Tag: shane waldron

Geno Smith makes the hardest parts of quarterbacking look all too easy

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is a legitimate MVP candidate. Why? Because he makes the hardest things look all too easy.

Nobody in the NFL expected this. Except for Geno Smith.

Through the first half of the 2022 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks’ starting quarterback has completed 207 of 283 passes for 2,199 yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a passer rating of 107.2. Smith ranks fifth in the NFL in both DVOA and DYAR. His completion rate of 73.1%, if Smith is able to hold that up, would rank third in NFL history behind Drew Brees’ 74.4% in 2018, and 74.3% in 2019. Lest you think that high rate of efficiency means that the 10-year NFL veteran is just checking it down, Smith also leads the league with nine touchdown passes of 20 or more air yards.

Smith has become one of the NFL’s best, most complete, and most consistent quarterbacks, which is what nobody except Smith thought would happen. Since he was selected with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 draft out of West Virginia by the New York Jets, Smith had been far better-known for his failures than his successes.

But now? Smith, who’s on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with $500,000 guaranteed, is fully in the discussion as one of the most remarkable later-career quarterbacks in the history of professional football, right up there with Kurt Warner and Jim Plunkett. He has turned the Seahawks’ offense into something very much in his own image, and the city of Seattle has gone from wondering how long it would take its professional football team to replace Russell Wilson, to wondering who that Russell Wilson guy was in the first place.

“It’s amazing that everybody gets to see him and recognize him, and they have recognized him this quickly,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said last Friday, soon after Smith was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. “I mean, right out of the chutes in the first couple of weeks, everybody was talking about him and all, and he has just stacked one on top of another, and has played really solid football for us. We are really counting on him, and it’s a real honor for him to be recognized like that. When you are sitting there for three to four years, you are just waiting for that chance and just keep thinking, ‘Boom,’ sleep at night, and hoping you get an opportunity. If it doesn’t come, it doesn’t come, and finally when it does, you just kill it. It’s a beautiful thing. We just keep going, more days, and more stacking, and see what we can get done.”

Here’s what else Smith has gotten done: He is among the NFL’s best quarterbacks this season not only in the standard stats, but also in the metrics that indicate the hardest things for quarterbacks to get right to a high degree over a long period of time.

That’s where the Geno Smith story advances — it’s not about this or that thing, it’s about everything. Let’s dive into how Smith makes the hardest parts of quarterbacking look easy.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated). 

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Seahawks running back rotation will be dictated by ‘flow of game’

Seahawks OC Shane Waldron isn’t going to stick to a script with his running backs but will let the flow of the game determine the carries.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new offensive look this season, not only with Geno Smith at quarterback but also with some changes in the backfield – namely, the addition of rookie Ken Walker III.

Seattle selected the running back in the second round of this year’s draft out of Michigan State. Now that he’s nearly recovered from the hernia surgery he underwent this summer, more opportunities will be opened up for Walker on gamedays.

Offensive coordinator was asked about how the rotation might look going forward between Walker and veteran Rashaad Penny, who has finally earned himself the starting nod.

“The balance is going to come throughout the course of the games and throughout the flow of the games,” Waldron told reporters on Thursday. “Ken did a good job of battling back from his deal early on two weeks or three weeks ago. He has worked himself right back into there. Again, it comes back to the point of getting some more plays run, getting more runs off, and we would like to get both of those guys involved.”

Waldron was the first to admit that Seattle’s run game hasn’t exactly been stellar so far and getting things moving on the ground, in general, is key. The Seahawks OC isn’t going to stick to an exact assignment, however.

“There will always be the element of one guy is playing well or feeling out how the course of the game is going,” Waldron continued. “I don’t think it is an exact scripted amount of this guy is going to get exactly this or it is exactly that.

“It’s just within the flow of the game, how are those guys doing knowing that we want to get both of those guys involved?”

Waldron and his running backs’ next chance to get the ground game going comes this Sunday afternoon when the Seahawks host the Falcons at home.

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Earning Seahawks’ starting QB job ‘means everything’ to Geno Smith

For returning veteran quarterback Geno Smith, earning the Seattle Seahawks starting QB job “means everything.”

The quarterback competition is underway at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton between veteran Geno Smith and newcomer Drew Lock. Although a starter likely won’t be officially named until right before the season opener, the quarterbacks are busy preparing mentally for the job.

“It means everything, It really does,” Smith told reporters during his press conference on Monday. “It’s an opportunity for me again to continue my career to lead the charge and be the guy again. That’s what you want. It’s what I’ve been working for. I’m extremely excited, very thankful, very grateful. I’ve been working my butt off. I’ve been working. I feel as though it is something I deserve and I just to have go out there and continue to be me.”

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said there is a plan in place regarding the quarterback situation but that the Seahawks will keep it “in-house” for now. Regardless, Smith feels in command of his game.

