My example will be dating me but it came to mind, Jim Plunket a winner of two Super Bowls.
On a personal note I got away from a very negative coaching staff in rugby and thrived. I actually won team MVP for the season, after going on a 7 game tour of England, Scotland and Ireland. I too have had a boss like you, that made me change my job I had been happy with for eight years.
I have not seen Drew play enough football to say he will be great, but he could be good. Chris Simm's says if he were in this draft he would be the number one quarterback. The two things the Hawks like about him is the deep ball and his running.
If Drew Lock can become a good quarterback using Matt Hasselbeck as the guideline I would be over the moon. Matt had one thing Seattle doesn't have and this is no slight, he had Mike Holmegren to teach him the position. Drew Lock needs to not lose games that's it. Victoria
Really enjoyed you starting off with this story and cool clip, then weaving it into the Drew Lock career trajectory. One of my favorites in a long time. Home run, Kenneth!
With all the QB conversations how come no one is defending Geno Smith? In the 4 games he played in last year he was solid and while he didn't win the games for us at the last minute, he also didn't lose those games for us. I haven't reviewed all of the available stats for QBs from last year, but the ones I did take a look at show Geno as middle of the pack or better.
Is it so bad to have an average QB? Especially with a new bell cow running back.
We don't defend Geno because we feel sure we know what he is. We've seen his peak, and that was last year vs. 27-32nd ranked defenses. Lock at least *might* have something to show us. Neither going to -barring a huge surprise -and both are backup level players in all likelihood; but Lock at least has some unknowns which *could* turn out to be upside.
The film I have seen of Drew Lock I have seen a guy willing to look down the barrel of the gun and still deliver the pass. He looked confident. Comfortable. I never thought Geno looked comfortable even when he was 20 for 24. He looks jittery. But I agree, he did well as a game manager willing to take what the defense gives you. Lock has the superior arm, and we will let the best man win. Compete. Maybe Lefty Levi Lewis wins the job and Abe Lucas holds out for LT pay.
The game against the Steelers was a game Geno made a mistake at a crucial time. He did the right thing by moving up in the pocket, and made space for himself to run for the first down. Unfortunately this was overtime and he didn't cover the ball well enough. It got swatted out of his hand not hands on our 20 yard line in overtime. Mistakes happen its just a shame it happened when it did.
If you go by QBR I think Geno scored a 105 which would have put him above average. It shows that analytics doesn't always tell the full story.
On Geno's side he didn't get to play with Chris Carson nor Rashaad Penny when he was burning it up. Geno does throw a nice ball but I think he lacks the intangibles, which makes the difference between all right to good. If he does play this year I hope he proves me wrong. Victoria Chris Ps in the Steelers game Alex Collins had a very good second half running the ball. When that happened Geno did get better.
Geno was fine. And he looked really solid against Jacksonville, but they were a mess that game (and most of the season, judging by their record). The difference between Geno vs the Jags and Russ vs the Lions was pretty stark though Penny went off in that game if memory serves.
Unless some rookies show out and other young players make a big jump, I don't have much faith that we're more than a 7 win team with Geno. And maybe no better with Lock, but I can at least hope for more with him. Probably not realistically though. Not a whole lot of stories of 4th year players suddenly flipping the switch and becoming much better. If we're wanting to contend this year, Baker, Huntley or Gardner (or somebody I'm not even thinking of) probably needs to be picked up later. Seeing as the Seahawks were almost certainly in play for Watson, I expect them to settle for one of those consolation prizes before the season starts.
Oh ye of little faith. I don't mind being reminded of the boot hill of QB's which is full of QB's who failed and then continued failing. I get the math, but since comeback QB's have been so rare, but we logically believe that though difficult, there are certainly enough reasons one might expect we can point to a few cases of exceptions to the rule.
