Tag: drew lock

Mike Macdonald says Seahawks have talked to Geno Smith, Drew Lock

The first personnel decision the Seattle Seahawks have to make this offseason may also be their most difficult one.

The first personnel decision the Seattle Seahawks have to make this offseason may also be their most difficult one. Starting quarterback Geno Smith has performed well over the last two seasons and has a strong case to continue as QB1 going into the 2024 campaign. However, there are several good reasons to move on. If that’s the path they take, then the front office will have to move quick, because Smith’s contract has a bunch of guaranteed money that will hit the books on Friday.

Speaking on Monday with ESPN radio, Seattle’s new head coach Mike Macdonald said that the team has been speaking with Geno Smith as well as backup quarterback Drew Lock and acknowledged that the team has to make some decisions pretty soon.

Lock will become a free agent in a few weeks and might be worth keeping around as a quality backup option, no matter what the Seahawks decide to do with Smith.

There’s been no official reporting on what might happen over the next few days. However, the arrival of new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb might be an indicator that Seattle is leaning towards moving on without Geno. While it’s not radically different than the offense that Smith ran in his last year at West Virginia, the best option to run Grubb’s scheme is Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., who’s also 10 years younger than Smith.

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4 scenarios for Geno Smith and the Seahawks with key date looming

Here are four scenarios to consider as the Seahawks approach a major deadline in regards to Geno Smith’s contract.

Geno Smith has done a splendid job leading the Seahawks offense these last two years. His contract is reasonable, his attitude is exactly what you would hope for from a QB1 and he’s easily the most qualified candidate to lead this team heading into the 2024 season. However, a lot of factors are working against his possible return.

For one thing, Smith lost his biggest supporter in the building after the team removed Pete Carroll as their head coach. Smith also has his relatively advanced age (he’s 33 years old now) and a very strong 2024 draft class at quarterback to contend with.

So, what should Seattle do with Smith? It’s a hot debate on Twitter right now with not a whole lot of nuance between the two camps – one of which that seems to believe Smith is an elite QB, and the other which is inexplicably desperate to see Drew Lock (or more accurately literally anyone but Smith) get a chance to start.

Let’s see if we can offer some better alternatives. Here are four scenarios to consider as the Seahawks approach a major deadline in regards to Smith’s contract – if he’s still on the roster one week from today he’ll get $12.7 million of his 2024 salary fully guaranteed.

Twitter reacts to news Ryan Grubb will be Seahawks offensive coordinator

All available free-agent QBs for the Colts in 2024

Here’s a quick look at the crop of free-agent QBs for the Colts in 2024.

For the first time in what seems like forever, the quarterback position is not the biggest need for the Indianapolis Colts entering the offseason.

With Anthony Richardson set to enter his second season after his rookie campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury, there is no reason to look beyond him as the starter in 2024.

However, veteran Gardner Minshew is slated to be a free agent this offseason, and he could look for a starting gig after proving his worth replacing Richardson for most of 2023.

There’s almost an equal chance he re-signs or leaves so it’s difficult to know what that outcome will be at the time of this writing. But the Colts may need to look for an affordable backup to Richardson.

The purpose of this article is purely informative. It’s just a list of which quarterbacks are set to be unrestricted free agents, according to Over The Cap. We’ll get into who the Colts should target in free agency over the next month as the new league approaches in March.

A handful of the top options like Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins are included even though the Colts won’t be pursuing them.

So before the new league year arrives, here’s a look at all the available quarterback options for the Colts during the 2024 offseason:

10 pending free agents the Seahawks should allow to leave in 2024

To begin the overhaul, they’ll have to start by shedding some serious dead weight in the trenches.

We have many hopes for whoever comes in to replace Pete Carroll as the next Seattle Seahawks head coach. At the top of our list is a desire that he places a far greater priority on offensive line play than his predecessor ever did. Carroll has an unmatched eye for defensive back talent and a rare gift more motivating his players, but he always seemed to have a blind spot for the offensive line. The truth is this unit underperformed in practically every season during Carroll’s run as head coach – and it’s something that needs to change.

