The Seahawks shocked the NFL world on Friday, March 7, trading Geno Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. The move reunites Smith with former head coach Pete Carroll, who is in his first year in Vegas.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Smith is expected to get a new deal with the Raiders worth between $40-45 million. Russini also reported that the Seahawks are looking at free agent Darnold as their new signal-caller.
Geno Smith Traded to Raiders
The Raiders addressed their glaring hole at quarterback with Smith. This team was always looking to compete this year, as you don’t hire a 73-year-old Super Bowl-winner in Carroll with intentions of rebuilding.
Smith is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL, finishing 15th in PFSN’s QB+ rankings in 2024 with a 77.6 QB+ grade. On top of that, Smith ranked fourth in completion rate over expectation (CPOE).
With a strong offseason, the Raiders can compete for a playoff spot with Smith at the helm. With a reliable QB under center, the sky is the limit for rookie phenom Brock Bowers.
With their sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, could the Raiders take Shedeur Sanders and let him learn behind Smith? Or will they bolster other areas of the roster to build an immediate contender? Whichever path they choose, the new era with Tom Brady will emphasize culture-building for an organization that has only two winning seasons since 2002.
Seahawks Reportedly Interested in Sam Darnold
The Seahawks are expected to pursue Darnold in free agency, per Russini. He is coming off a huge year with the Vikings where he surprisingly led the team to the playoffs after a 35-touchdown season.
It makes sense for Seattle to place a bet on Darnold sustaining his 2024 success — with the 18th overall in the NFL Draft order, they won’t be in a position to select one of the top passers in this class.
The question is how Darnold will fare away from Kevin O’Connell, who is considered one of the best play-callers in the NFL. As for Seattle, their new play-caller Klint Kubiak was terrific with the New Orleans Saints last season despite injuries and poor play from backup QBs.
Kubiak has some familiarity with Darnold as he worked with the former Viking while employed with the San Francisco 49ers as their passing game coordinator in 2023.
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The Vikings want to pass the torch to 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy, making it unlikely for Darnold to return. There’s a good chance that the Seahawks only decided to trade Smith because they were confident in landing Darnold.
Perhaps the Seahawks’ brass prefers having Darnold plus an extra third-rounder instead of a veteran in Smith under center.
How Could Darnold and Seattle Fare?
I’m a big fan of how the Raiders are trying to compete right away. This franchise has been a bottom-feeder for way too long, and it’s time to build a winning culture. Smith had his best years with Carroll, so it’s presumably a perfect fit.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders continue to be aggressive in free agency. Don’t sleep on this team as a dark horse playoff contender in the AFC.
On the other side, while Darnold has potential, they’re essentially dismantling their passing game after Tyler Lockett was released and DK Metcalf requested a trade. This team still has intriguing pieces on defense, but it will need to add a pass catcher to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba if it plans to compete in 2025.
What Are the Seahawks’ Top Options in the NFL Draft, Free Agency
Darnold is the top-ranked quarterback in PFSN’s Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings and is No. 11 regardless of position. That means that Darnold, who is reportedly seeking a deal of at least three years, according to Russini.
If the Seahawks and Darnold do not come to terms when free agency opens on March 10, the top options available according to PFSN’s rankings are Justin Fields (No. 48) and Russell Wilson (No. 81), with other options like Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, Mac Jones, and Jameis Winston missing out on the top 100.
If the Seahawks don’t sign a multi-year deal with a QB like Darnold and roll with a veteran stopgap, they may opt to look ahead through the 2025 NFL Draft.
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The Seahawks could potentially be in a position to draft Shedeur Sanders, who may be a candidate to slide as QB-needy NFL teams continue to plan as though there is a one-man race for the QB1 mantle in the draft. However, if Sanders is gone by No. 18, the Seahawks could look to take a player like Jaxson Dart in the late-first/early-second round.
There could also be mid-round targets like Will Howard and Kyle McCord, though they could be long-term backups as Seattle plans around Sam Howell, who will be a free agent after the 2025 season. Maybe Seattle could take a long-term development plan with Jalen Milroe. For now, it seems Darnold is their priority, according to reports.