We’re lower than one week out from the Seattle Seahawks’ first coaching camp below Mike Macdonald. There are quite a lot of questions concerning the roster which we hope will probably be answered by way of camp and the preseason. Over the subsequent couple of weeks we may have key questions throughout each place, excluding the all-encompassing particular groups.
This text will deal with quarterback, which is among the few positions on the staff with no actual competitors for a beginning spot.
Quarterback roster: Geno Smith, Sam Howell, P.J Walker
How will Geno Smith carry out in Ryan Grubb’s offense?
We’re getting into yr three of Geno Smith because the beginning quarterback. There was no scarcity of hypothesis over whether or not he’d even be on the staff this season, however that’s been put to relaxation. Are there any ensures about Geno’s future for 2025? Nope, however we’re not right here to speak about that.
Smith had a statistical downturn in 2023, though it appears superior stats paint a extra favorable view of his efficiency given the power of schedule and the struggles alongside the offensive line. Both approach, the offense as an entire was not so good as it was in 2022, however there’s optimism afoot!
New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb comes from a school background, with notably deep success at Fresno State and the College of Washington. Grubb’s heavy use of movement and inventive play designs garnered loads of reward on the collegiate degree, and now he’ll have the duty of translating his ideas to the NFL. Early reviews from camp point out that there’s loads to digest and new issues to be taught, which Smith attested to in his interview with KING-5 NBC’s Paul Silvi.
“The faculty recreation may be very revolutionary,” Smith stated. “At UW this previous season—wherever coach Grubb’s been, he’s been simply an revolutionary coach who’s discovered new methods to assault defenses,” Smith stated. “He’s at all times searching for new wrinkles and simply serving to us acquire that edge as an offense. Simply having a brand new coordinator, a brand new system, a brand new philosophy, simply the best way that he’s doing issues — and among the performs are performs that we haven’t seen at this degree. With out giving an excessive amount of away, I believe it’s particular to be part of it with this offense, the gamers round me, the coordinator, the coaches that we have now now. I really feel tremendous blessed simply to be on this place.
“The nice factor for me is I prefer to be taught,” Smith added. “I like to check, and in order that’s one thing that I do every day, and it does assist. Repetition is at all times going to be the daddy of studying. So for me, it’s nearly persevering with to do the little issues like writing notes, taking detailed notes, and simply being on high of it each single day and actually listening to each single factor that Grubb says and simply the best way he desires issues performed.”
In minicamp Smith stated of Grubb’s offense, “I really feel like I’m a dropback passer and I really feel like it is a dropback offense. An offense that’s going to unfold the ball round, belief the quarterbacks to make the precise selections. That’s pre- and post-snap. I really feel like that’s one thing that I’m actually good at.”
Whereas the offensive line goes to be the figuring out issue as to how a lot this offense can perform, the onus is finally on Geno to show his command of Grubb’s system and play at a excessive degree. Hopefully what we see is an offense that may push the ball extra within the intermediate a part of the sector, the place Smith’s price of throws dropped from 22 % in 2022 to simply 17.9 % final season.
Can Sam Howell present high-end starter potential?
Drew Lock is out, Sam Howell is in. The Seahawks traded for Lock as a part of the Russell Wilson deal, and the one time he began was when Geno Smith was harm. Geno’s job isn’t below risk within the instant, so the previous Washington Commanders beginning quarterback will assume the function of backup.
I believe it must be made very clear that Howell wasn’t a rookie final yr. In his precise rookie season he had a full coaching camp and preseason and was nonetheless the QB3 behind Taylor Heinicke (not an NFL-level starter) and Carson Wentz (now not an NFL-level starter).
In his lone season as a starter, he was statistically one of many worst quarterbacks within the NFL. The uncooked yards (3,946) sound good proper up till you notice he threw an astounding 612 occasions, which suggests his yards/try was bottom-tier. His 21 landing passes had been offset by his league-worst 21 interceptions, to not point out his almost 10 % sack price.
From the FTN Fantasy Soccer Almanac:
No quarterback did extra injury to his staff in 2023 than Howell. Howell’s 295 damaging performs—sacks, interceptions, in-complete passes, penalties, and failed completions—led the league, producing -3,730 passing DYAR alongside the best way. He was first with 65 sacks, first with 21 interceptions, and first with 201 incompletions; a real triple risk of calamitous outcomes. And but, 4 groups nonetheless bid for his companies after Washington washed their fingers of him, with the Seahawks finally swapping a few mid-round picks for his companies. Howell’s ups confirmed occasional promise, particularly for a fifth-round choose. He has an enormous arm and the boldness to throw the ball into tight home windows. He produced much more optimistic performs than the Bryce Youngs and Zach Wilsons of the world. Forcing him to throw 35 occasions a recreation with no actual assist round him did him only a few favors, so maybe a while sitting in Seattle and creating his recreation may also help notice among the potential that he confirmed early in his profession at North Carolina.
If I might defend Howell from that unkind evaluate, Washington was often trailing and that altered the sport state. Howell was pressed into doing an excessive amount of from double-digit deficits, which suggests apparent passing conditions and a propensity for extra harmful performs. I gained’t be intellectually dishonest and suppose Howell and the offense had no involvement with the holes they created, however quarterbacking is rattling exhausting once you’re continually in a chase with a horrible protection.
12 months one in every of Howell in Seattle isn’t like Lock’s yr one; there isn’t a actual QB competitors right here and a longtime hierarchy. The primary focus is studying and creating after a brutal time on a foul staff. He has a superb arm, toughness, and mobility that would make him a fan favourite.
The query for Howell (because it was for Lock) is whether or not he can lower down on the errors, of which he’s had a lot, and seem like somebody who might be Geno’s eventual successor. Whereas John Schneider has pointed to Howell’s age as a optimistic, I’d contend that being younger doesn’t robotically imply you have got a better ceiling or larger potential. Capability trumps all the things else, and we’ll hopefully be taught much more about Howell in a theoretically extra competent, much less chaotic setting this camp.
Is PJ Walker value protecting round as an emergency quarterback?
We now have ample proof that PJ Walker is a good spring league quarterback. NFL quarterback? Totally different story. The statline: 185/339 (54.6%) for two,135 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
The modified emergency third quarterback rule creates an attention-grabbing wrinkle that’s value acknowledging. Beforehand, the third QB needed to be on the energetic roster, however that’s now not the case. As an alternative, the emergency quarterback can come by way of apply squad elevation a vast variety of occasions. The NFL competitors committee has made the apply squad QB a required weekly elevation, so the one actual motive to roster three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster is to stop one other staff from poaching that participant from the apply squad.
Walker has prior beginning expertise with the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns, nonetheless restricted and unimpressive the stats is likely to be, but when he can get by way of preseason wanting moderately competent then there will probably be no have to look elsewhere for that third possibility. You would do loads worse than to have the previous XFL star as your “break glass in case of emergency” participant.
We’ll take a break on Sunday and begin off Monday with the working backs.
