Heaps: Would be ‘massive mistake’ if Seahawks try to shortcut rebuild
Mar 12, 2022, 9:23 AM
Seahawks GM John Schneider talks with coach Pete Carroll prior to a 2019 game against the Browns. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Seahawks had a franchise-altering day on Tuesday when they reportedly traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and cut linebacker Bobby Wagner.
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Moves like that, to many, signal that the Seahawks are about to begin a major rebuild. But is that really what’s going to happen?
“I haven’t talked to anybody that thinks (Seahawks coach) Pete Carroll is going to take this thing down to the studs with (general manager) John Schneider and this is going to be a three- or four-year rebuild,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on the NFL Move The Sticks Podcast this week. “… (I don’t have) any personal knowledge of that situation, but everybody in the league, I’m talking about everybody you talk to, expects this to be the outcome.”
Jeremiah also said during the podcast that he’s heard that the Seahawks are very interested in acquiring 26-year-old quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans to succeed Wilson. It was announced Friday that Watson won’t face any criminal charges stemming from accusations that he sexually assaulted a number of massage therapists. He still faces roughly two dozen civil suits, however.
Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps, in referencing Jeremiah’s comments about the Seahawks apparently not wanting to rebuild, said he’s heard similar things. But does he think that’s the direction the franchise should go?
“When it comes to the Seahawks, for me, I believe it would be a massive mistake if they did not take the road of truly going after a rebuild,” Heaps said on Seattle Sports’ Jake and Stacy on Friday. “Trying to quickly do this thing in a matter of an offseason, yes, you’ve (now) got more (financial) flexibility, and yes, you’ve got (more) draft capital, but I don’t think that they are in that position to really, truly change their roster that quickly and then go out go around and compete with the Rams and the 49ers at a high level.”
Heaps said the Seahawks should be in a two- to three-year rebuilding process before they’re ready to truly compete and be a contender again.
“Just like we were talking about the Mariners, the Mariners had this mantra of ‘discipline is the shortcut.’ I believe that is where this is at with the Seahawks because if you’re not disciplined in this process and you’re so quick to get yourself right back in the thick of things, well, guess what? You’re going to make a mistake along the way, especially when it pertains to the quarterback position,” Heaps said.
As noted, the Seahawks may have interest in Watson. They currently have former UW quarterback Jacob Eason on the roster after he served as the No. 3 QB last season for Seattle, and the Broncos are reportedly sending 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock to the Seahawks in the Wilson deal. They also have three picks in the top 41 selections in April’s draft, including the No. 9 overall pick.
So how does Heaps think they should approach the quarterback spot in terms of finding a long-term answer?
“I do not want them to feel rushed to have to find their answer this offseason. If it happens via the draft, great. If it doesn’t, then you’ve got the next draft, you’ve got the next offseason to figure that out,” Heaps said. “I do not feel that there are great, viable options overall from a free-agent market perspective or a trade market perspective that gives them the best chance to build moving forward.”
Heaps also said he wouldn’t understand a trade for Watson, even his legal issues aren’t a factor going forward.
“If you trade for Deshaun Watson, you are eliminating all the assets that you just attained from the Russell Wilson trade,” Heaps said. “So you’re kind of right back to where you were when it comes to your overall structure of your cap and the amount of draft picks you have. Tell me how that makes sense. Watson’s a talented player. All the other things aside, he’s a very talented player, he’s younger and all those things. But they would be right back to where they were just with a younger franchise quarterback. That would be the only difference.”
Listen to the full second hour of Friday’s Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.
