Anthony Richardson to the Seahawks makes sense in more ways than one
It is no secret the Seahawks are interested in adding a QB in this draft. Recently general manager, John Schneider was in attendance at a top quarterback's pro day. That QB is Florida's Anthony Richardson. Richardson would be a very interesting selection for the Seahawks as he can help the offense in more ways than one. […]
It is no secret the Seahawks are interested in adding a QB in this draft.
Recently general manager, John Schneider was in attendance at a top quarterback's pro day.
That QB is Florida's Anthony Richardson.
Richardson would be a very interesting selection for the Seahawks as he can help the offense in more ways than one.
The first way he can help is with his arm strength. Richardson rivals anyone in the class with his arm, and will stretch the field with deep throws to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
The second way is with his mobility. Richardson is a true threat to score from pretty much anywhere on the field. He doesn't consistently take off and use his legs, which is good. He will read the field, look for the open target, then he will resort to scrambling if nothing is open.
Not only does Richardson have a strong arm and is a threat on the ground, he has exceptional pocket presence. With many college QBs, their natural instinct when they sense pressure, is to retreat. Not with Richardson, however, he climbs the pocket. He identifies where defenders will be coming "hot" pre-snap and can adjust his platform to make the throw.
The primary concern with Richardson is his accuracy, but he has shown some serious flashes of ability in this area.
His struggles stem particularly in the middle of the field. I believe these problems, can mostly be solved with fixing his base when he is throwing. He has such a strong arm, he has been able to rely solely on that to make throws. If he can get with a coach and work on his footwork, we should see a jump in accuracy percentage, specifically in this area.
Richardson is one of the most polarizing players in this class for most people. However he is certainly one of the prospects with the highest ceiling.
The Seahawks are a good spot for Richardson because he can spend his first year in the league learning behind Geno Smith. Smith's new contract is essentially a year-to-year deal. If he flounders or if Richardson shows enough progress between now and the start of the 2024 season, the Seahawks can move on and save $14 million in cap room. If Richardson needs another year, well, the Seahawks can keep Smith around (if he plays well in 2023, of course) in 2024 and then approach 2025 however needed.
Plus, Shane Waldron's offense is play-action heavy and very QB-friendly, so he would certainly make Richardson's development/transition to the NFL simpler than other offensive coordinators.
Drafting Richardson at No. 5 would certainly be a bold move, especially when considering the Seahawks could use help more help on the defensive line (Jalen Carter) and on the interior offensive line (Peter Skoronski). But, it's also a move that could set the franchise up for another decade of consistent success.
