The pool of available quarterbacks has been further limited by the lack of salary cap casualties due to the increase in salary cap room from the new CBA. At this point the free agent market is very thin with Jeff Blake, Tommy Maddox and Tony Banks topping the list of available quarterbacks. Kerry Collins and Jay Fiedler are also available, but Collins spurned a $3 million offer from Miami and wants to be a starter and Jay Fiedler is coming off an injury, is not a good fit for our system, and is almost certain to sign with the Giants or Patriots as the bona fide backup. Signing one of the available guys at this point is not a real option. If any of them are going to wear a Seahawks uniform this season, it would likely happen in a Vinny Testaverde scenario, where we bring someone in after some major injuries. Even then it might make sense to bring up our practice squad quarterback to add depth.
The only real option we have left is to make a trade for someone already on another NFL roster. Most teams will carry at least four quarterbacks through training camp and up until the final cut-down in September. This means that no one new will be available as a free agent to the Seahawks that another team does not consider at least fourth on their depth chart until September. That leaves the Seahawks with the option to make a trade, but finding a trading partner is difficult. We must find a team with at least three quarterbacks (not including the guy we want) they feel comfortable with making the team. The team also either needs a reason to get rid of a quarterback or a need that we can help fulfill with our end of the trade. After scouring the quarterback depth charts, only two teams come anywhere close to meeting those criteria: Tampa Bay and Buffalo. Both of them also happen to have a quarterback that we might be interested in currently third on the depth chart. Let’s look at those two teams and what a trade would likely involve for the Seahawks.
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay has Chris Simms as the starter with Luke McCown solidly holding down second on the depth chart. Jon Gruden drafted Bruce Gradkowski in the sixth round this year and is in love with him. He is the only NCAA quarterback to complete 70% of his passes in back to back years. That leaves Tim Rattay in a precarious position, especially with only one-year left on his contract and a salary of $1.25 million. John Gruden traded away a sixth round pick to acquire Rattay as well as a sixth round pick to get McCown. Tampa Bay would likely require a sixth round pick from the Seahawks to acquire Rattay and they would need to negotiate a new contract with Rattay to be in place before any trade took place. You can read more on how Tim Rattay would fit in with the Seahawks here: Tim Rattay.
Buffalo
Buffalo is holding a three-man competition for the starting job between Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman, and Craig Nall. Early reports out of Buffalo have Nall lagging behind the other two and having a hard time adjusting from the west coast offense he learned in Green Bay behind Brett Favre. Buffalo also brought in Kliff Kingsbury. He cracked the Jets roster last season after all of the injuries and even made an appearance on the field. Kingsbury could stick as a viable third string quarterback in Buffalo if they dealt Nall. It would be surprising if Buffalo gave up this early on Craig Nall, but the right offer could entice them. Buffalo is in need of a major rebuilding effort and is considered one of the favorites (worst teams in football) to land Brady Quinn as the top pick in next year’s draft. It would probably require something in the neighborhood of a fourth round draft choice or maybe a later round pick and a decent player. Jimmy Williams could help out an extremely thin secondary. This would be a stretch on all accounts because Buffalo paid Nall a $1.3 million signing bonus with base salaries of $600 thousand, $1.1 million and $1.25 million over the next three seasons. Buffalo would also be hit with a cap charge of $867,000 next year if they were to trade Nall. The Seahawks are probably not enamored with Nall at that price or they would have tried to sign him as a free agent. However, it is possible that Seattle thought about it but Nall was not interested and wanted a chance to challenge for a starting position. Nall does not have starting experience, but it is hard not to like what he has done when given a chance. On his career, he is 23 for 33 (69.7%) for 314 yards with 4 TDs and no INTs which gives him a 139.4 passer rating. His most extensive work came against the Chicago first team defense towards the end of 2004 when he went 7 for 13 for 131 yards and a TD. He sat on the bench in Green Bay for most of his four years learning the west coast offense. A trade for Nall is extremely unlikely, but Buffalo is a team in disarray that could feel Nall is worth getting rid of if he remains the third option at quarterback.
It is most likely the Seahawks will not make any moves this year. It does not look that much brighter next year and Tim Rattay would be the most likely free agent the Seahawks would pursue. You can find more information on 2007 Free Agent Quarterbacks here: 2007 Free Agent QBs.
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