Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In recent history, the Seattle Seahawks haven’t been afraid to make surprise picks in the early rounds of the NFL Draft. From James Carpenter in 2011 to Bruce Irvin in 2012, Pete Carroll and co. have a knack for drafting outside of the realm of logic.
That’s what makes the latest draft news coming out of Seattle noteworthy.
According to Peter King of SI.com, USC quarterback Matt Barkley met with 12 teams (nine formal meetings, three informal) during his stay at the 2013 NFL Combine. One of those informal meetings was with the Seahawks, a team that didn’t appear to be in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
The Seahawks currently have Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. Unless you failed to follow the NFL at all in 2012, you know that Wilson has as bright a future as any young gunslinger in the league. Their No. 2 passer, Matt Flynn, is likely to be traded this offseason, but could stick as a reliable backup if the Seahawks are willing to swallow his hefty salary.
Even if Flynn departs from Seattle this offseason, spending an early-round pick on a quarterback would be illogical, especially with this year’s weak class of passers. Signing a veteran backup or spending a late-round pick on a project seems like a more-likely route for the Seahawks to take.
One aspect that makes some sense in this scenario is Barkley’s ties with Carroll, who coached the quarterback during his days as the head honcho of USC football. Although it’s not exactly obvious why Carroll would want to have an informal meeting with Barkley when he could be spending time with other prospects, their relationship provides a potential answer to the conundrum.
Either way, this meeting was likely nothing more than John Schneider doing his due diligence. The Seahawks’ GM is known as a meticulous scout, so the move isn’t a complete head-scratcher. If anything, this might have been an attempt to throw other teams off the scent of who the Seahawks are really planning on targeting in late-April.
Don’t expect anything to come of this. Then again, stranger things have happened in Seattle.
Gil Alcaraz IV is a Network Manager/NFL featured columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