This offseason above all else we hope to see a genuine investment in this unit at a level that we never saw under Carroll. To begin the overhaul, they’ll have to start by shedding some serious dead weight in the trenches. Here are 10 pending free agents we believe Seattle should allow to walk.

2024 NFL mock draft: 5 QBs off the board in Round 1, Seahawks go EDGE

10 free agent quarterbacks Broncos could consider in 2024

Here are 10 free agent quarterbacks the Broncos could consider this spring.

After benching quarterback Russell Wilson, the Denver Broncos turned their offense over to Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of the 2023 season.

Stidham didn’t look any better than Wilson, but he is cheaper. The Broncos are expected to release Wilson in March. Stidham’s future is less certain.

Stidham is scheduled to have a $7 million salary cap hit in 2024. It’s possible that Denver might opt to go into next season with Stidham and a rookie (the Broncos hold the 12th overall pick in the draft).

Alternatively, Denver could release Stidham and save $5 million in cap space. With that saved cap space, the Broncos might be able to afford a bargain free agent QB this spring such as Jameis Winston or Gardner Minshew.

It will come down to how much faith coach Sean Payton has in Stidham. After signing him last spring, Payton saw Stidham in training camp and practice all season leading up to the QB’s two starts in 2023. If the coach isn’t confident in Stidham going forward, the Broncos might be able to find an upgrade in free agency this spring.

Keeping in mind that Denver could pair a veteran with a rookie this offseason, here’s a quick look at the ten most notable QBs set to become free agents in March.

Bobby Wagner comments on the Seahawks’ respect for Geno Smith

Right now, there is no doubt the Seahawks players are bought into Geno Smith.

Many would agree the Seattle Seahawks might still have questions at the quarterback position moving forward. But what is not up for debate is the love and respect starter Geno Smith commands among the locker room.

For nearly two years, the 12th Man has come to know Geno Smith as an incredibly humble man, grateful of his position. His years spent bouncing around the league as a backup helped shape his perspective that what must come first is being a good teammate.

When Smith missed two games due to injury, including last second on Monday Night Football, Smith was still on the sideline cheering on Drew Lock. Seahawks veteran Bobby Wagner spoke at length to the media at what that meant to the team.

Right now, there is no doubt the Seahawks players are bought into Geno Smith. There’s a reason head coach Pete Carroll was so quick to affirm Smith as the starter, if healthy, even immediately following Seattle’s upset of the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Ranking the NFL’s top 40 QBs by PFF grades going into Week 17

The Seahawks have one of the stronger quarterback rooms in the NFL.

The Seahawks have one of the stronger quarterback rooms in the NFL. While Geno Smith and Drew Lock both have their flaws, these last couple of weeks have demonstrated that they are both very-much capable of leading late game-winning drives, which is perhaps the most valuable quality that a QB can have at this level – where so many games come down to one possession.

While Geno Smith’s traditional numbers for the season are down, the same is true for every other quarterback, who have been limited by a league-wide defensive adjustment against giving up deep passes. Smith was the NFL’s best deep ball thrower in 2022, so he’s had to adjust as much as anybody. Considering the context, Smith is playing at a far above-average level and giving great value to Seattle given the size of his contract. The PFF grades support that.

NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Ravens topple 49ers, Seahawks up 3 spots

Each week this season we have been evalauting QB play using different stats. This week we will be ranking the top 40 quarterbacks based on PFF’s position grades. Heading into Week 17, Smith is grading out at 80.2, which ranks No. 13 in the league, sandwiching him between two of the NFL’s rising young stars in C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence. That’s good company to keep. Meanwhile, Drew Lock doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify but his grade (61.3) would place him in the high 30s right next to Gardner Minshew – which is about all you can ask of a backup.

Before we start, there are a few quarterbacks who are not on this list but are worth mentioning. Among the other QBs who don’t have enough snaps to qualify for PFF’s list are Taylor Heinicke, who’s at 64.3 for the Falcons, Nick Mullens at 52.9 for the Vikings and Case Keenum at 44.4 with the Texans. This week’s opponent will be Mason Rudolph, who earned a 65.0 grade for his first start with the Steelers last week. He’s at 60.2 for the year.

