The Seahawks signing Paxton Lynch isn’t crazy at all
The Seahawks signed former Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch to a futures contract, and a lot of 12s are asking, why? He has more potential than you think.
I really can’t believe I’m writing another article about Paxton Lynch. I didn’t ever contemplate I’d even write one article about him. But many 12s are unconvinced, concerned that Lynch isn’t a good fit. I’m the first to admit that a relatively immobile quarterback might not fit the Seahawks system, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good move by Seattle.
Let’s start with the biggest reason. Until they signed Lynch, Seattle only had one quarterback under contract. That would be Mr. Unlimited himself, Russell Wilson. They haven’t actually needed another quarterback, as Wilson played every snap in 2018 and only missed five in 2017. He’s never missed a start, and only comes out in huge blowouts. The only exception to this is the January 1st 2017 game versus the 49ers, when Pete Carroll pulled Wilson in the fourth quarter to give him a bit of rest for the playoffs.
Despite Wilson’s penchant for playing practically every snap – same as any other starting quarterback – you still need a backup. Again, ask the Philadelphia Eagles if having a quality backup helps. For the past few years it seemed the Seahawks season would be lost if Wilson was injured. After all, he practically was the entire offense in 2017. I’m not saying that Wilson still isn’t by far the most valuable member of the offense, but at least Seattle actually has a running game now.
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A solid running game means you don’t need a magician at quarterback, at least not for a couple of games. I’m fairly certain Paxton Lynch is not a master of legerdemain or prestidigitation. At times he appears to have trouble just dropping back in the pocket. However, there is good reason for this – or bad reasons, actually.
Lynch had two quarterbacks coaches in his two seasons with the Broncos. In his rookie season Rick Dennison was his offensive coordinator. In 2017, he had Mike McCoy and Bill Musgrave. McCoy was fired after Denver lost six straight games. And he had two head coaches, Gary Kubiak and Vance Joseph. Neither of those gentlemen are still head coaches. He also had three offensive coordinators/quarterback coaches in his three seasons with the Memphis Tigers. No wonder the guy’s mechanics aren’t the best.
None of those coaches are known as quarterback gurus. In fact, few of those coaches are well known as coaches at all. I don’t know that I’d call Brian Schottenheimer a quarterback whisperer, but he did manage to make Mark Sanchez look like an NFL starter for a while.
That’s why I’m more than okay with this signing. Lynch does have a very good arm. Ironically, he’s been deadly accurate on short throws. For an excellent breakdown on Lynch’s mechanics, read this article on fieldgulls.com by John P. Gilbert.
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Maybe with some consistent coaching, Lynch can do more than hit the short passes. And if he can’t, he’ll be cut. At the least, the Seahawks will have a backup on the roster with NFL starts under his belt. There’s no downside to that.