It's up in the air who will be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks next season. The Hawks are said to still be searching for their next star. Will they find him in the free agent pool?
KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel breaks down the moves the Seahawks have made so far, and what might be in their future.
Key free agents locked in
The Seahawks this week re-signed defensive end Red Bryant to a five-year deal reportedly worth $35 million. That makes him the team's highest-paid defensive player. Last week, the Seahawks re-signed star running back Marshawn Lynch.
Art says that takes care of their two most important free agent players.
"They did the housekeeping properly. They got their two best players back. They're also adding secondary players and letting people go like Charlie Whitehurst, the backup quarterback. Now it's time to look at everybody else's free agents and see if they can fill all the holes."
Flynn flies in
The Hawks reportedly met with free agent Matt Flynn Thursday evening and will meet with him again Friday. He was the backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers last season, who dazzled people in the few starts that he had.
Because he comes from the great tradition of Brett Favre, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Rodgers, there are people who believe that he fits that mold and would be a great fit in Seattle. Art has a slightly different take.
"I think he might be closer to the Dave Krieg end of the scale than, say, Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. Dave Krieg was a guy who came without pedigree and didn't have all the attributes of a classic quarterback. But he lasted 11 years here in Seattle and 19 in the NFL by doing unconventional things in unconventional ways."
Art says that may not be as exciting as getting Andrew Luck of Stanford or Robert Griffin III of Baylor, but they won't be around in the draft for the Seahawks (they pick 12th in the first round of the draft April 26).
"So, if the Seahawks want to replace the incumbent, Tavaris Jackson, they're having to look elsewhere and Flynn is a guy that they think could do that."
Manning says no to Seattle; might boot Hasselbeck out of Tennessee
The biggest free agent on the market this year is star quarterback Peyton Manning. He declined to meet with the Seahawks this week and is said to be seriously eyeing the Tennessee Titans.
Seattle sports fans may be interested in this, since former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is the current starter there. And he's been mentoring backup Titans QB Jake Locker from the University of Washington.
Art says Manning played college ball at the University of Tennessee and may be a good fit for the Titans. But that would mean Hasselbeck would have to go.
"They had a nice thing going there. They had a veteran quarterback playing the Jedi Master to young Luke Skywalker. And so it was going to work out very well. Now the owner (Bud Adams) says 'No, I have my agenda and I want Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.'"
But Art says Seahawks fans shouldn't get excited about the possibility of Hasselbeck coming back to Seattle.
"The Seahawks are not going to bring back Matt Hasselbeck. Those ties have been broken. There's no need to refit. They're either going to stick with Tavaris Jackson, or go with Flynn, or maybe they'll have somebody else. There's no way to know right now."
You can read more about this at Sportspress Northwest.
