The Seattle Seahawks pulled off one blockbuster trade involving quarterbacks this offseason, trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. It put an end to speculation that has been floating around for a few years now that Wilson and the Seahawks would part ways as some of their philosophies on how to win clashed. With Wilson now in Denver, the Seahawks have to figure out what they want to do at the quarterback position, and Baker Mayfield has been a popular name mentioned as a potential fit.
They received Drew Lock in the return package, and are reportedly high on him. He hasn’t played great with the Broncos in his career, but it sounds like Seattle isn’t opposed to giving him a chance at the starting job.
The Seahawks have been one of the teams rumored to be looking at quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft as well. They have the No. 9 pick in the draft, courtesy of the Broncos, and could be in prime position to select one of the signal-callers in this year’s class.
Another avenue they could take is making another trade for an established player. Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns is still looking for a new team after the franchise replaced him with Deshaun Watson.
Seattle has seemingly been the betting favorite to acquire Mayfield since, along with the Carolina Panthers. While there are varying opinions on what Mayfield would bring to the Seahawks, one NFL scout that talked to NFL Analysis Network is very high on the potential pairing.
“I’m just going to put this out there. If Seattle goes out and acquires Baker Mayfield, they’ll be a legitimate contender in the NFC. Mayfield has his issues, but the arm talent and ability to produce big numbers is there and the Seahawks could get the most out of him.”
That is certainly a bold statement, but maybe not as outlandish as people think. The Seahawks are only one season removed from winning 12 games and being crowned NFC West champions. This roster is a lot closer to contending than most people think.
While Mayfield has his shortcomings, he has shown that he can lead and team and produce while doing it. The run that he led the Browns on in 2020 and into the postseason was impressive. It heightened expectations for 2021, but Mayfield battled a shoulder injury that hampered his production.
Any quarterback would be ecstatic to join a team that has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to throw the ball to. A strong running game is present as well with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny leading the backfield.
While Baker Mayfield would take any trade out of Cleveland at this point, he should be hoping to land with the Seahawks. There is a chance to take over as their long-term starter under center and the pieces are in place for him to succeed right off the bat.