Well, if we go back far enough I believe we can find examples. Jim Plunkett was an outcast for quite a while before he won (?) a SB. I had a couple other obscure examples but they must have wandered too close to a brain fart. They exist. Still my point is that we are DUE for a comeback kid. Returning to the mean or some expression like that. Lock has all the earmarks for a comeback QB. You outlined the case that with a little embellishment reads like a cruel and sociopathic coach went out of his way to ruin a young QB's career because he rolled his eyes in a position group meeting.
I stole it from another discussion and then saw you had already used Plunket so I stole it twice, but you are right, I am old.... dang, I keep trying positive thinking and say, "I am 19 years old."
It seems that his head coach didn't appreciate him. That can make it very difficult to play well and confidently. Jamis Winston cut down on his ints before getting injured. He threw 30 picks in his last year with the Bucs. Sean Payton got him out of the no risk it no biscuit business, and Jamis went 5 and 2 with a good TD to INT comparison. From everything I have read we are all hoping Drew Lock can make the same turnaround. We know Pete will be very positive around him as long as he keeps the turnovers down. Victoria Chris
Jim Plunkett, however I don't think this will happen for Lock. All this positive hype for Lock is nothing more than the Hawks playing CYA for trading away a future HOF QB. I don't care about arm strength, I care about completion %, Tds to interception ratio, fumbles, clutch performance when the game is on the line, and most importantly, won lost record.
I wonder if they will trade for Mayfield or Minshew when they go 1 and 3 or 1 and 4 to start and Lock turns out to be Lock? The Head Coach didn't like him is pure BS.
As a lifelong Hawks fan ( we had season tickets during the expansion years ) I hope I'm wrong.
Seattle will never trade for Mayfield but if and when they cut him maybe they will pick him up. He has a garuntee of $18.5 million if a team signs him after he is cut they only have to pay him NFL veteran minimum around $1.1 million and the Browns pay the other $17.5 million.
One flashing red light with Baker, he played most of last year with a badly injured left shoulder . You would think his teammates would be jacked about his toughness etc., instead it has been crickets and nobody has stood up for him. The Browns have done him dirty by the way they limited his ability to go to another team, but still crickets from teammates. Is he that arrogant or unlikable ????? Victoria Chris
You are right. No team will pick up the $ 18 mill left on his contract , but that puts the Browns between a rock and a hard place. After the way they disrespected him, he won't play for them and they can't trade him without eating most of his contract.Like you,
I can't believe the guts he showed playing through a damaged shoulder! Of course Mayfield's numbers were down. What do the Browns do if Jackson gets a severe suspension from the NFL? I also think that Minshew is a much better QB than Lock and could be had for a late or mid round draft pick.
If Lock bombs the Hawks can try to go with Gino, but there's a reason he's a career long back up. Or they tank the year or they can salvage it with Mayfield or Minshew.
Seattle may never get a better clutch QB than Russ. We were lucky as fans. When he wone his Super Bowl he had not established himself as the comeback kid
That's true, Chris, but they had a philosophy of team vs. QB focus.
The year after the SB win, Russ came back in the NFCCG, but he also had 4 picks (not all his fault). The defense kept them in that game. So we all have great memories of the Hawks top QB to date, but it'll be fun and interesting seeing where it goes from here.
Nice to know your former interest in IS. Long before anyone used the terms IT or IS, I was a computer programmer. That's the term of art in the days of the mainframe. When I got laid off, decided to take the LSAT and go to law school. I've been a lawyer for 26 years now. Ironically, along the way, I was bitten by the acting bug. Originally, I took acting to develop a courtroom presence. But then I saw what it was and it spoke deeply to me. For several years, I was really into it. It was like my soul found a new way to express itself and really wanted to be heard. Then I did a whole bunch of therapy and that burning need subsided. At some point, I was like "Why am I doing all this hard work for nothing?" LOL. When we think of great actors, and great artists in general, we're often thinking of people with severe emotional challenges. Brando was tormented by inner demons. Brando without demons would not have been Brando.
As for Lock, I agree with your assessment but am a little more open to the possibility of something special happening. It's true that past performance is the most accurate predictor of future performance most of the time. But not always. There are miracles.
