Brock: Where Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe needs to improve

Third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe, whose tantalizing athleticism makes him an intriguing long-term developmental project, had a mixed performance in the Seattle Seahawks’ 17-7 preseason-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys this past Saturday night.

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The good: Milroe completed 5 of 8 passes for 36 yards and ran five times for 36 yards. He got the ball out quick on a third-down conversion to Jake Bobo, he made a nice side-armed pass on the run to Nick Vannett and he showcased his blazing speed while scrambling for gains of 20 and 12 yards.

The bad: Milroe took three sacks and fumbled a snap exchange from backup center Olu Oluwatimi. The lowlight came on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, when he took a shotgun snap and initially eluded pressure off the edge before slipping to the ground for a 14-yard loss.

It was a bit reminiscent of Milroe’s performance in Seattle’s preseason finale last year against the Green Bay Packers, when he lost three fumbles and took five sacks.

“Those (negative) plays, that floor, has got to go away,” former NFL quarterback Brock Huard said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“You want to elevate your floor always – year by year, game by game, decision by decision. Elevate your floor, eliminate the basement stuff like that. That continues to be, I think, the (needed) growth for Jalen.”

Huard thinks part of the challenge for Milroe is that sometimes he’s caught “in between” deciding whether to go through his progressions in the pocket or take off and run.

“When you’re labeled a dual-threat guy and (people think) all you can do is run, you want to prove people that you can play in the pocket too,” Huard said. “But when and how you utilize that (is the challenge). It’s a blessing and a curse to be that dynamic.”

Huard thinks Milroe sometimes needs to “just run, just go.” But he acknowledged that’s easier said than done – especially as Milroe watches Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold have success getting the ball out quickly and in rhythm from the pocket.

“He’s walking this line,” Huard said. “He’s like, I’m watching Sam Darnold every day … and that’s how you sustain in this league. But my superpower is my legs. So how do I balance all of that out?”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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