A QB Option For The Seahawks That No One Is Talking About

I’m already getting tired of the QB topic. I know it’s the biggest question of the offseason, but there’s only so much that can be written about the subject before every single angle is covered multiple times. It’s a lot like the Prince Fielder debate for the Seattle Mariners, there’s only so much to say on the subject.

With that in mind, I started looking for other ways to broach the subject; new ways to discuss the Seahawk’s QB need without repeating what I’ve already said. I figured I’d start by looking for possible players that no one is talking about just yet, and I think I found one. You can probably guess from the picture that I’m referring to Jason Campbell.

When the Raiders gave up a first and a 2nd round pick to to acquire Carson Palmer, Campbell was obviously the odd man out. Prior to the 2011 season, I would have expect Campbell to be re-signed to a decent contract, or at least given the franchise tag, but now it appears he’s going to be searching for a new place to play for 2012.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. Campbell isn’t an elite QB. This isn’t a “Quarterback of the Future” we’re talking about. What he is though is a nice upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson, and someone who can get the Seahawks into playoffs.

Campbell’s QB rating was good enough for 16th in the league. Jackson finished at 21st. Both QB’s complete about 60% of their passes, but Campbell does slightly more with each pass than Jackson does, average .2 yards more per attempt. Campebell is also less likely to turn the ball over than Jackson.

Looking at the more advanced stats out there, the difference between the two players was much more drastic. Campbell’s DVOA was good enough to finish 6th in the league. Jackson was just 23rd. ESPN’s QBR was similar with Campbell 8th or Jackson’s 27th.

One thing that Campbell will definitely be able to do better than Jackson is engineer a 4th quarter drive. Of all the things Jackson did well in 2011, none of them happened in the 4th quarter. Campbell’s 4th quarter QB rating is was 113, whereas Jackson’s was just 84. In the final 2 minutes of either half, Jackson’s QB rating was just 30.4, while Campbell’s was 113.5.

It should also be noted that Jackson had a much better group of wide receivers to work with, though Campbell had the better offensive line, and both team’s had solid running games.

Campbell isn’t an exciting option. I get that. But he is a player who offers a significant upgrade for the Seahawks. If Matt Flynn’s price tag gets too high, and the Seahawks can’t trade up enough to get either Luck or RG3, then Jason Campbell should be someone the Seahawks consider.