In a way, even that's not fair because it implies it would require a miracle. It might just take some decent mentoring. No one has ever questioned Lock's arm. The issue has rightly been described as decision making. That could be said of a lot of QBs who never made the grade in the NFL. But humans are capable of growth and I'm moderately hopeful that Lock will thrive under this staff.
That said, I'm not expecting the second coming of Wilson. To function at that level would be something of a miracle because so few QBs ever do. I could see Lock as perfectly serviceable. It's hard to see him being the guy who leads impossible last minute drives down the field with consistency, though I'd of course be delighted if it were to happen. In the last ten years, I can think of only a handful of QBs who preformed with consistency at a level similar or above that of Russell Wilson. Not that he was perfect but he was very special. I could count the number of really special QBs during that time on the fingers of my two hands.
That's awesome to read! I connect with a lot of that.
Ultimately I should probably just say that with Drew Lock, Geno Smith, or anyone who starts, you might as well have some hope. If it's not going to work, we should know early on, and ready to accept whatever may come.
I hope Lock starts because I can't really generate any excitement for myself around Gino. He is what he is and it's not much. I guess I could get excited about losing games and hoping for a high draft pick. I see no reason to cheer Gino on for a 7-10 season.
I tried acting because I thought it would be an easy way to get a grade 12 credit. The play was a Midnight Summers Dream and I earned an A plus. Nothing before or since was as emotionally taxing as that. I did News and Sports in Radio for seven years. I wouldn't say it was easy but public speaking has never been scary. I think it is to emote, which I found draining. We seem to agree on what Drew Lock can be. I enjoyed your article.
I don’t need a super star QB to be satisfied. He needs to make good choices under pressure, make the right adjustments, and take care of the ball. Keep the chain’s moving.
For Lock, is coaching the key or do we a need combination of coaching and a sytem suited to his strengths. Honestly, it seems like we should give him a spin and see what opens up. BTW, I thought you were pretty good though I do think you should have thrown a little Jim Carey overacting into the scene. What was it like working with the legendary Larry David?
It’s not entirely clear that Lock got a first chance!
If he has the same ceiling as Hasselbeck, Lock is definitely worth checking out. I have a theory that for a team to consistently contend, its QB must meet or exceed the Hasselbeck Threshold—i.e., a franchise can build a winning team around a QB who is at least as good as Matt Hasselbeck, but otherwise is a blind man wandering the desert, futilely waving a tin cup in pathetic hope for rain that will never come.*
That’s not a line of mediocrity. Matt H was a well above average QB who never quite achieved franchise-level status. The margin for error is less—a team has to be strong at the skill positions and build a good OL and DL…hmm…this sounds familiar…
*Which isn’t to say that lightning can’t strike once—the 2018 Eagles are Exhibit A of a good-enough team with an okay QB that got lucky and hot at the right time. But that’s not a plan for lasting success.
Thanks Ken. Glad you chose writing--or that it chose you!
There's a narrative on how you can win--and that's with a superstar QB. I'm interested in Lock because I think he can fit what PC sees in his QB. While I think Carroll is fine with Lock rapping on the sidelines, being his own guy, or even having a birthday (Fangio, that was lame, petty), He wants the on-field Lock to do key things. KNOW the position, run it well, don't turn the ball over, and fit the scheme.
Can Lock do that? A concern I've seen out of his scouting reports is that he sees the openings, but doesn't trust some throws and his hesitation turns into TOs. That can't and won't happen in Carroll system. He'd be replaced immediately.
However, Carroll doesn't need his QB trying to squeeze balls into spaces that are too tight. I think Russ had problems with that. He didn't like being told where to throw or not throw, he wanted to be the man on the field in control of the whole gig.
So can Lock take that spot as humble distributor of the rock, whether handing off to a hot RB whose in rhythm, or hitting DK on the quick-hitter for YACs? It's a non answered question at this point.
If he wants to be successful in Seattle, he will learn and do that. If not, I don't even think Carroll is adverse to letting Levi Lewis or Kaleb Eleby have a shot at it. Smith is also there and has shown he will do what the team wants--Carroll loves that.
