Analysis: Assessing Seahawks Future Options With Geno Smith, Quarterback

Captaining the ship for one of many NFL’s greatest surprises, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been a revelation taking the reins for departed star Russell Wilson, guiding his workforce to a 6-4 file and the highest spot within the NFC West standings by means of 10 weeks.

Main the NFL with a 72.8 p.c completion share and rating within the prime six in landing passes and passer score, Smith has emerged as an unlikely darkish horse for MVP honors. Within the course of, he is reworked from a seven-year backup right into a viable long-term beginning choice for Seattle with a number of studies indicating the group needs to signal the upcoming free agent to an extension. Even coach Pete Carroll just lately hinted these discussions can be “coming” quickly.

Given how uncommon it’s for a participant in his tenth NFL season like Smith to evolve right into a prime tier starter out of nowhere, there is not a lot of a blueprint for a way the Seahawks ought to proceed with him transferring ahead. With seven video games left to play, listed here are three choices for normal supervisor John Schneider to contemplate with the veteran sign caller and a case for the perfect different at his disposal.

1. Lengthen Smith’s contract throughout or after the season at north of $30 million APY.

Throughout his 13 years calling the photographs, Schneider has hardly ever signed gamers to extensions throughout the season. There are a couple of exceptions, nevertheless, together with defensive finish Michael Bennett signing a three-year, $30 million extension in December 2016 and each linebacker Okay.J. Wright and edge rusher Cliff Avril signing extensions in December 2014, so there’s previous precedent, even when restricted. Wilson signed each of his profitable, market-setting extensions within the spring and negotiations did not occur throughout the precise season, however for a participant like Smith who has emerged as a top-10 caliber quarterback seemingly out of nowhere, attempting to signal him as quickly as attainable would be the most cost-effective choice financially for Seattle.

With that mentioned, Smith and his illustration can be clever to attend till after the season to maximise the participant’s worth. A number of groups such because the Panthers, Texans, and Colts stay within the hunt for upgrades at quarterback and such leverage would drive the Seahawks to open up the checkbook and pay him market worth in the event that they wish to maintain him. The query, after all, is what is going to different groups view as “market” worth for a 32-year previous sign caller who spent the previous seven years as a backup? It is such a uncommon breakout story that his possibilities of pushing for top-10 quarterback cash appear slim, however as ESPN’s Brady Henderson speculated, $33 million or so within the vary of Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff per 12 months on a multi-year contract would appear like a slam dunk for each events. If the Seahawks need him on board in 2023 and past, this looks as if the most secure guess – so long as his calls for do not exceed willingness to pay.

2. Place both an unique or non-exclusive franchise tag on Smith previous to March deadline.

How ought to the Seahawks proceed if Smith’s agent calls for his consumer obtain top-10 cash exceeding $40 million per 12 months? After unloading Wilson’s contract, Schneider is probably not inclined to leap from paying the veteran beneath $4 million assured to such a hefty price ticket, no less than not with out two years value of elite play. This opens the door for the entrance workplace to make the most of the franchise tag to stop him from signing with one other workforce outright and prolong the negotiation window for a long-term deal. Whereas this would not be an affordable different with OverTheCap.com estimating quarterbacks will obtain $31.497 million totally assured beneath a non-exclusive tag, that is nonetheless effectively under a top-10 wage on the place in 2023. Different groups would be capable to negotiate with him, however the Seahawks would obtain two first spherical picks from one other workforce if they do not match the provide. An unique franchise tag can be far costlier with a mean of the highest 5 salaries for 2023 as an alternative of averages for those self same gamers from the previous 5 years and would forestall every other groups from providing contracts to him.

Schneider has solely used the franchise tag twice beforehand and has by no means been a proponent of the costly tender. For a prime degree quarterback, nevertheless, it will be a stunner if he did not place the tag on Smith with out a long-term deal in place by March’s deadline. After that time, he may proceed working in direction of an extension with extended negotiations pursuing a multi-year settlement. If issues do not proceed as deliberate and he eyes a younger quarterback in April’s draft, then he may probably discipline commerce provides from different groups to recoup extra excessive draft decisions to go together with Seattle’s two first rounders and two second rounders. This route provides essentially the most attainable flexibility, however it will eat an enormous chunk of the workforce’s wage cap subsequent 12 months with a totally assured wage.

3. Permit Smith to check free agent waters, danger dropping him with probability of no compensation in return.

Whereas the Patriots let Tom Brady stroll three years in the past and Peyton Manning as soon as received lower by the Colts after lacking a season on account of a neck damage, standout quarterbacks hardly ever hit the free agent market. With regards to Smith’s case, he does not have a resume that comes anyplace near these two Corridor of Famers. However assuming his present torrid play lasts a full season and he leads the Seahawks to the postseason, different groups undoubtedly will line as much as bid for his providers if he turns into a free agent once more in March. Schneider can be rolling the cube by permitting him the chance to even discover provides from different potential suitors and in contrast to the previous couple years, hoping for him to remain available on the market for over a month earlier than signing him to an affordable one-year deal is out of the query.

If Schneider had been to choose to go this route, that may sign that he has no less than one quarterback on this 12 months’s upcoming class who he’s enthralled by and views as a plug-and-play candidate for the Seahawks. With two first spherical picks in tow, together with a attainable top-five choose from the struggling Broncos, in addition to a pair of second spherical picks, he has the ammunition to maneuver up and snag a coveted sign caller. If he needs Alabama’s Bryce Younger or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who’re broadly seen as the highest two quarterbacks on this class, he can flip a couple of picks to maneuver up and choose that participant with sights on him beginning Week 1 subsequent season. Nonetheless, even when they had been thinking about selecting a quarterback early, that should not deter the entrance workplace from pursuing a two or three-year cope with Smith or at worst franchise tagging him to make sure they do not rush the rookie onto the sector too early.

Remaining Verdict: Lengthen Smith earlier than turning into eligible free of charge company on a three-year, $100 million contract.

Although Schneider has by no means been afraid to zig whereas different executives zag, together with his choice to commerce Wilson to start with, it will be an absolute stunner if he allowed Smith to even come near sniffing free company. Whereas he is the textbook definition of a late bloomer, his play appears something however fluky in Shane Waldron’s offense, he is extraordinarily environment friendly throwing in any respect ranges of the sector, and he is developed right into a valued chief who has the total backing of the teaching employees and his teammates. Even in his early 30s, he ought to have a ton of nice soccer in him, particularly after not taking part in a lot for greater than half a decade.

At worst, Smith is a proficient bridge quarterback who can nonetheless lead the Seahawks to the postseason, which is well worth the $30-plus million price ticket for a 12 months or two till a younger sign caller is able to exchange him. Extra of a pocket passer than a twin menace like Wilson, he additionally has the ability set to play at a excessive degree deep into his 30s and probably into his 40s, so the franchise could view him as way over a cease hole. He is greater than earned a long-term deal and the Seahawks can be clever to reward him accordingly with a contract averaging between $30-35 million and substantial assured cash to maintain themselves in fine condition beneath heart for the foreseeable future. Such a contract would not forestall them from drafting a quarterback both. It is a win-win for each social gathering.

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