Let’s get to the list. Here is how the top 40 rank according to the Pro Football Focus QB position grades.

Geno Smith should continue starting for the Seahawks in 2024

Heading into this next offseason, there should be no question as to who belongs at the top of the depth chart.

The Seahawks have had a difficult decision to make at quarterback each of the last two offseasons. First, they made the bold move to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos, then they doubled down on Geno Smith by giving him a team-friendly three-year extension. Heading into this next offseason, there should be no question as to who belongs at the top of the depth chart.

There’s still two weeks left in the regular season and another humbling Divisional Round exit to come, but we have seen enough of Geno Smith over the last two years to believe he has earned the right to continue starting, at least at the outset of the 2024 season.

On the stat sheet Smith is accurate, efficient and well above-average as a producer compared to the rest of the league’s quarterbacks this year. On film Smith is decisive, poised and clutch. That last attribute is what has impressed the most, as Sunday’s win over the Titans was Geno’s fourth game-winning drive this season and his seventh since he took over at QB1 at the start of 2022.

Russell Wilson has also managed to lead seven game-winning drives during that time, but he’s costing Denver far more than Seattle is paying for Smith, who may be the league’s best bargain among projected starters – that is not counting underrated and super-cheap backups like Taylor Heinicke, Gardner Minshew and *squints* Joe Flacco.

Next season Smith’s cap number will be $31.2 million, followed by $33.7 million in 2025. That’s solid and reasonable middle class compensation for a QB that has consistently been producing at a top-10 level two years in a row and occasionally – as we saw against Dallas – performs at an elite level.

As for the rest of the depth chart, Drew Lock has proven decent enough for a backup and there’s no reason not to re-sign him for another year to be the No. 2 option behind Smith.

However, committing to another year of Lock/Smith should not and must not prevent the Seahawks from rolling the dice on a quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL draft.

In case you haven’t been following college football this year, the crop of QBs coming up in this next class is as deep as it’s been in recent memory. There are at least five quality pro starters coming up and perhaps a dozen others that are worth considering at different points in the draft. Even if the Seahawks are 100% comfortable with both Smith and Lock they have to seriously consider picking one of them.

If they land someone special in the draft they’ll have a young and capable QB on a rookie contract to pair with an up-and-coming roster. If they don’t, then at least they don’t need to go looking for another franchise starter. Until someone proves they can do it better, this job belongs to Geno Smith.

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6 things to know about the Seahawks and Titans going into Sunday’s game

Here are six things to know about these two teams heading into their early matchup on Christmas Eve.

The Seahawks are visiting the Titans this week for another 10:00 a.m. West Coast time kickoff. Seattle is fresh off an invigorating and crucial win over the Eagles on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, Tennessee has been eliminated from the playoff picture and won’t be 100% come Sunday.

Here are six things to know about these two teams heading into their early matchup on Christmas Eve.

Golden Tate says Drew Lock’s jersey sales should be through the roof

There is no doubt in my mind the “Drew Lock game” will live on in the collective memories of Seahawks fans everywhere for years to come.

Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate has been back in the eye of the 12’s recently. On Monday night, Tate raised the iconic 12th Man Flag before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Seattle’s showdown was marked by a monumental 92-yard comeback drive from Drew Lock to upset the Eagles.

Lock’s late-game heroics must have made quite the impact on Tate, as well as the haircut the Seahawks backup is currently rocking. Tate took to Twitter to share his opinions on the matter:

There is no doubt in my mind the “Drew Lock game” will live on in the collective memories of Seahawks fans everywhere for years to come. When Seattle was down on its luck, staring down the barrel of a five-game losing streak, Lock strapped up and helped deliver a win for the ages.

While he is incredibly likable, I don’t necessarily think the jerseys numbers are going to rise. Head coach Pete Carroll already declared Geno Smith to be the starter if he is healthy.

But who knows what the future holds?

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