Calkins gets absolutely slayed for his inane column

[D-train]

Should the Seahawks prioritize drafting a QB to challenge Geno Smith?
Like many a Calkins column, we begin with a question. Not an assertion; not a factual position taken, not even a concrete hypothetical really. One might think that the question would, I don't know, be answered. That the columnist would take a stand or offer an argument. Be, for once, like Cameron in "Ferris Beuller," just before he kicks the Ferrari into the woods. Take a stand.

What we get instead is this grand closing:

I say take the best player available if you’re the Seahawks, whose next pick after 16th isn’t until late in the third round. There are numerous needs on both sides of the ball.

Still, there very well could be an upgrade over Geno out there. Would be hard to let that slip away.

So to summarize: take the best player available (as opposed to what, taking a worse player instead for some reason?) and not an upgrade over Geno.

Unless you can upgrade over Geno. Then maybe do that because, hey, that may be hard to let slip away.

So: do one thing. Unless, maybe not; then do another thing. What genius!

What's remarkable about Calkins's columns and positions is that they are never disprovable; never (in the lingo of science and philosophy) "falsifiable." If you never take a stand or position that is capable of being disproven, you're never wrong. The issue is, you're also never right. Tell me this: after this draft is over, is there any way to come back, read this column, and assess the degree to which Calkins got it right here? There isn't.

I honestly feel like I know less now about this issue than before I read this column, and I may have actually lost IQ points.

Meanwhile, I guess we can also go back and contemplate if Caitlin Clark, who has never won a championship, can do for women's hoops what Tiger did for golf with his 15 major and 82 PGA tour wins. Nobody ever said she could, of course. Calkins was just asking the question! Roosevelt's Man in the Arena, this columnist is not.

[D-train]

Note that he and the editor think Witherspoon is a Safety. That is an inexcusable mistake.

By Matt Calkins
Seattle Times columnist
It was, quite possibly, the worst outcome the Seahawks could have had.

They were in playoff contention going into the last week, then missed the playoffs despite winning their final game, then were left sitting with the 16th pick in the draft. No celebration for a successful season, and no salivation for a top-tier prospect.

Barring a brain-cell-spinning trade, or a series of blatant misreads by the mock drafters, Seattle is not going to select the likes of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye — the quarterbacking trio at the top of most prognostication boards.

That, however, does not eliminate the following question: Should the Seahawks prioritize a quarterback in the draft?

Prioritize is the key word because that’s distinct from select. If a QB is sitting there on Day 3, it might make sense for the Seahawks to take a flier. But what if Seahawks general manager John Schneider, whose role is far more authoritative since the team parted ways with Pete Carroll, opts to go for the franchise-changing acquisition?

The projected starting QB, after all, is Geno Smith — a Pro Bowler whose last season and a half has been somewhere between decent and dandy. The blistering start to his 2022 season helped him earn NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors — not to mention NFC Offensive Player of the Month — but consistency has eluded him since.

The 20-to-9 touchdown-to-interception rate last season was underwhelming. The 64.7% completion rating was five points down from the season before. And though he did lead the league in game-winning drives (five) and fourth-quarter comebacks (four), the fact that this 9-8 team could have been a lot worse was a testament to the tenuous offense.

To be fair, the Seahawks’ defense was the team’s most conspicuous weakness, and likely a major reason why Carroll won’t be back on the sidelines. But an outstanding quarterback can (mostly) offset a shoddy “D.” Can Smith, who will be 34 in October, be that?

Probably not. The question is whether anyone else can.

This seems to be one of the more polarizing QB draft classes once you get past the top three. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is listed as the fifth pick on one board and 20th on another. Former Husky and Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. is a mid-to-late first rounder to some and a second rounder to others. Oregon’s Bo Nix might hear his name on the first day as well.

You’re not going to read any evaluations in this column as to which QBs would be a quality fit and which one wouldn’t. Not when the scouts and executive themselves don’t truly know, either. But there certainly are needs for the Seahawks that go beyond the man throwing the football.