But there may be a part of receiving Lock back in the Wilson trade that if they could be successful in 'winning that deal' in the always-compete world, I can't help but think they'd be excited about that too.
The fun part is the QB spot really is open competition to see who wins the position, and not a bunch of hand wringing by us over whether we're going to have to pay Wilson 55mil a year to try and make the playoffs.
Carroll wants a team where the QB is not the primary position, but one of many keys spots where they compete and win. At least that's what I read.
Kudos on the acting and career moves. I also enjoy your writing and perspective; as well as your followers.
I have been wondering what about Drew Lock? Who is Drew Lock? Why was he drafted? Did Seattle add him their list of demands in the trade? I looked at some film and them I looked at his draft scouting report.
Strengths
"—Three-year starter with big arm strength and a downfield gunslinger mentality.
—The best deep-ball thrower in the 2019 draft class, with excellent power to launch the ball vertically and the touch to lead the receiver to daylight." (Metcalf, Lockett)
I found some interesting observations on his "weaknesses" that has a unique tie in with your article as well
" —Production dropped from 44 touchdowns in 2017 to 28 in 2018 after offensive coordinator Josh Heupel left for UCF. Concerns that his breakout 2017 season were more scheme than talent."
"—Needs dedicated time to improving footwork, but must first buy in on the idea that his footwork needs to be changed." (Enter humble pie diet in Denver and door prize pawn in Wilson trade) His inconsistency on the shorter passing game and accuracy seem to be tied to mechanics especially footwork.
Overall quotes
"Drew Lock has excellent arm talent and an attacking, gunslinger mentality, but his poor mechanics will frustrate his coaches unless he's reined in" and
"he's one of the most NFL-prepared quarterbacks in the class. But with the remarkable also comes the subpar decision-making when pressured and poor accuracy when his footwork falls apart.
Lock has legitimate starting talent, but he needs a coach who can clean up his playing style and build an offense around his deep ball and movement skills." Hmmm
So what should Denver should have expected when they drafted him? Scouting take and comparison:
GRADE: 6.95 (ROUND 2 - FUTURE STARTER) Denver drafted him as their starter year one.
PRO COMPARISON: Matthew Stafford
Geno Smith Grades out higher in scouting reports but inconsistent accuracy is a knock on both and neither was supposed to start out of the gate, they were future starters. The Jets and Denver have had quite a train wreck when it comes to QB drafting and development. Wilson is Denver's 12th QB in 6 years.
Seattle will probably draft a QB next year but I will be interested to see if there is any chemistry with a young offensive line, some quality WR's, the potential of a good rush offense, Ken Norton not running the defense, a pass rush, corner continuity (Flowers not starting) and an interesting young coaching lineup. Both QB's know that opportunities are rare and Carroll's faith in underdogs might be good medicine for Seattle.
This year may not have the playoffs in the mix, but there might be some fun in football again in Seattle and a future in 23.
Good observations. Did you watch the Denver/KC game in week 18? Lock was very impressive running exactly the offense the Hawks want to run. He played a very good game (as did Harris and Fant), and a RB fumble late in the game (and a missed tackle by Lock on the LB returning it) the Broncos would have closed the season with a nice W.
He hit 3rd down throws, handed the ball off all game (which is what he'll be called to do in Seattle), and made some very nice throws--even under pressure.
If he plays that level in Seattle, I'm interested. There's more than potential there.
Great read as usual, Ken. Thanks a bunch.
My example will be dating me but it came to mind, Jim Plunket a winner of two Super Bowls.
On a personal note I got away from a very negative coaching staff in rugby and thrived. I actually won team MVP for the season, after going on a 7 game tour of England, Scotland and Ireland. I too have had a boss like you, that made me change my job I had been happy with for eight years.
I have not seen Drew play enough football to say he will be great, but he could be good. Chris Simm's says if he were in this draft he would be the number one quarterback. The two things the Hawks like about him is the deep ball and his running.
