Charlie Who?, Part Two

Charlie Whitehurst has already had a profound effect on the Seattle Seahawks’ 2011 Draft. In addition to the twenty places the team traded down in the second round in 2010, the Seahawks also gave the San Diego Chargers their 2011 third round selection. That is an incredibly steep price to pay for someone who saw very little playing time last season. It illustrates just how dire the QB situation seemed to the incoming front office personnel. However, one year later and the quarterback issue is far from settled.

Despite paying a high price for Whitehurst, the Seahawks hedged their bet by giving him only a two year contract. If it didn’t work out with Whitehurst and the Seahawks, cutting ties with him wouldn’t be problematic. Acquiring Whitehurst, or someone similar, was a priority for the team given Matt Hasselbeck’s recent injury history. Whitehurst was a significant upgrade from Seneca Wallace as the backup quarterback. When Whitehurst was acquired, the team claimed he would have an opportunity to be the starter. Looking back, I doubt that was the case. I believe they said that so they could justify the price they paid for him and to him.

There has been much speculation that the Seahawks would select a QB in the first or second round. If they do, then Whitehurst’s future is up in the air. If a quarterback is drafted and Hasselbeck is re-signed, Whitehurst’s role will likely be the exact same one as last season. His future with the team beyond next season would be unlikely. If Hasselbeck isn’t re-signed, the coaching staff will have an interesting decision ahead of them. Do they start Whitehurst or start the rookie right away? Given their perceived lack of confidence in Whitehurst, I would expect the draftee to start immediately. However, Whitehurst’s future with the team would probably be a foregone conclusion as he would be re-signed to be the perennial backup.

If Charlie Whitehurst accomplishes nothing of significance during the remainder of his time with the Seahawks, trading for him was still worthwhile. Winning the final regular season game against the St. Louis Rams made up for two years worth of agony and despair.

Next, I’ll examine Whitehurst’s future should the Seahawks acquire a QB through trade.