The Raiders released Derek Carr earlier this week, beginning the annual game of musical chairs for NFL quarterbacks. As for the Seahawks, they have found themselves a top-10 starter in Russell Wilson’s former backup Geno Smith. However, he’s also about to become a free agent. Let’s reset and take a look at the QB landscape.
Here are the seven-best free-agent QB options for Seattle in this free agent class.
1
Lamar Jackson
The best quarterback in this cycle is Lamar Jackson by a couple of miles. He won the MVP award his second season in the league and hasn’t even reached his full potential yet. Jackson will get paid at least $50 million per year no matter where he lands – and so far the Ravens don’t seem inclined to pony up. While he’s unlikely to actually hit the market, recent reports indicate that Jackson could be had for a boatload of draft picks. The Seahawks have a whole fleet of them this year, and it’s definitely worth a phone call.
2
Geno Smith
Lamar’s age and upside make him the best free agent QB this year, but the Seahawks probably have a better chance of winning a ring in the next couple of seasons if they stick with Geno Smith and build up around him. For one thing, he’ll be far less expensive to keep than to sign Jackson – plus they’ll also be able to keep their bevy of draft picks to fill out the rest of the roster. Smith’s fair market value is roughly around $40 million per season. Anything less than that should be considered a bargain.
3
Derek Carr
Derek Carr is very much the type of quarterback that Pete Carroll likes, and if they can’t come to an agreement with Geno Smith he’s the best possible replacement if they want a QB with a similar skillset. Carr has the same experience, accuracy and decision-making, with a good but not great arm. However, paying him any more than $30 million per year wouldn’t be a wise investment given his age.
4
Jimmy Garoppolo
There were unconfirmed rumors that Seattle made a push to get Garoppolo last offseason – perhaps even offering two second-rounders. If that’s true the 49ers were foolish to refuse, even if it meant giving an asset to a division rival. Garoppolo’s limits are well-known to the Seahawks fanbase, but he would be an excellent fit for Shane Waldron’s offense. The price-tag for Garoppolo’s services is likely to be out of a reasonable range, though.
5
Jacoby Brissett
Outside of Geno Smith’s sudden ascension, the biggest surprise at quarterback last season was easily Jacoby Brissett’s performance with the Browns during Deshaun Watson’s 12-game suspension. Brissett did excellent work in a bad situation, eventually earning the sixth-highest Pro Football Focus grade at his position – three spots ahead of Smith. His name won’t excite anybody but he could be the biggest bargain on the market this year.
6
Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield appeared to be completely broken in Carolina. However, he looked much better late in the season once he landed with Sean McVay and the Rams. The Seahawks run a similar scheme and it’s not difficult to see Mayfield thriving with the kind of weapons that Seattle has on offense. Still, his injury history and inconsistency make signing him very far from a slam dunk for any team.
7
Teddy Bridgewater
If Drew Lock winds up following former quarterbacks coach Dave Canales to Tampa, the Seahawks will need to find a new backup quarterback behind Geno Smith or whoever winds up starting. Teddy Bridgewater has established himself as the best backup in the business over the last few years and would likely come cheap. You wouldn’t want him starting for an extended period of time, but he could fill in quite well for a few games.