If Drew Lock can become a good quarterback using Matt Hasselbeck as the guideline I would be over the moon. Matt had one thing Seattle doesn't have and this is no slight, he had Mike Holmegren to teach him the position. Drew Lock needs to not lose games that's it. Victoria
Chris
Really enjoyed you starting off with this story and cool clip, then weaving it into the Drew Lock career trajectory. One of my favorites in a long time. Home run, Kenneth!
With all the QB conversations how come no one is defending Geno Smith? In the 4 games he played in last year he was solid and while he didn't win the games for us at the last minute, he also didn't lose those games for us. I haven't reviewed all of the available stats for QBs from last year, but the ones I did take a look at show Geno as middle of the pack or better.
Is it so bad to have an average QB? Especially with a new bell cow running back.
We don't defend Geno because we feel sure we know what he is. We've seen his peak, and that was last year vs. 27-32nd ranked defenses. Lock at least *might* have something to show us. Neither going to -barring a huge surprise -and both are backup level players in all likelihood; but Lock at least has some unknowns which *could* turn out to be upside.
The film I have seen of Drew Lock I have seen a guy willing to look down the barrel of the gun and still deliver the pass. He looked confident. Comfortable. I never thought Geno looked comfortable even when he was 20 for 24. He looks jittery. But I agree, he did well as a game manager willing to take what the defense gives you. Lock has the superior arm, and we will let the best man win. Compete. Maybe Lefty Levi Lewis wins the job and Abe Lucas holds out for LT pay.
I think your right on. Well balanced team should not need a Star. Get tired of watching a Star trying to carry a team.
I'd argue that history would show that a well-balanced team needs 2-3 stars on both sides of the ball to be a championship team.
The game against the Steelers was a game Geno made a mistake at a crucial time. He did the right thing by moving up in the pocket, and made space for himself to run for the first down. Unfortunately this was overtime and he didn't cover the ball well enough. It got swatted out of his hand not hands on our 20 yard line in overtime. Mistakes happen its just a shame it happened when it did.
If you go by QBR I think Geno scored a 105 which would have put him above average. It shows that analytics doesn't always tell the full story.
On Geno's side he didn't get to play with Chris Carson nor Rashaad Penny when he was burning it up. Geno does throw a nice ball but I think he lacks the intangibles, which makes the difference between all right to good. If he does play this year I hope he proves me wrong. Victoria Chris Ps in the Steelers game Alex Collins had a very good second half running the ball. When that happened Geno did get better.
Geno was fine. And he looked really solid against Jacksonville, but they were a mess that game (and most of the season, judging by their record). The difference between Geno vs the Jags and Russ vs the Lions was pretty stark though Penny went off in that game if memory serves.
Unless some rookies show out and other young players make a big jump, I don't have much faith that we're more than a 7 win team with Geno. And maybe no better with Lock, but I can at least hope for more with him. Probably not realistically though. Not a whole lot of stories of 4th year players suddenly flipping the switch and becoming much better. If we're wanting to contend this year, Baker, Huntley or Gardner (or somebody I'm not even thinking of) probably needs to be picked up later. Seeing as the Seahawks were almost certainly in play for Watson, I expect them to settle for one of those consolation prizes before the season starts.
Oh ye of little faith. I don't mind being reminded of the boot hill of QB's which is full of QB's who failed and then continued failing. I get the math, but since comeback QB's have been so rare, but we logically believe that though difficult, there are certainly enough reasons one might expect we can point to a few cases of exceptions to the rule.
Well, if we go back far enough I believe we can find examples. Jim Plunkett was an outcast for quite a while before he won (?) a SB. I had a couple other obscure examples but they must have wandered too close to a brain fart. They exist. Still my point is that we are DUE for a comeback kid. Returning to the mean or some expression like that. Lock has all the earmarks for a comeback QB. You outlined the case that with a little embellishment reads like a cruel and sociopathic coach went out of his way to ruin a young QB's career because he rolled his eyes in a position group meeting.
