Seahawks have done masterful job handling QB situation in recent years

Sometimes the key to success is just having good timing. The Seattle Seahawks have had good timing in recent years when it comes to knowing when to make a change at quarterback, and it is one of the biggest reasons they find themselves with a 5-2 record and looking like one of the best teams in the NFC. 

Their latest quarterback decision was to trade Geno Smith this offseason to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick, replacing him with Sam Darnold in free agency. That move came after they maximized Smith's bounce-back in the NFL when he replaced long-time starter Russell Wilson. 

While scouting and building a system around their starting quarterbacks has been an essential part of the success, so too has been knowing when to move on.

The Seahawks made their quarterback changes at the exact right time

The quarterback merry-go-round in Seattle started prior to the 2022 season when it traded long-time starter Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for an absolute bounty of draft picks and players. At the time Wilson was still only 33 and coming off his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and was still a highly thought of starting quarterback.

In exchange for Wilson the Seahawks received the following:

• 2022 first-round pick (No. 9 overall, used to select OT Charles Cross)
• 2023 first-round pick (No. 5 overall, used to select CB Devon Witherspoon)
• 2022 second-round pick (used to select Edge Boye Mafe)
• 2023 second-round pick (used to select LB Derick Hall)
• 2022 fifth-round pick (traded for fifth-and seventh-round selections used to select LB Tyreke Smith and WR Dareke Young)

They also received tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and quarterback Drew Lock. 

It turned out being a franchise-changing trade for the Seahawks, mostly due to the draft picks. While Cross has become a staple on the team's offensive line, Witherspoon and Mafe have been foundational building blocks for a defense that has become one of the best in the NFL, while Hall has proven to be a strong role player. 

The trade also got them out of paying Wilson a franchise-crippling contract that Denver ended up getting stuck with. All while Wilson's game completely deteriorated to the point where he is already playing for his third team in four years (now the New York Giants) and already been benched there. 

Seattle boosted Smith and then capitalized when it could

While Wilson was struggling in Denver and then eventually with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seahawks managed to take the long-time veteran backup Smith, were able to surround him with talented wide receivers, and rebuilt his career into a formidable starting role where he had the best three-year run of his career. He helped the Seahawks finish with three consecutive winning records and make a playoff appearance (and seriously compete for two more) at a time when everybody thought they would be rebuilding.

When it came clear that Smith and Seahawks had reached their ceiling, they cashed-in again and sent him to the Raiders for a third-round pick (used to select quarterback Jalen Milroe) and then signed Darnold in free agency.

While Smith has badly struggled with the Raiders (leading the league with 10 interceptions and sitting near the bottom of the league in passer rating and QBR), Darnold has played at a Pro Bowl level in Seattle and is currently in the top-six league-wide in passer rating (109.2), QBR (72.5) and yards per pass attempt (9.1). He also has 12 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He has been outstanding. 

Playing quarterback in the NFL is hard. Evaluating quarterbacks and finding the right quarterback is even harder. The Seahawks have handled the position masterfully over the past four years despite not taking one with a top pick in the NFL Draft. They had the right timing. They have had the right scouting and player evaluation.