The NFC West was the toughest division in the league last season, hands down. The balance of power has shifted towards the AFC though, in no small part thanks to the trade that sent Russell Wilson from the Seahawks to the Broncos.
In a new list by Adam Schein at NFL.com, the quartet of projected starters in the AFC West – including Wilson – has been ranked the best in the league. That should come as a surprise to exactly nobody. Derek Carr is the worst of this bunch and we have him ranked No. 15 in the NFL going into this coming season.
As for Wilson’s former division, Schein has them ranked third overall after the AFC North group. Here’s what he had to say about each of them.
Matt Stafford: “Stafford is a future Hall of Famer in my opinion, a star with a golden arm — now that he’s also a Super Bowl champion, I wonder if he might breathe a little more in the regular season. I expect another great year from him with the Rams...”
Kyler Murray: “I like Murray more than I love Murray… And as much as I was on board with the Cardinals’ trade to acquire Hollywood Brown, the fact that Murray will have to play without suspended receiver DeAndre Hopkins to start the 2022 campaign is a concern, as is Murray’s unsettled contract situation.”
Trey Lance: “I am tantalized by Lance’s talent and Kyle Shanahan’s ability to maximize him. The Niners gave up the farm to move up and select Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s go time. It’s time to let Lance dance — I think he’ll live up to the hype.”
Geno Smith and Drew Lock: “As for Seattle, well, Smith vs. Lock is hardly Montana vs. Young. Barring another move, this will be arguably the worst and least-inspiring quarterback battle on record.”
Truth hurts.
While there’s some logic in waiting until the 2023 NFL draft to try to find Seattle’s franchise quarterback, there’s no guarantee that any of those prospects will turn out to be a reliable starter. The Seahawks’ quickest and most reliable path towards getting back into playoff contention will likely be trading for or signing a proven veteran QB.