We must be of the same age because I pointed to Jim Plunkett as well LOL
Plunkett sure was fun to watch. Whenever push came to shove, he’d rear back, hurl the ball 50-60yds, and bet that Cliff Branch would catch up to it.
I stole it from another discussion and then saw you had already used Plunket so I stole it twice, but you are right, I am old.... dang, I keep trying positive thinking and say, "I am 19 years old."
I feel the same way !
It seems that his head coach didn't appreciate him. That can make it very difficult to play well and confidently. Jamis Winston cut down on his ints before getting injured. He threw 30 picks in his last year with the Bucs. Sean Payton got him out of the no risk it no biscuit business, and Jamis went 5 and 2 with a good TD to INT comparison. From everything I have read we are all hoping Drew Lock can make the same turnaround. We know Pete will be very positive around him as long as he keeps the turnovers down. Victoria Chris
Jim Plunkett, however I don't think this will happen for Lock. All this positive hype for Lock is nothing more than the Hawks playing CYA for trading away a future HOF QB. I don't care about arm strength, I care about completion %, Tds to interception ratio, fumbles, clutch performance when the game is on the line, and most importantly, won lost record.
I wonder if they will trade for Mayfield or Minshew when they go 1 and 3 or 1 and 4 to start and Lock turns out to be Lock? The Head Coach didn't like him is pure BS.
As a lifelong Hawks fan ( we had season tickets during the expansion years ) I hope I'm wrong.
Seattle will never trade for Mayfield but if and when they cut him maybe they will pick him up. He has a garuntee of $18.5 million if a team signs him after he is cut they only have to pay him NFL veteran minimum around $1.1 million and the Browns pay the other $17.5 million.
One flashing red light with Baker, he played most of last year with a badly injured left shoulder . You would think his teammates would be jacked about his toughness etc., instead it has been crickets and nobody has stood up for him. The Browns have done him dirty by the way they limited his ability to go to another team, but still crickets from teammates. Is he that arrogant or unlikable ????? Victoria Chris
You are right. No team will pick up the $ 18 mill left on his contract , but that puts the Browns between a rock and a hard place. After the way they disrespected him, he won't play for them and they can't trade him without eating most of his contract.Like you,
I can't believe the guts he showed playing through a damaged shoulder! Of course Mayfield's numbers were down. What do the Browns do if Jackson gets a severe suspension from the NFL? I also think that Minshew is a much better QB than Lock and could be had for a late or mid round draft pick.
If Lock bombs the Hawks can try to go with Gino, but there's a reason he's a career long back up. Or they tank the year or they can salvage it with Mayfield or Minshew.
Seattle may never get a better clutch QB than Russ. We were lucky as fans. When he wone his Super Bowl he had not established himself as the comeback kid
That's true, Chris, but they had a philosophy of team vs. QB focus.
The year after the SB win, Russ came back in the NFCCG, but he also had 4 picks (not all his fault). The defense kept them in that game. So we all have great memories of the Hawks top QB to date, but it'll be fun and interesting seeing where it goes from here.
And how Russ plays in Denver.
Makes for good entertainment
10 to 80. Zorn to Largent = 7. Nice post
Nice to know your former interest in IS. Long before anyone used the terms IT or IS, I was a computer programmer. That's the term of art in the days of the mainframe. When I got laid off, decided to take the LSAT and go to law school. I've been a lawyer for 26 years now. Ironically, along the way, I was bitten by the acting bug. Originally, I took acting to develop a courtroom presence. But then I saw what it was and it spoke deeply to me. For several years, I was really into it. It was like my soul found a new way to express itself and really wanted to be heard. Then I did a whole bunch of therapy and that burning need subsided. At some point, I was like "Why am I doing all this hard work for nothing?" LOL. When we think of great actors, and great artists in general, we're often thinking of people with severe emotional challenges. Brando was tormented by inner demons. Brando without demons would not have been Brando.
As for Lock, I agree with your assessment but am a little more open to the possibility of something special happening. It's true that past performance is the most accurate predictor of future performance most of the time. But not always. There are miracles.
