Are we overlooking Drew Lock as Seahawks starting QB option?

There are plenty of huge storylines for the Seahawks this offseason.

Seahawks Draft: The highest QBs, how deep edge rusher class is and extra

There’s the No. 5 total choose they personal, which might be their highest NFL Draft choice since 2009, their final earlier than head coach Pete Carroll and common supervisor John Schneider joined the franchise.

There’s additionally the truth that they personal 4 picks within the first two rounds, together with two within the prime 20.

And the way about hypothesis over free brokers and commerce targets to enhance their protection?

The most important storyline, nonetheless, is concerning the quarterback place. As a result of regardless that Geno Smith had an unimaginable and shocking 2022 season that earned him a Professional Bowl invitation and nomination as considered one of three finalists for Comeback Participant of the Yr, he’s as a result of hit free company, leaving the door open for Seattle to doubtlessly draft its quarterback of the long run.

There’s one other choice to be the beginning Seahawks quarterback in 2023, nonetheless, which led Seattle Sports activities’ Bump and Stacy to ask an essential query on Friday.

“What we’re speaking about at the moment is another choice which may be proper beneath their nostril the entire time: What about Drew Lock?” requested Stacy Rost.

Although Lock is a pending free agent like Smith, he could be significantly cheaper to deliver again than what Smith is anticipated to command for his companies subsequent season, which wage cap professional and Spotrac managing editor Michael Ginnitti estimated to Seattle Sports activities’ Wyman and Bob could be above $30 million per 12 months.

Whereas Lock spent your complete 2022 marketing campaign on the sidelines as Smith’s backup, he was nonetheless thought-about a reliable competitor for Smith of their preseason battle to succeed Russell Wilson as Seattle’s QB final summer season. There’s additionally the truth that Carroll made it clear all through that season that the Seahawks actually like Lock and that the 26 12 months previous may nonetheless have a shiny future forward regardless of failing to stay because the Broncos’ starter following his second-round draft choice in 2019.

So is there a case to be made for Seattle to go together with Lock at QB subsequent season? Right here’s a have a look at what Rost and former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus needed to say, in addition to some selection quotes about Lock from Carroll and Broncos analyst Mark Schlereth from our sister station, Denver Sports activities 104.3 FM.

Bump: Why Lock is a ‘actual risk’

The rationale we predict this can be a actual risk is as a result of we hear the best way Schneider and Pete Carroll discuss Drew Lock. If Geno is to go on the market and get a proposal (in free company) from a soccer membership that the Hawks really feel like they’ll’t match or received’t match, you gotta begin Drew Lock. So let’s make a journey down reminiscence lane with Drew Lock. Final 12 months, I sat down with (Seahawks offensive coordinator) Shane Waldron and we watched about 30 to 45 minutes of movie on Drew, and we’re breaking down the movie and clearly we’re wanting largely at highlights, not the lowlights. We’re attempting to focus on the child and see what he can do. For those who go to the Seahawks’ YouTube, the movie session remains to be as much as at the present time (watch right here). And the factor that we each appreciated about Drew Lock is that he has the arm power to make each single throw on the market.

… I have a look at (his stats from Denver) and I keep in mind a man named Peyton Manning having an actual unhealthy first 12 months. … I’m not making excuses, I’m simply telling you the way it’s a younger quarterback. You’re drafted by this crew, you place collectively a good rookie season, and also you come again in a COVID 12 months with a brand new offensive coordinator and also you wrestle a bit after which they provide upon you so shortly. (Then-Broncos head coach) Vic Fangio says, ‘You realize what? Nah, this man ain’t it. I’m bringing in Teddy Bridgewater to compete with him.’ That’s not the way you construct a franchise. That’s not the way you develop a quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater wins that job, so now I’m Drew Lock and I’m attempting to consider the place he’s mentally. Sort of acquainted, jogs my memory of Geno Smith somewhat bit. You’ve been given up on by a crew, the crew that drafted you, and also you’re despatched throughout the nation to return up one other backup in Geno Smith. So perhaps sitting a 12 months or two has achieved one thing for Drew Lock.

Bodily, he can play on this league. … He does deserve one other likelihood. If Schneider and Pete Carroll are prepared to roll the cube on him, they’ve earned the fitting to do this. They’ve earned my belief to the place I’m like, OK, you probably did it with Geno Smith, I wasn’t certain about it. Why not do it with Drew Lock? So it’s been tough for Drew (however) he’s nonetheless younger. He’s actually solely had a 12 months and a half… to attempt to show himself on this league, and we’ve seen that that’s simply not sufficient, so we will see.

