That splash of cold water we felt being poured all over Seattle was not just another rain storm hitting the pacific northwest. It was the odds makers, last week, calling it like it is and placing a win total of 6.5 on the 2022 version of the Seattle Seahawks. Here is the tough part for Seahawk fans to swallow. It's equal to wins projected for the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears and YES, the hardest pill to swallow- the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That is not the same optimistic Kool aide that Seahawks HC Pete Carrol and GM John Schneider are selling in Seahawk-land. Insiders say they actually believe the narrative that Drew Lock can resurrect a franchise from the bottom feeding pool of teams that are being listed as the 3rd lowest projected win total in the league. Hummm…
Suffice to say, Vegas is not feeling it and when one watches the tape, it’s hard for me to feel the momentum either. I said at the time of the Russell Wilson trade to Denver that there had to be more to the story of his replacement than what they got in return from the Broncos. That’s why I thought at the time, the best deal for the Seahawks would have been to find a way to deal with the Eagles. I could actually get behind the Jalen Hurts train and see tangible evidence of his upside in the making. I have seen no such thing with Lock. He has struggled to process coverage and to make sound decisions along with being erratic with his accuracy. Any one of which could be deemed to be a fatal flaw. I understand that Wilson had the “no trade clause” in his back pocket and was willing to play it to his liking. Denver was his choice, I get it. The Seahawks were not dealing from a position of strength, at all.
I just can’t help but think, there is another move in the future to give fans in the Northwest more hope than a 6.5 projected win total.
The re-signing of veteran backup Geno Smith does nothing to move the meter either, IMO. His play in 2021, when Wilson missed time was acceptable but hardly that worthy of removing the doubt that still exists when assessing the gaping whole at QB for the next several years. Smith’s contract does not preclude the team from adding another reasonably salaried QB nor does it guarantee he will be on the roster come opening day. It does give them some minimal assurance vs Lock not progressing and maybe some slight leverage with the Browns on the price to be compensated for Mayfield and his salary.
There is zero chance the 49’ers are moving Jimmy G north to a division rival, so their options become two at this point. Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield or drafting one in this year’s college draft. The Mayfield exit plan still seems a bit cloudy. His almost $19M guaranteed salary is no-doubt problematic. At the end of the day the Browns don’t have much leverage. Getting someone to pay a portion of it is probably as good as they can do. Realistically the question is- will the Browns pay enough of it to get a late round draft choice in return?
Let’s face it, Mayfield was way over drafted by the Browns prior regime in 2018 when he was the number one pick in the draft. After 4 years I think we know what he is as a player. He played injured in 2021 so one must take that into consideration. I think he is a better option than the Seahawks currently have and getting him on a one year, “prove it” type deal is probably a good thing for the Seahawks. And the best thing is, Mayfield HAS to make it work both on and off the field so he should be plenty motivated. Failure is probably fatal for his chances at being a starting QB in the NFL.
As far as the draft goes, it really doesn’t make sense. A 70-year-old coach picking a QB, in a year where no one guy seems to collect a solid consensus and who might need a year or two to develop can’t sound real exhilarating for Carrol. Especially for a team that’s reshuffling the decks currently and when there will be better players at other positions of need available in the first round for sure. The Mayfield option allows them to wait a year before having to come up with a long-range plan.
I still think it may happen as the Mayfield game of musical chairs has really been limited by the field and the music is about to stop. This deal makes too much sense for everyone.