In a way, even that's not fair because it implies it would require a miracle. It might just take some decent mentoring. No one has ever questioned Lock's arm. The issue has rightly been described as decision making. That could be said of a lot of QBs who never made the grade in the NFL. But humans are capable of growth and I'm moderately hopeful that Lock will thrive under this staff.
That said, I'm not expecting the second coming of Wilson. To function at that level would be something of a miracle because so few QBs ever do. I could see Lock as perfectly serviceable. It's hard to see him being the guy who leads impossible last minute drives down the field with consistency, though I'd of course be delighted if it were to happen. In the last ten years, I can think of only a handful of QBs who preformed with consistency at a level similar or above that of Russell Wilson. Not that he was perfect but he was very special. I could count the number of really special QBs during that time on the fingers of my two hands.
That's awesome to read! I connect with a lot of that.
Ultimately I should probably just say that with Drew Lock, Geno Smith, or anyone who starts, you might as well have some hope. If it's not going to work, we should know early on, and ready to accept whatever may come.
I hope Lock starts because I can't really generate any excitement for myself around Gino. He is what he is and it's not much. I guess I could get excited about losing games and hoping for a high draft pick. I see no reason to cheer Gino on for a 7-10 season.
I tried acting because I thought it would be an easy way to get a grade 12 credit. The play was a Midnight Summers Dream and I earned an A plus. Nothing before or since was as emotionally taxing as that. I did News and Sports in Radio for seven years. I wouldn't say it was easy but public speaking has never been scary. I think it is to emote, which I found draining. We seem to agree on what Drew Lock can be. I enjoyed your article.
Kurt Warner count?
Steve Young should count.
I don’t need a super star QB to be satisfied. He needs to make good choices under pressure, make the right adjustments, and take care of the ball. Keep the chain’s moving.
Thank you for another thoughtful read, Kenneth. Really appreciated.
For Lock, is coaching the key or do we a need combination of coaching and a sytem suited to his strengths. Honestly, it seems like we should give him a spin and see what opens up. BTW, I thought you were pretty good though I do think you should have thrown a little Jim Carey overacting into the scene. What was it like working with the legendary Larry David?
people commonly perform at the level their parent, boss or coach "expects" them to.
Hope it's okay to include a link, but this is a fun interview with Levi Lewis. Impressive young man.
https://espnlafayette.com/levi-lewis-on-signing-with-seattle-career-at-ul-answering-questions-from-scouts-about-his-height-what-drives-him-more-audio/
Can't not root for the guy. Even if he's our scout team QB getting the team ready for 'Kyler'
It’s not entirely clear that Lock got a first chance!
If he has the same ceiling as Hasselbeck, Lock is definitely worth checking out. I have a theory that for a team to consistently contend, its QB must meet or exceed the Hasselbeck Threshold—i.e., a franchise can build a winning team around a QB who is at least as good as Matt Hasselbeck, but otherwise is a blind man wandering the desert, futilely waving a tin cup in pathetic hope for rain that will never come.*
That’s not a line of mediocrity. Matt H was a well above average QB who never quite achieved franchise-level status. The margin for error is less—a team has to be strong at the skill positions and build a good OL and DL…hmm…this sounds familiar…
*Which isn’t to say that lightning can’t strike once—the 2018 Eagles are Exhibit A of a good-enough team with an okay QB that got lucky and hot at the right time. But that’s not a plan for lasting success.
Thanks Ken. Glad you chose writing--or that it chose you!
There's a narrative on how you can win--and that's with a superstar QB. I'm interested in Lock because I think he can fit what PC sees in his QB. While I think Carroll is fine with Lock rapping on the sidelines, being his own guy, or even having a birthday (Fangio, that was lame, petty), He wants the on-field Lock to do key things. KNOW the position, run it well, don't turn the ball over, and fit the scheme.
Can Lock do that? A concern I've seen out of his scouting reports is that he sees the openings, but doesn't trust some throws and his hesitation turns into TOs. That can't and won't happen in Carroll system. He'd be replaced immediately.
