The case for, and against, Dave Canales as Russell Wilson’s QB coach
Jan 23, 2018, 12:54 PM | Updated: 1:25 pm
Seahawks' QB Russell Wilson prays with Dave Canales before a game. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks reportedly plan to promote wide receivers coach Dave Canales to quarterbacks coach, according to Sporting News, putting an end to the rumor that Seattle would bring in former quarterback Jim Zorn for the position.
Canales, 36, originally joined Pete Carroll’s coaching staff at USC in 2009, and later became a part of the Seahawks’ coaching staff when Carroll took over in 2010. He has been the wide receivers coach since 2015.
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Brock Huard made the case for, and against, Canales during his Blue 42 segment of Brock and Salk on 710 ESPN Seattle.
“He’s got a relationship with (Russell Wilson),” Huard said. “He’s a trustworthy guy, he’s been in this program from day one, came in, and worked his way up. He’s done an excellent job with the receivers, developing Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse and that receiving crew. He’s been a builder all the way along, and Pete trusts him. Period, end of story. ‘I want somebody in my last go-to here … that I can lean on, that’s honest, that I have a relationship with,’ and thus, Canales is the QB coach.”
Of note, Canales has neither played nor coached the quarterback position before; while he’s been part of an NFL coaching staff for seven years, he originally played wide receiver at Azusa Pacific University. It’s not a knock against Canales, but for Huard, it’s certainly something to point to if you’re looking for cons.
“The case against is that he’s never done it,” Huard said. “I argued yesterday for Jim Zorn because it’s something new. Something a little uncomfortable, something that is blunt and in your face, and has a new fresh perspective and new eyes on some of the situations. If you’ve never played the position, it’s not saying you can’t do it by any means, but it’s much more difficult to do. And I don’t know that at this stage that’s what Russell needs in his career. So, because of that … I have a hard time making total sense of it.”
