year’s class. Desmond Ridder is the consensus #4 QB.
I might break my TV if Seattle drafts either one.
BOR-OR-OR-OR-ING!
I would 100x rather see us draft Sam Howell. Or Bailey Zappe. Heck, I might even prefer Brock Purdy.
Thought #8
There are 2 ways to interpret what I am about to share. Option 1: Seattle has no real interest in _______, _______, _______, _______, or _______. Option 2: It’s one hell of a smokescreen.
March 22nd - Liberty’s Pro Day:
- Head Coaches in attendance: Matt Rhule (CAR), Mike Tomlin (PIT)
- GMs in attendance: Kevin Colbert (PIT), Scott Fitterer (CAR), Terry Fontenot (ATL)
March 23rd - Pittsburgh’s Pro Day:
Big NFL contingent of coaches & execs in attendance for Kenny Pickett’s pro-day:
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 21, 2022
OC- Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Commanders
QB- Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Saints, Giants, Eagles, Seahawks, Titans, Commanders
GM: Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Commanders#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/lCkwXOJtfi
March 24th: Cincinnati’s Pro Day:
Breakdown of today’s NFL attendees at Cincinnati pro-day:
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 24, 2022
*HC- ATL, HOU, NO, PIT, TEN, WAS
*GM- ATL, NYG, PIT, WAS
*QB- ATL, HOU, PIT, TEN, WAS
*OC- ATL, DAL, PIT, WAS
*DC- ATL
*WR- ATL, CHI, NO
*RB- NO
*LB- ATL, AZ, CIN
*DB- ATL, HOU, NYJ, TEN
*ST- DAL pic.twitter.com/5ZTLc5gmxS
March 24th: Mississippi’s Pro Day:
Seventy-one scouts and NFL personnel from 31 of the 32 NFL teams attended this event (all but the Los Angeles Rams, according to reports).
- Head Coaches in attendance: Mike McCarthy (DAL), Matt Rhule (CAR), Arthur Smith (ATL), Mike Tomlin (PIT)
- GMs in attendance: Unknown (Google let me down)
March 28th: North Carolina’s Pro Day:
All 32 NFL teams will be at today’s UNC pro-day, including QB coaches from Texans, Seahawks, Commanders, Giants & Eagles to workout Sam Howell. UNC officials report second throwing session will be scheduled so HCs and GMs currently at NFL Owner’s meetings can see Howell workout. pic.twitter.com/1C0zdWy90S
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 28, 2022
__________
Did anyone else notice that JSPC weren’t in attendance at ANY of those Pro Days?
Thought #9
Three plausible scenarios that I think would be hilarious (and that could ultimately end with Seattle adding a veteran QB to the roster):
Uno. The Cleveland Browns having to do an Osweiler trade while also eating up to 50% of Baker Mayfield’s contract.
Dos. The San Francisco 49ers failing to find a trade partner for Jimmy Garoppolo (after reportedly having an offer of 2 R2s that they didn’t jump at) and then deciding to release him rather than paying him $26.95M this year.
Tres. Teddy Bridgewater unseating Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.
Thought #10
Someone asked me the other day what it would take, statistically, for me to feel that Seattle had gotten a good year out of whoever ends up as QB1.
My answer was 4,000 yards with 40 touchdowns and single-digit interceptions.
It sounded reasonable when I said it.
And the person that had asked the question didn’t push back; they just accepted my response and called it good.
I, on the other hand, decided to do some digging.
Russell Wilson topped 4,000 yards in 4 of his 10 seasons in Seattle. He had 4,024 yards in 2015, a career-high 4,219 yards in 2016, 4,110 yards in 2019, and 4,212 yards in 2020.
Wilson threw 40 touchdown passes in 2020. He had less than 10 interceptions in 2013 (9), 2014 (7), 2015 (8), 2018 (7), 2019 (5), and 2021 (6).
But Wilson never had the stat-line that I had said I would consider a good year.
The future Hall of Famer was 0-fer-10 in Seattle.
Thought #11
Sometimes things just eat at you. My aforementioned “4,000 yards with 40 touchdowns and single-digit interceptions” response being a prime example.
Which is why it gets two thoughts.
Last season, 10 quarterbacks topped 4,000 yards. In 2020, there were 12. Eleven QBs threw for 4,000+ in 2019. Twelve in 2018. Eight in 2017. That’s a total of 53 quarterback seasons with 4,000 or more passing yards over the past 5 years.
Of those 53 quarterback seasons from 2017-2020 that ended with 4,000+ yards, these are the ones that also included 40 or more touchdowns:
- 2017:
- 2018: Patrick Mahomes (50)
- 2019:
- 2020: Tom Brady (40), Aaron Rodgers (48), Russell Wilson (40)
- 2021: Tom Brady (43), Matthew Stafford (41)
So 6 out of 53 across 5 full seasons - and that’s just 4,000+ yards and 40+ touchdowns. Adding in the criteria of single-digit INTs drops it down to ...
Aaron Rodgers, 2020: 4,299 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, only 5 INTs. MVP.
Methinks I may need to lower the bar in regard to what would constitute a good season in 2022.
Thought #12
The top 3 reasons why I think Seattle will re-sign Geno Smith.
Reason Number One. He’s affordable and has experience in the offensive system that Shane Waldron wants to run.
Reason Number Two. Pete tends to “reward” players who are loyal to him and the team and Geno has been that. If Pete says, “Geno deserves a shot (to be QB1)” then I’ll take him at his word - not because I agree, but because I believe that Pete believes that.
Reason Number Three. DK Metcalf and Geno Smith got a little somethin’-somethin’ goin’ on.
Geno Smith's numbers targeting DK Metcalf last season were ridiculous... even in a smaller sample size.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) March 28, 2022
17-21, 251 yards, four touchdowns, and a 151.6 passer rating when targeting him in four games.
I’m sort of curious if they could do that for an entire season.
Go ‘Hawks!
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