Offensive line is one of them. Charles Cross has not blossomed into an elite left tackle two years after going ninth overall. And right tackle Abe Lucas missed most of last season with a knee injury. It’s not that the Seahawks gave up that many sacks — the 38 they allowed were the fourth fewest in the league. But the 92.9 rushing yards per game — the fifth fewest in the NFL — were an issue. That wasn’t because of middling running backs.

Also, the Seahawks released starting safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. These weren’t safeties at the top of their games anymore — particularly in Adams’ case. But there was a reason they were still the ones getting the snaps when healthy. Devon Witherspoon has the potential to be a multi-time All-Pro safety, and Julian Love was productive when he was on the field. There are still big holes on the back end, though. Same is true of the linebacking corps, which no longer features Jordyn Brooks or Bobby Wagner.

All that said, there’s a reason the men behind center get paid so much more than any other position. The QBs are what make a team go in this increasingly offensive-centered league.

Smith regressed to the mean after his scorching start in 2022, but he did not regress to the QB he was with the Jets when he lost his starting role. He has won, can win, and if he was surrounded with the kind of talent you see in, say, San Francisco, would likely win often.

Unfortunately for the Seahawks, that surrounding talent isn’t there.

I say take the best player available if you’re the Seahawks, whose next pick after 16th isn’t until late in the third round. There are numerous needs on both sides of the ball.

Still, there very well could be an upgrade over Geno out there. Would be hard to let that slip away.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

He's a worthy successor to Steve Kelly. Or is he?

[gil]

I never get very excited about Calkins one way or another, but that was the WORST published piece of sports writing I remember seeing. Not well organized or thought out (or "researched"). Zero to take any from this. Worse than phoning it in. Is there an editor who looks at these columns before they are published? "Earth to Matt."

[57reasons]

Far be it from me to think very highly of Calkins, but to be fair, he didnt say Witherspoon was a safety, he said he "has the potential to be...", which i certainly agree with. He's an awesome blitzer, which can be better utilized from that spot than on the corner. and clearly he hits well enough to be an enforcer, which you also like from that position. If hawks tab Cooper DeJean with their first pick, sometimes referred to as this year's Devon, would be an amazing pair that you could use interchangeably at safety, slot, or outside corner. With Riq on the other side and Love at the other safety, would be by far the best secondary unit here since the LOB.

[D-train]

I never get very excited about Calkins one way or another, but that was the WORST published piece of sports writing I remember seeing. Not well organized or thought out (or "researched"). Zero to take any from this. Worse than phoning it in. Is there an editor who looks at these columns before they are published? "Earth to Matt."

Yeah I didn't really notice Bad Acting until I saw Keanu Reeves act. Matt is the Keanu of Sports Columnists. lol

[D-train]

Far be it from me to think very highly of Calkins, but to be fair, he didnt say Witherspoon was a safety, he said he "has the potential to be...", which i certainly agree with. He's an awesome blitzer, which can be better utilized from that spot than on the corner. and clearly he hits well enough to be an enforcer, which you also like from that position. If hawks tab Cooper DeJean with their first pick, sometimes referred to as this year's Devon, would be an amazing pair that you could use interchangeably at safety, slot, or outside corner. With Riq on the other side and Love at the other safety, would be by far the best secondary unit here since the LOB.

If that's what he meant he would have mentioned that he is currently a CB. Something like, even though he was drafted and played as a rookie exclusively at CB, I think he has the potential to be an all Pro Safety. He just had a brain cramp and botched something literally every Hawk fan knows.

[Bil522]

He's a worthy successor to Steve Kelly. Or is he?

Kelly was 10x the writer Calkins is

[maoling]

He's a worthy successor to Steve Kelly. Or is he?

Kelly was 10x the writer Calkins is

Art Thiel is the best local sportswriter of my years; Royal also before him. I think I had one J-class with Kelley when I was a WSU punk.

[D-train]

Stone is my favorite.