Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
Few NFL teams are headed for as intriguing of an offseason as the Seattle Seahawks, and the team has plenty of options at quarterback for 2023. With Geno Smith set to hit free agency in March, the Seahawks will likely have contingency plans in case they cannot come to terms with their QB1. The decision on Smith’s future is not as easy as it once was given the team’s 1-5 record over the last six games.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes the Seahawks’ best path is to make multiple quarterback moves this offseason, including exploring a possible trade with the Raiders for three-time Pro Bowler Derek Carr.
The analyst also added that Seattle would be wise to draft a quarterback, even if the team opts to re-sign Smith. The Seahawks are projected to have a top-three selection in the 2023 draft thanks to the Broncos as part of the Russell Wilson trade.
“Maybe one move is re-signing Geno Smith on a modest two-year extension. Maybe another is entertaining a trade for someone like Derek Carr,” Benjamin wrote on December 30, 2022. “Barring a deal for a former MVP like Aaron Rodgers, however, there’s no glaring reason they shouldn’t have QB atop their wish list going into the draft, especially with such prime capital from the Russell Wilson deal. Not coincidentally, the year they landed Wilson, they also threw multiple darts at the position.”
Carr’s $121 Million Contract May Not Be Appealing for Seattle
Carr has become the scapegoat for the Raiders’ woefully underperforming this season, but there are several reasons Seahawks fans should be skeptical about a possible blockbuster trade. The veteran’s three-year, $121 million contract extension begins in 2023 which would put Seattle on the hook for Carr’s deal through 2025 when the former Pro Bowler will have a $41.2 million salary.
Carr is slated to have a $32.9 million salary for 2023 which is around what the franchise tag is projected to be, a possible short-term option for the Seahawks to utilize with Smith. Seattle just got out of the big-money quarterback business by trading Wilson last offseason. The Seahawks are unlikely to want to pay another quarterback this much money, especially if it is unclear how much more of an upgrade Carr would be over Smith.
What Would the Seahawks Need to Trade to Land Carr?
The Carr trade rumors are heating up after the Raiders opted to sit the quarterback for the final two games of this season to avoid guarantees being cemented for future seasons if the signal-caller sustained an injury. Like Wilson, Carr has a no-trade clause which will give the veteran ultimate control over his future thanks to this veto power.
Even if Seattle is not the most likely destination, there is a reasonable argument to be made for buying low on the quarterback. Carr is just one season removed from throwing for a career-high 4,804 yards adding 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing a scorching 68.4% of his passes. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed estimates that Carr’s trade value could be in the range of two second-round picks, not an unreasonable price to pay for a former Pro Bowl quarterback.
The “always compete” Seahawks should not be completely ruled out of the Carr sweepstakes, especially given head coach Pete Carroll’s affinity for landing players with a sizable chip on their shoulder. Carroll has been complementary of Carr throughout his career, but the financial component makes the decision more challenging for Seattle.
“He hit everything, he tore us up, came in boldly and they didn’t just kind of dink it around,” Carroll said of Carr during a 2014 press conference. “They showed that they have some belief that he could be a down-the-field guy, and they certainly have gone that way. The receivers have been on fire, and we saw him move. We saw him throw the deep ball.
“We saw him throw some timing, quick stuff underneath and just show a lot of poise. So, he’s demonstrated that now. He’s got good numbers right now.”