Will Seahawks bet on upside of Anthony Richardson as future QB?

Like most NFL general managers, Seattle Seahawks top personnel man John Schneider isn’t exactly an open book on potential prospects in the upcoming draft. 

Coming off his 30th NFL Combine last week, the experienced Schneider is adept at keeping his cards close to his vest when it comes to players the Seahawks are enamored with heading into the end of April.

The Wisconsin native is a disciple of former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf, so Schneider was schooled in drafting early and often at the game’s all-important quarterback position.

But he hasn’t exactly heeded that advice. While with the Seahawks, Schneider has selected just two quarterbacks in the draft over the past 13 years — the franchise’s all-time passing leader in Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft and Alex McGough in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.

The Seahawks have not selected a quarterback in the first round during head coach Pete Carroll and Schneider’s era. The last time Seattle selected a quarterback in the first round? Rick Mirer, taken No. 2 overall in 1993. And that didn’t exactly go well for then-head coach Tom Flores, as Mirer finished with a 20-31 record during his four seasons in Seattle. 

“Everybody’s had that strong, strong desire to acquire a quarterback,” Schneider told reporters at the combine. “And then you try figuring out the strengths that you can accentuate, and what kind of buy-in are you going to have from the player and what kind of buy-in are you going to have from the quarterback room and the offensive staff? 

“But yeah, unfortunately we’ve only drafted two. That’s just the way it’s gone, really. We’ve gotten into some areas in the draft where they’ve just come off in front of us.”

Schneider’s comments are interesting because drafting at No. 5 this year, the Seahawks have the highest selection since he’s been in Seattle. The last time the Seahawks selected this high was a year before Schneider and Carroll arrived, with Seattle taking linebacker Aaron Curry at No. 4 overall in the 2009 draft. Many NFL draft observers claimed he was the safest player in the draft that year, but the Wake Forest product never realized his vast potential and ultimately underwhelmed on the field. Curry was traded three years later by Schneider to the Raiders. 

This year, some NFL observers believe the Seahawks could be interested in talented-but-raw quarterback prospect Anthony Richardson, with some mocks having him going to Seattle at No. 5. 

The 20-year-old Richardson completed 53.8% of his passes and finished with a 6-6 record in his only season as a starter for Florida. But he put on a show at the combine, posting a 40.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches — both records for quarterbacks. 

Richardson’s 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash was fourth fastest ever for a quarterback. His impressive exploits in the drills and his 6-foot-4, 244-pound frame drew comparisons to his idol growing up — Cam Newton.  

Richardson reportedly met with the Seahawks at the combine. However, this is the same franchise that waited until Day 2 to select Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft, the highest Carroll and Schneider have selected a quarterback during their tenure with the team dating back to 2010.

Wilson’s college résumé at North Carolina State and Wisconsin? He threw for 11,720 yards, completing 61% of his passes with 109 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in four seasons as a starter. 

Carroll and Schneider value production.

The Seahawks also are in deep contract talks with last year’s revelation on the field in 32-year-old quarterback Geno Smith, who earned Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors in his first season as a starter for the Seahawks. Would Seattle sign Smith to a lucrative, multiyear extension and take a developmental prospect at No. 5? 

Schneider said it’s possible. 

“Because they don’t grow on trees,” he said when asked about signing Smith to a new deal and taking a QB in the first round. “It’s very hard, probably the hardest position to acquire a talent — a guy everyone feels very confident in.”

But this is also the same franchise that said at the combine last season that it had “no intentions” of trading Wilson, and then moved him to the Denver Broncos a week later. So believe what Schneider and Carroll say at this time of year at your own peril.

Schneider did have some interesting things to say when asked about what traits he looks for in a starting quarterback. 

“Obviously durability, movement in the pocket, keeping their eyes downfield, decision-making — all these things that you know,” Schneider said. “You watch them play live. And then understanding what kind of scheme they’re in, talking to their coaches more and having our coaches spend more time with them. 

“There’s a lot that goes into it. We could sit here and argue all day about what’s more important — arm strength, accuracy, anticipation, touch, poise — all that stuff. But yeah, I don’t want to give you my order.” 

Here’s what Carroll had to say months earlier about his perfect quarterback.

“There has never been a more perfect guy than Carson Palmer,” Carroll said last September. “I mean, he was perfect. He was big, he was strong, he was fast, he was a great athlete, he was a great competitor. He was the No. 1 pick in the draft, Heisman Trophy winner — the whole thing. I always thought that he was as perfect as you could get.”

Notice that Carroll made no mention of eye-popping 40-yard times or vertical jumps.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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