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Seahawks and others see one thing in Lock

Whereas Smith was taking the league by storm, the Seahawks let slip that Lock was impressing them behind the scenes, as Rost identified.

First, she performed a clip of Carroll speaking about Lock from a press convention in October.

“Possibly Drew is a man that hasn’t had the form of assist that’s going to deliver out the perfect in him,” Carroll stated. “We’re but to see that. I feel you’re gonna see a implausible participant in him when his time comes and all that as a result of he’s going to be in a special mentality approaching his work.”

Then one other clip from Carroll later within the season answering why he had introduced up Lock a number of instances when speaking to the media.

“I feel he’s actually good, and he’s proven us that. He has an thrilling future, and I do know many instances I’ve in all probability put it within the gentle that he’s rising too, and he’s going to be actually good when he will get his likelihood. We’ll have simply as many alternatives to make performs when he’s on the sector. We see it day-after-day (in follow). I imply, he battles day-after-day in opposition to our first protection, and, you realize, competes to attempt to beat their tails day-after-day. And it’s nice to see and he’s creating in ways in which it simply takes time. So if he’s lucky sufficient to seize the time in comparable trend that Geno has, he’s gonna be a terrific participant.”

Then there may be the opinion from exterior of the group. Schlereth, a former NFL offensive lineman who spends his Sundays as a coloration commentator on FOX broadcasts, shared each his view and one he heard from an NFL insider.

“I do know one factor, in Seattle they really feel fairly good about Drew Lock,” Schlereth stated throughout a current dialog with Wyman and Bob. “You need to perceive the place Drew Lock comes from. I talked to a buddy of mine that coached within the NFL that’s nonetheless consulting within the NFL and actually is aware of his stuff, and principally he evaluated Drew popping out of school and he stated… ‘Arm talent-wise and athleticism-wise, Drew can play. Drew’s acquired good things.”

However that former NFL coach factored in Lock’s school background at Missouri.

“‘Like, it’s the worst school offense I’ve ever seen. It does nothing to arrange you for the NFL,’” Schlereth relayed. “And so I feel (the Seahawks) really feel fairly good about their quarterback scenario, and that with extra seasoning and understanding of the sport on the skilled degree that Drew Lock can be a stable participant.”

Rost sums it up

I don’t know what Drew Lock finally ends up being, however my opinion of Drew Lock in comparison with Geno strains up with among the sentiment that Mark Schlereth defined… I feel that Geno (in 2022) was extra of not only a pro-ready quarterback, however a quarterback who actually understood Shane Waldron’s offense, who actually made good choices, and who importantly Pete Carroll trusted. In actual fact, I don’t know if I’m proper about this, however my intestine feeling is that Pete Carroll trusted Geno extra in 2022 than he did Russell Wilson on the finish of Wilson’s tenure. It’s not as a result of he didn’t assume Russell Wilson wasn’t exceptionally gifted, it’s not as a result of he didn’t like Russell Wilson. I feel it’s simply because he felt like, ‘Geno will get it, will get precisely what I wish to do. He believes in what I wish to do, and each determination that Geno was going to make goes to be made with this explicit offense in thoughts.’

I’m wondering if the rationale they went with Geno over Drew is as a result of they didn’t really feel that Drew was there but mentally. Drew’s a lot youthful. Drew has all of the arm expertise on the earth. I might say any ‘enjoyable’ throw that we noticed within the preseason was in all probability from Drew and never essentially Geno. I keep in mind when Geno was introduced because the starter, I assumed, ‘OK, it is smart, we’ve form of felt that this determination was coming actually since their press convention when Pete stated that he would like to have Geno right here and Geno was not but beneath contract. However I assumed that it will be form of a boring offense. I assumed, effectively, that is simply going to be defend the ball, don’t throw too far downfield, check-down offense. As an alternative, Geno ended up being nice with explosive performs. I imply, they weren’t the Eagles out right here throwing for 35-plus-yard touchdowns, however the offense was significantly better than I assumed it will be.

I don’t know that I’ve all the religion on the earth that Geno turned who he was as a result of Pete Carroll had the magic contact, after which he can do the very same with Drew. I feel they’re completely different quarterbacks with completely different ability units. Would I perceive the Seahawks wanting to avoid wasting themselves $25-plus million and go together with a man who they assume can determine it out? … Yeah, I can perceive that sentiment.

Extra from Bump and Stacy: What we hope Seahawks realized from Russell Wilson commerce

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