“When I’m out there, I feel like I have complete control over what I am seeing,” Smith explained. “When I’m going through my reads, we talk about it when we go in the classroom and watch film. I feel like my reads and getting the ball out on time, being early and decisive, all those things you know you want to do, I feel like I’ve been doing them. Obviously, sometimes you wish you can have a play back here and there, but that’s the reason for practice.”

The QB competition continues Friday when the players return to the practice field at 1:30 p.m. PT.

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Shane Waldron: Seahawks will keep their quarterback plan ‘in-house’

To hear offensive coordinator Shane Waldron tell it, the Seahawks have some kind of plan at this position that’s worth keeping secret.

Now that DK Metcalf has been extended, the most-important decision the Seattle Seahawks will make over the next few weeks is who they will start at quarterback when the 2022 season begins. In Russell Wilson’s absence the team opted not to pick a quarterback in this year’s draft. They also passed on the free agent class and were never seriously involved in any trade talks to pick up a veteran.

Now that training camp has arrived, the team has only a couple options left. They amount to choosing between Geno Smith and Drew Lock, who have been competing to replace Wilson.

To hear offensive coordinator Shane Waldron tell it, the Seahawks have some kind of plan at this position that’s worth keeping secret. Speaking with reporters yesterday, Waldron said the team has a plan at quarterback but they will be keeping it in-house.

Anyway. It will either be Smith or Lock this year and then somebody else in 2023.

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Seahawks OC Shane Waldron breaks down Austin Blythe film with Michael Bumpus

Watch Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron break down Austin Blythe’s Rams film with Michael Bumpus.

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Russell Wilson ‘pushed hard’ for Seahawks to move on from former OC

The more we learn about the split between the Seattle Seahawks and former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the uglier it gets.

The more we learn about the split between the Seattle Seahawks and former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the uglier it gets. After the trade that sent him to the Denver Broncos, Wilson and the front office shared conflicting stories about the nature of their divorce. At least publicly Wilson had maintained that he wanted to stay in Seattle all along, while head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider claim he didn’t want to sign another contract with their organization.

Now we’re learning of more friction behind the scenes between Wilson and one of his former coaches. According to Corbin Smith at Sports Illustrated, Wilson “pushed hard” for the Seahawks to move on from former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer after the 2020 season.

“In fact, per a team source, while they didn’t hold ill will towards one another and maintained respect for each other, the perennial Pro Bowl quarterback and his representatives “pushed hard” for a coordinator change behind the scenes after a disappointing finish to the 2020 season. ‘Don’t let his comments mask his real thoughts,” the source remarked. “He had grown tired of Schotty from a play calling perspective and wanted something fresh. As much as he benefited from his coaching, he didn’t think the two could co-exist anymore in a football marriage.'”

This seems a bit strange considering that Wilson played the best football of his career while Schottenheimer was making the calls from 2018-2020. While the passing offense struggled in the second half of the 2020 season, Wilson had been performing at an MVP level up until around Week 9. The team did a poor job of adjusting to more two-high safety looks after that, but dismissing Schottenheimer always seemed like an extreme move and frankly the wrong one considering his success the previous two and a half years.

Wilson is unquestionably by far the best quarterback in franchise history, but he comes off as duplicitous. We’re willing to bet we’ll be hearing more than a few negative stories about his time with the team in the years to come.

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Louis Riddick: Seahawks should be ‘all over that’ if 49ers cut Jimmy Garoppolo

It may be a sign of just how sad things have gotten around these parts since the Russell Wilson trade, but Riddick’s not wrong.

Until the Seahawks actually put either Geno Smith or Drew Lock on the field to face Russell Wilson’s Broncos in Week 1 the media’s quarterback speculation isn’t going to stop.

Sadly, at this late hour there are only two potential QB upgrades that are already in the league. Baker Mayfield is in limbo thanks to the Browns’ poor timing of the increasingly-disastrous Deshaun Watson trade. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo is stuck on the trade block due to a shoulder injury.

Cleveland may eventually be forced to release Mayfield because no team seems willing to take on even a diminished portion of his fully-guaranteed salary – over $18 million. If San Francisco does the same with Garoppolo then Louis Riddick thinks Seattle should jump at the chance to sign him. Here’s what he said on ESPN Friday.

“The 49ers are not gonna trade Jimmy Garoppolo to the Seattle Seahawks in the division, but when they cut him – and it sounds like they will cut him eventually – I would be ALL over that. All over it if I’m the Seattle Seahawks… That offense very similar in terms of constructs, in terms of philosophy that Kyle Shanahan runs out in San Francisco. That’s an offense that’s tailor-made for Jimmy G’s style.”

It may be a sign of just how sad things have gotten around these parts since the Wilson trade, but Riddick’s not wrong.

