Tag: Geno Smith

Jaxon Smith-Njigba thinks Seahawks can have NFL’s best offense

Jaxon Smith-Njigba thinks Seahawks can have NFL’s best offense

In 2022 the Seattle Seahawks seemed to surprise the NFL world by fielding one of the more explosive units in the league. Seattle took a bit of a step back last year due to injuries and inconsistent playcalling. But with a brand new coaching staff, there is optimism that the Seahawks can once again be a unit feared by defenses.

This is a sentiment second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has. JSN recently spoke to the media and gave his lofty prediction for what Seattle can achieve on his side of the ball.

This is certainly a tall order, but perhaps not as unachievable as some might think! Yes, it will be hard to be better than the Miami Dolphins or even the San Francisco 49ers, but look at what the Seahawks are working with: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, the aforementioned JSN, Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Noah Fant. Of course, led by two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith. This is hardly an emtpy cupboard for offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to work with.

And that’s the second point: Ryan Grubb brings a level of excitement from a coaching perspective at the position fans have not had in a while. At the University of Washington, Grubb’s offense was arguably the best in the nation. For the last few years, the Seahawks have lacked that high-profile coordinator other teams have coveted. Perhaps Grubb can be this for Seattle.

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It’s also a reminder of what a magnificent bargain the Seattle Seahawks have in their veteran starter, Geno Smith.

On Thursday the Jacksonville Jaguars signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a contract extension, worth an average of $55 million per year. That ties Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for the highest annual salary in the NFL right now. It’s a deserving deal for Lawrence, who should only continue to get better the longer he’s in the league.

It’s also a reminder of what a magnificent bargain the Seattle Seahawks have in their veteran starter, Geno Smith. In our most-recent quarterback rankings following the 2024 NFL draft, we had Smith ranked one spot higher than Lawrence, No. 14 to his No. 15. Now that the new contract is locked in, Smith is costing Seattle less than half what Lawrence is Jacksonville. Let’s see how Geno compares to the rest of the league in average money per year.

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Geno Smith is ‘well ahead’ of Sam Howell in new Seahawks offense

Brady Henderson says Geno Smith is “well ahead” of backup Sam Howell in Grubb’s new scheme.

The Seahawks made a massive change to their coaching staff this offseason, letting Pete Carroll and all but one of his assistants go. In his place Mike Macdonald has assembled a highly-regarded staff, with a mix of long-time NFL coaches and others pulled from the college ranks. The biggest name in the bunch is offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who just spent two years leading the Huskies to become one of the nation’s top passing units.

Of course things will be different in Seattle than they were at UW. Grubb may have the same offensive line coach but the unit itself is one of the worst in the league, at least on paper. Grubb will still have three excellent wide receivers and an aggressive quarterback leading the charge, though.

As mandatory minicamp kicks off later today at the VMAC, Grubb’s offense has been named the most interesting storyline to watch by NFL.com. ESPN is sounding a similar note going into camp. Brady Henderson says Geno Smith is “well ahead” of backup Sam Howell in Grubb’s new scheme.

“There is no contract drama hanging over the Seahawks’ offseason, nor is there a quarterback competition, but there is plenty of intrigue. Smith and Howell are learning new coordinator Ryan Grubb’s scheme, which he estimated in early June to be almost 50% installed. The three OTAs that were open to reporters were heavy on 11-on-11 work, which made it clear that Smith, who has already been declared the starter and took all the No. 1 reps, is well ahead of Howell. Mandatory minicamp will offer a better look at each quarterback’s progress since receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett should both be there after being in and out during OTAs…”

While they’re both learning a new scheme, Smith has far more experience at his level as well as two and a half seasons of familiarity with Seattle’s skill players. That means it’s going to be pretty tough for Howell to pass him on the depth chart this year, and we may not see him start a game in 2024 unless Smith gets injured.

After this coming season all bets are off, though. Both Smith and Howell will be entering the last year of their respective contracts, and the Seahawks can save a ton of cap money by cutting Smith. If they’re truly enamored with Howell as much as has been reported, we may see Howell taking over QB1 duties in 2025.

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ESPN: Seahawks have liked QB Sam Howell ‘for an awful long time’

ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter was a guest on the Wyman and Bob show a few days ago on Seattle Sports radio.

ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter was a guest on the Wyman and Bob show a few days ago on Seattle Sports radio. Schefter shared some thoughts about where the Seahawks are heading this year, saying he sees them as a playoff contender. He also commented on the quarterback situation, where he thinks the franchise believes in Geno Smith, who has an advantage over Sam Howell when it comes to familiarity with the skill players.