However, Carroll doesn't need his QB trying to squeeze balls into spaces that are too tight. I think Russ had problems with that. He didn't like being told where to throw or not throw, he wanted to be the man on the field in control of the whole gig.
So can Lock take that spot as humble distributor of the rock, whether handing off to a hot RB whose in rhythm, or hitting DK on the quick-hitter for YACs? It's a non answered question at this point.
If he wants to be successful in Seattle, he will learn and do that. If not, I don't even think Carroll is adverse to letting Levi Lewis or Kaleb Eleby have a shot at it. Smith is also there and has shown he will do what the team wants--Carroll loves that.
But there may be a part of receiving Lock back in the Wilson trade that if they could be successful in 'winning that deal' in the always-compete world, I can't help but think they'd be excited about that too.
The fun part is the QB spot really is open competition to see who wins the position, and not a bunch of hand wringing by us over whether we're going to have to pay Wilson 55mil a year to try and make the playoffs.
Carroll wants a team where the QB is not the primary position, but one of many keys spots where they compete and win. At least that's what I read.
Kudos on the acting and career moves. I also enjoy your writing and perspective; as well as your followers.
I have been wondering what about Drew Lock? Who is Drew Lock? Why was he drafted? Did Seattle add him their list of demands in the trade? I looked at some film and them I looked at his draft scouting report.
Strengths
"—Three-year starter with big arm strength and a downfield gunslinger mentality.
—The best deep-ball thrower in the 2019 draft class, with excellent power to launch the ball vertically and the touch to lead the receiver to daylight." (Metcalf, Lockett)
I found some interesting observations on his "weaknesses" that has a unique tie in with your article as well
" —Production dropped from 44 touchdowns in 2017 to 28 in 2018 after offensive coordinator Josh Heupel left for UCF. Concerns that his breakout 2017 season were more scheme than talent."
"—Needs dedicated time to improving footwork, but must first buy in on the idea that his footwork needs to be changed." (Enter humble pie diet in Denver and door prize pawn in Wilson trade) His inconsistency on the shorter passing game and accuracy seem to be tied to mechanics especially footwork.
Overall quotes
"Drew Lock has excellent arm talent and an attacking, gunslinger mentality, but his poor mechanics will frustrate his coaches unless he's reined in" and
"he's one of the most NFL-prepared quarterbacks in the class. But with the remarkable also comes the subpar decision-making when pressured and poor accuracy when his footwork falls apart.
Lock has legitimate starting talent, but he needs a coach who can clean up his playing style and build an offense around his deep ball and movement skills." Hmmm
So what should Denver should have expected when they drafted him? Scouting take and comparison:
GRADE: 6.95 (ROUND 2 - FUTURE STARTER) Denver drafted him as their starter year one.
PRO COMPARISON: Matthew Stafford
Geno Smith Grades out higher in scouting reports but inconsistent accuracy is a knock on both and neither was supposed to start out of the gate, they were future starters. The Jets and Denver have had quite a train wreck when it comes to QB drafting and development. Wilson is Denver's 12th QB in 6 years.
Seattle will probably draft a QB next year but I will be interested to see if there is any chemistry with a young offensive line, some quality WR's, the potential of a good rush offense, Ken Norton not running the defense, a pass rush, corner continuity (Flowers not starting) and an interesting young coaching lineup. Both QB's know that opportunities are rare and Carroll's faith in underdogs might be good medicine for Seattle.
This year may not have the playoffs in the mix, but there might be some fun in football again in Seattle and a future in 23.
Good observations. Did you watch the Denver/KC game in week 18? Lock was very impressive running exactly the offense the Hawks want to run. He played a very good game (as did Harris and Fant), and a RB fumble late in the game (and a missed tackle by Lock on the LB returning it) the Broncos would have closed the season with a nice W.
He hit 3rd down throws, handed the ball off all game (which is what he'll be called to do in Seattle), and made some very nice throws--even under pressure.
If he plays that level in Seattle, I'm interested. There's more than potential there.
I didn't but will find the highlights. Thanks