Pat Kirwin previews Seahawks’ rookie class, talks Russell Wilson’s upcoming contract

Was Seahawks’ seventh-round pick Alex McGough the dark horse of this year’s class of quarterbacks? Does linebacker Shaquem Griffin have a future at safety? What kind of contract could Russell Wilson command next year?

What would a mega deal for Wilson mean for ‘Hawks roster?

Former coach and current NFL analyst Pat Kirwin joined John Clayton on 710 ESPN Seattle Friday to talk about the Seahawks’ newest class of rookies and the future of one of their current stars. Here are a few highlights:

On quarterback Alex McGough: “That last round quarterback … I asked Phil Simms the day before the draft, he had just got done (prepping) and he calls me up and he said, ‘OK I’m ready, I know every quarterback now.’ So we go through all the big-name guys and I said, ‘You got your dark horse?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, it’s this kid from Florida International, wait till you see him spin the ball.’ And as soon as Pete (Carroll) started talking about him, I went back and listened to my interview with Phil. It’s the same voice, it’s the same excitement for the same reason. So maybe they found something there.”

On Shaquem Griffin’s potential future at another position: “I’ll tell you what I told Pete: I believe within a year, you’re going to have him at safety. That guy has got all the skills of a safety, he can fly around the football field, he’s as fast as any safety that was in the draft, he’s powerful, and if you want to eventually find a replacement, and I know they already got names in there, mark my words that guy’s going to end up being a safety in Pete’s game.”

On future contract negotiations with Russell Wilson, who enters the last year of his deal in 2019: “He is a team player, and I’m not asking him to take a discount, I’ve already said I think it’s going to average over $30 million, $31 million, something like that. If they’re smart, and John (Schneider) is smart, Pete (Carroll) is always smart, they’re going to count their blessings of what they got out of him on the rookie deal and what they got out of him in this second deal. So they’re going to be ready to do it. And they’re not supposed to announce that but I think it’s not a problem. He’s not going anywhere, we know that.”

Listen to John Clayton’s full interview with Pat Kirwin.