Charlie Who?, Part Three

If the Seahawks were to add a QB to the roster through trade to compete for the starting job along with Charlie Whitehurst, three names immediately come to mind. Let me preface this by saying that I don’t consider Matt Leinart to be a possibility. Or rather, I hope not. Having seen Leinart in person while he was an Arizona Cardinal, if he were to become a Seahawk, I would cancel my season tickets the next day. Like last offseason, this is a seller’s market for quarterbacks. That is why the Seahawks paid such a heavy price to acquire Whitehurst from San Diego.

The preeminent QB on the trade market is Kevin Kolb of the Philadelphia Eagles. Kolb has had success as a starter in the NFL, which is something that couldn’t be said for Whitehurst when he was traded. The problem with acquiring Kolb is the cost, and not just the salary Kolb would likely command. There are at least a dozen teams that are or could be interested in Kolb. In the NFC West alone, only the St. Louis Rams would not have any interest in trading for Kolb.

At the very least, it would cost the Seahawks their first round draft pick this year, and probably additional picks either this year or next. For a team with as many areas of need as the Seahawks, that is simply too high a price to pay. Also, because of the lockout, any trade would have to be consummated after the draft, and the team may well have addressed the situation by the time a new CBA is agreed to.

Another QB possibly on the market is Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals. Palmer wants out of Cincinnati, and he played for Pete Carroll at USC. On paper, it seems like a good fit. The price for Palmer wouldn’t be prohibitive. However, I’ve never been a fan of Palmer. I don’t believe he is a player that can rise to the occasion and win a big game. I’d be disappointed, but not nearly as much as if Leinart were acquired.

The final quarterback that could possibly be available in a trade is Jimmy Clausen of the Carolina Panthers. If the Panthers blunder and choose a QB with the first pick in this year’s draft, then Clausen would almost certainly be traded. This scenario could result in a buyer’s market, meaning Clausen could be acquired for less than expected. There was significant speculation that the Seahawks were going to select Clausen in last year’s draft.

However, the Seahawks passed on Clausen not once, not twice, but THREE times. The team selected Russell Okung and Earl Thomas in the first round and traded down in the second round to acquire . . . Charlie Whitehurst. I wasn’t particularly impressed with Clausen when he faced the Seahawks last season, but he was in a bad situation on an awful team with a lame duck head coach. I can’t really fault him for that.

This is shaping up to be an interesting next few weeks. After the draft, we should have better insight as to the Seahawks’ future at quarterback. Right now, the only thing we know for sure is that Charlie Whitehurst is in the mix.