Brandon Weeden, To Ugh Or Not To Ugh?

Regardless of the recent news on Peyton Manning being ‘cleared to play,’ his arm strength has still not been cleared by any NFL team and I would list it as highly questionable. So in light of this suspicion I decided to take a look at some quarterbacks available in the draft. One who caught my eye was Brandon Weeden. Now before you decide to quit reading already just know I still grimace every time I think of him as a possibility. Nevertheless he is still a curious option the Seahawks will probably take a look at if he is available in the second round.

Weeden’s negatives are pretty obvious, however there actually aren’t that many of them. The one warning sign he wears like a full body tattoo for all to see is his age. Entering the draft at 28 years old and turning 29 during your rookie season screams don’t pick me. Not to mention it takes at least a year before you’re ready to do anything in the playoffs. That means Weeden would be turning 30 years old by the time we were set to do something meaningful. So assuming he retires around 36 or 37 it means there is really only the possibility of about 5 years where we could possibly make some noise in the playoffs (I’m leaving out a year for aging, pretty ridiculous when discussing a rookie right?). Also besides his age he is not very mobile at all. If I think realistically about the possibility of drafting Weeden I know this problem will definitely deter Schneider and crew. His age and lack of movement are really the only issues I can see preventing us from picking him up.

This brings me to the positives about Weeden. When you get past his age all the scouting and press on him rave about his accuracy, arm strength, decision making, maturity, demeanor, I mean the list really goes on as far as intangibles. That’s why most people in the drafting business see him as a potential first round pick, right up there with Griffin and Luck. He can make throws at all three phases of the game and he can make them accurately with good touch on the ball. This is necessary in the scheme Seattle runs, especially when we break out our four and five wide receiver sets. Furthermore as far as intangibles go Weeden’s failure playing in the Yankees farm system has been a blessing for his quarterbacking (for those that do not know Weeden was drafted in the second round as a pitcher by the New York Yankees) and not only in terms of accuracy and velocity, but maturity level as well. The analysts who have talked with him believe this shows he knows how to handle fleeting success and the disappointments that come with that success. There are a lot of positives with Brandon Weeden it’s just the amount of time he is going to have to develop those positives that will be the problem.

Am I excited the Seahawks will probably have a chance at Weeden? No, although I can’t say I am entirely un-intrigued. If it were not for his age Weeden would be one of the top three quarterback prospects this year. This is why I wouldn’t be unhappy to see him in a Seahawks uniform next season. Also Seattle’s favorite ESPN analyst John Clayton thinks the Seahawks draft Weeden in the second round or potentially in the first if we trade down some. Honestly I have no doubt in my mind that if this were the case he would definitely start next year. Not only is he a great decision maker with a good arm, but he also isn’t afraid to throw the ball like someone we know… Tarvaris!

All in all it is time the Seahawks figure out who our quarterback is going to be. Even if this means going apocalyptic with our draft and giving up everything we have to try and touch a savior in RG3. However, this is probably impossible which is why we are talking about Brandon Weeden instead. The point is if the team has played well enough to be a super bowl contender with an ‘actual’ Peyton Manning at the wheel then they have definitely earned an upgrade at quarterback. The problem is there aren’t many good options out there and a lot of teams need a knight in shining armor to hike the ball right now. Will Brandon Weeden wear that armor for the Seahawks? We’ll just have to wait and see.