The Super Bowl had not even been played yet when Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith publicly stated that contract talks with the team were “looking very good.” So it came as a bit of an eye-opener on Tuesday when head coach Pete Carroll told reporters the Seahawks would not rule out taking a quarterback with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft.
First, let’s get to Carroll’s comments.
His point is fair. The Seahawks haven’t had a top-five pick in 14 years after taking linebacker Aaron Curry fourth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft.
It’s an enticing position to be in, no question, with plenty of talent to choose from.
It’s also well worth noting that rumors have run rampant ever since Smith mentioned how well the contract talks were going. From landing with the quarterback-depleted Tampa Bay Buccaneers all the way to a possible reunion with the New York Jets, we have just about heard it all.
But it is the NFL offseason rumor mill, and every quote heard by reporters from a head coach or a general manager must be taken with a grain of salt, particularly from teams positioned at the top of the draft, where the Seahawks sit.
The most telling nugget from all of this was mentioned by New England Patriots beat reporter Andrew Callahan.
Last year, Pete Carroll was committed to quarterback Russell Wilson until he wasn’t, just four days later. Now they sit in the comfortable spot of having the fifth overall pick thanks to that very move of dealing Wilson to the Denver Broncos.
So is this a “let’s speed up the negotiations” tactic with Smith? Or is he concerned that a 32-year-old Smith might not have as much left in the tank as would like? Who knows? But what we do know is now we have far more questions than we have answers.
That’s exactly the way coach Carroll would prefer it. However, for him to appear so open about the prospect of drafting a quarterback seems so far from Carroll’s typical close-to-the-vest, chess-playing style, one might venture to guess he’s just offering up more fodder for other teams to ponder going into the NFL Draft in late April.
In short, we’ll believe it when we see it.
Related: Seattle Seahawks mock draft 2023: Building around Geno Smith