Smith remains firmly at the top of the team’s depth chart at quarterback going into the 2024 season However, Schefter also says the front office has had their eye on Howell for some time:

“But I also think that Sam Howell is somebody that they’ve liked for an awful long time. And Sam Howell is a guy who, when you talk to people around the league, they believe in his abilities and talent and I think the Seahawks did as well. And I remember his name coming up within that organization last season during the year as a guy that they were intrigued with. And I think that they continue to be intrigued by the guy.”

This is a pretty familiar refrain we have heard about other quarterbacks who have gone on to become superstars. Years later, we learned the Seahawks were big fans of both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, who are now the top two starters in the league. It’s easy to claim that in hindsight, though.

Clearly they do like Howell, though – otherwise they likely would have drafted a quarterback in the loaded 2024 class. The only way to find out if Howell has a higher ceiling than we saw last season with the Commanders is to give him serious playing time.

Looking ahead, there’s a possibility Seattle will want to give Howell a chance to lead their offense under Ryan Grubb. If that doesn’t end up happening in 2024, the team could save a ton of cap room by cutting Geno Smith ($25 million) next offseason.

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Ryan Grubb says new Seahawks offense is nearly 50% installed

Ryan Grubb says new Seahawks offense is nearly 50% installed

The Seattle Seahawks are ramping up under their new coaching staff, which includes offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Grubb, who was formerly with the University of Washington (and Alabama, for like a week), moves from the Montlake to Renton to help another Seattle-based football team.

Fortunately for the 12th Man, Grubb seems confident that the team is “right on schedule” when it comes to installing his new offense. An offense, mind you, which was the best in the country for the last two years and made it to the National Championship. Grubb recently spoke with the media about where the Seahawks offense was at:

“I would say we are closing in on 50% of our installation… I think early on we tried to do a good job on both sides of the ball of getting some of the critical exchanges and all the things we need to know and understand about the nuances and broad vision of the offense. Once you feel good about that, continue to build on that and move on—I think the guys have done a really good job, especially in the last week and a half, of getting that where we could feel good about building on top of some of those things.”

Both of Grubb’s top two quarterbacks, Geno Smith and Sam Howell, have praised his offense. Smith and Howell have described the system as “quarterback friendly,” as well as being favorable to Smith’s drop back style of play.

Now Grubb has another quarterback in the mix with P.J. Walker, who was recently signed to the Seahawks.

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Analysis: P.J. Walker gives Seahawks another aggressive QB with upside

Analysis: P.J. Walker gives Seahawks another aggressive QB with upside

The Seattle Seahawks made another interesting move at quarterback yesterday when they signed former Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers backup P.J. Walker. With Walker now in the mix, Seattle’s quarterback room is entirely made of players who were never drafted by the Seahawks and have all played for other NFL teams.

Clearly, this move is to fill out the open QB3 position. Seattle’s coaching staff has already made it clear Geno Smith is going to be the starter, as he should be this year. He is the most refined at the position and his veteran starting experience gives him a clear edge over his two younger colleagues.

Now we turn our eyes to Sam Howell, the presumptive backup quarterback. The Seahawks traded for Howell, essentially giving a third round pick to acquire him, instead of drafting a quarterback. It seems Seattle has a vested interest in the young man, and it feels unlikely they brought in Walker to be legitimate competition. Perhaps Walker is merely insurance for both Howell and Smith should injuries return once more.

Walker was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, but spent three years as mainly a practice squad player. Walker re-started his NFL career by an impressive showing in the COVID-shortened XLF season in 2020, where he threw 15 touchdowns against only four interceptions.

After that, Walker played three years in Carolina, and one season in Cleveland as mostly a fill-in role for both teams. Walker ultimately accumulated a 5-4 record as a starter, but only has six touchdown passes against 16 interceptions. Obviously, this is not a legitimate starting quarterback level talent for the NFL.

Still, he is more than qualified to be an emergency reserve quarterback behind both Geno Smith and Sam Howell.

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Seahawks signing former Panthers, Browns quarterback P.J. Walker

The Seahawks are signing former Panthers and Browns quarterback P.J. Walker, according to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.

The Seahawks are signing former Panthers and Browns quarterback P.J. Walker, according to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.

Walker (5-foot-11, 215 pounds) played his college ball at Temple, where he posted over 10,000 passing yards, 74 touchdowns, 44 interceptions and a 129.1 rating over four years. In the NFL Walker has been primarily a backup quarterback, spending three years in Carolina and then last season in Cleveland. All together he’s gone 5-4 as a starter with 2,135 passing yards, six touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Walker’s best work was in the pandemic-shortened 2020 XFL season, though. While it was only a handful of games, Walker was as dynamic and dominant at that level as Patrick Mahomes at this one and likely would have won the league MVP award if the season had completed.