Any Seahawks fan could tell you that Garoppolo can be erratic in the pocket and occasionally will have a total brainfart collapse that leads to a turnover. However, no quarterback is perfect and Garoppolo is still better than about half of the other starters around the league. He (at times) displays superb touch and accuracy and throws with anticipation better than most. Garoppolo would also fit like a glove into Shane Waldron’s Sean McVay/Shanahan-inspired scheme.

In our recent ranking of the 32 projected starters for Week 1, the combo of Smith and Lock came in at No. 25, while Garoppolo placed at No. 18. That would be a significant step up – if truly competing in 2022 is something that Pete Carroll is interested in doing.

That said, Garoppolo’s contract is an absolute non-starter, with a cap hit that’s just under $27 milion this year. If the Niners release him and the Seahawks can get him for around 10% of that price they should go for it.

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Noah Fant sees endless options for tight ends in Seahawks offense

Noah Fant sees endless options for tight ends in the Seattle Seahawks offense, which he believes is favorable to the position.

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Noah Fant came to Seattle this offseason with Drew Lock in the trade that sent quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks immediately picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract which sent a message to the young tight end.

Now, having been with the team for over a month, Fant has gotten a better idea of how Seattle utilizes the tight ends on the roster and he likes what he sees.

“I like the way we get passing concepts down the field,” Fant told reporters during his press conference last week. “The run game, obviously it’s going to be all built off the run game, which is a huge part of the game. Obviously, the play-action is going to be huge. So it’s a very balanced offense, which I like, and it’s very favorable to the tight end. So it’s nice.”

Fant was originally selected by the Broncos out of Iowa in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Now with a new team for the first time in his career, he hopes to capitalize on the opportunity which is so advantageous to his playing syle.

“Like I was saying before, it’s definitely an offense that’s favorable to the tight end, making life a little bit easier, making sure you know where you fit conceptually,” Fant expalined. “Like I said, being able to move around within the offense. That’s where it kind of gets a little bit touchy is like you have to know what you’re doing. You have to know conceptually of what’s going on.

“But once you get that down, the options are endless of what you can do, which is exactly what I want to be in.”

Fant and the rest of the Seahawks are set to kick off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.

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Seahawks wide receiver Dee Eskridge has lots of room to grow in year 2

After multiple injuries in his rookie season, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Dee Eskridge has lots of room to grow in his sophomore year.

The Seattle Seahawks selected speedy wide receiver Dee Eskridge with their highest pick in the 2021 NFL draft to complement the receiving corps. Unfortunately, Eskridge suffered a couple of injuries during his rookie season and wasn’t able to fully perform up to his potential.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was asked about what the team can expect from Eskridge as he enters his sophomore year.

“I think he’s done a great job of really coming out here and stacking those blocks,” Waldron told reporters Thursday. “And I think we saw it in spurts last year, where he had that unfortunate situation where early injury, and then a kind of middle of season or early training camp injury, then early-season injury.”

Eskridge first suffered a toe injury last summer, which prevented him from participating in parts of training camp and the preseason games. Then, in Week 1, he sustained a concussion, causing him to sit out the first half of the year. The rookie did return to finish out the season and give glimpses of what was to come.

“But when he’s been able to get out there and stack those days together and he looks impressive, he looks like he always did in our evaluation of him coming out, where he’s got that fast switch ability in the routes,” Waldron continued. “He’s got a good toughness in the run game. And so, he’s really a guy that’s going into year two with a lot of room to grow just based on some unfortunate circumstances.”

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Seahawks QBs Drew Lock, Geno Smith to split 1st-team reps this summer

As the competition continues, the plan is for Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks Drew Lock and Geno Smith to split first-team reps in camp.

Fans of the Seattle Seahawks are well aware of the quarterback competition taking place this summer between long-time backup Geno Smith and newcomer Drew Lock. With the coaching staff still mum on who will be the starter this season, the plan, for now, is for the two to split first-team reps this summer in training camp to see how things shake out on the field

“Yeah, I think those are just going to be constant conversations and as we move forward here, finishing up the offseason and getting into training camp, and then it’s something we’ll sit down and discuss and exactly how we want to balance out reps, or to give reps to different guys with different people around,” offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said on Thursday. 

Since Smith has been with the Seahawks over the last few seasons backing up Russell Wilson, it’s natural he’s had an edge throughout OTAs . . . but Lock is catching up on Seattle’s playbook quickly.

“And the good thing about this time of year is, we’ve really tried to do a good job, we’ve had the ones and twos, so to speak going, but we’ve had a lot of mixing and matching of different guys getting their chances, not just at the quarterback position, but all throughout our offense,” Waldron continued.

“So everyone can have that chance to be with the first group, and get a chance to go with the second group, and mix and match with different people and different teammates throughout the course of the practice.”

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