There’s a massive gap between the talent in the XFL and the NFL, though. In Seattle Walker will be a firm No. 3 option at quarterback behind Geno Smith and Sam Howell for now. He’ll have to show some improvement beyond his usual talented arm and legs to make the initial 53-man roster – especially when it comes to turnovers.

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Sam Howell takes responsibility for his 2023 season with the Commanders

Sam Howell doesn’t throw anyone under the bus, takes accountability for his 2023 play with the Commanders.

One year ago, Sam Howell was taking first-team snaps during Offseason Training Activities (OTAs) for the Washington Commanders. Then-head coach Ron Rivera told anyone who would listen that Howell would be a star, and when the Commanders won a Super Bowl—whether he was there or not—they could send him his Super Bowl ring.

During the first half of last season, Howell was sometimes phenomenal, and Rivera looked like he may be right. However, the Commanders completely fell apart during the second half of the season, losing their final eight games. Howell struggled with sacks and turnovers at different times last season.

While Howell undoubtedly played a significant role in his struggles, he had no help from the coaching staff. Personnel-wise, Rivera ignored the offensive line for four years. And offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, forever auditioning for a head coaching job, ran an offense that led the NFL in pass attempts—and last in rush attempts.

Everything and everyone was out of sync last season with a lame-duck coaching staff.

That all changed in January when owner Josh Harris fired Rivera. Harris hired general manager Adam Peters and followed that by hiring Dan Quinn as head coach.

With a new regime and the No. 2 overall pick, Howell knew his days in Washington could be over. In March, the Commanders traded Howell to the Seahawks for multiple draft picks.

In Seattle, Howell would be Geno Smith’s backup, but GM John Schneider made it clear how much he wanted Howell.

We hadn’t heard publicly from Howell since the trade until he spoke with the Seattle media after an OTA practice last week. He discussed last season with Washington.

“I think I can play some smarter ball,” Howell said, per Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. “At times, when we were down big in games, I was a little too aggressive. I was just trying to make something happen to get us back in the game. That’s why, you know…the turnovers were just way too high for what I wanted, what the team needed. That’s definitely something I can take from last year.”

As for the Seahawks, new head coach Mike Macdonald is thrilled to have Howell.

“We are excited about Sam,” Macdonald said.

Howell has a chance to be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL. Washington did him no favors in 2023. Meanwhile, the Commanders are also excited about their future with Jayden Daniels.

As far as Howell’s comments, he could’ve done what so many others have and blamed others. He took the high road. That’s Sam Howell.

Sam Howell on Ryan Grubb’s ‘quarterback friendly’ offense

Sam Howell on Ryan Grubb’s ‘quarterback friendly’ offense

Perhaps the most intriging coaching hire the Seattle Seahawks have made, aside from head coach Mike Macdonald of course, is offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. After a few years of the explosive, yet wildly inconsistent offense led by Shane Waldron, the 12th Man is excited to see what Grubb can do at the professional level.

For two years, the Seattle faithful have gotten to know Grubb since he was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies. Under Grubb, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was argubaly the best in the nation, as the Huskies offense ripped apart almost every defense they faced en route to the National Championship last season.

Starting quarterback Geno Smith has already praised Grubb’s offense, and he isn’t alone. Recently acquired quarterback Sam Howell also took to the media to discuss what has impressed him about his new system.

Speaking of intriguing, Sam Howell certainly qualifies with such a description. Instead of drafting a quarterback, the Seahawks opted to trade for Howell from the Washington Commanders. Howell had 21 touchdowns against 21 interceptions last year, but certainly showed plenty of flash on an abysmal Commanders team.

There are those who believe Howell has plenty of untapped potential. Only time will tell if he will get to live up to said potential under Ryan Grubb.

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Geno Smith says Ryan Grubb’s playbook has plays he’s never seen before

Here’s what Geno had to say about Grubb’s scheme on the Jim Rome show.

Geno Smith has been playing quarterback for about 20 years now, including his time in the NFL, at West Virginia and Miramar High School in Florida. That’s a lot of different playbooks to digest, so Smith has seen pretty much everything a QB can in his time. However, new Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has some zesty recipes that apparently Smith hasn’t seen before.

Here’s what Geno had to say about Grubb’s scheme on the Jim Rome show.

Grubb may not have the same level of talent that he did at Washington compared to the competition he will be facing in the NFL, but the work he did there over the last two years shows that he can run a balanced, aggressive pro style system.

The only real unanswered question is if he can still do it with a poor offensive line. Seattle’s front line unit was ranked No. 27 in the league in our recent consensus OL rankings, while Washington had perhaps the best in the nation with Grubb. One common denominator is offensive line coach Scott Huff, who’s followed Grubb over from the Huskies where he held the same position. Much depends on how well Huff does his job.

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