I have been supportive of acquiring our next starting QB via trade or free agency over the draft largely because the position is so hard to project, that any evidence of their ability to play in the NFL can be hugely helpful. My major question with the acquisition of Charlie Whitehurst is “what evidence?” Hasselbeck never played regular season games (outside of possible kneel downs) before we acquired him, but had excelled enough in pre-season to be titled, “Mr. August.” Whitehurst has not even been the backup yet, and got third-string snaps in pre-season.
I don’t think the new Seahawks front office is stupid (at least not yet), so there has to be more background than we know about. Pete Carroll being in Southern Cal, getting access to Chargers camps, games? John Schneider heavily scouting him a few years back for the Packers?
If the Hawks had given up a future third round pick, I’m not sure anyone would have been too concerned, and might even be excited. Giving up the 40th pick in a strong draft means you better be right. I was almost as excited about that pick as I was about the two first-rounders.
That said, I’m really excited that it appears we will not waste a top 15 pick on a QB. This frees us up to improve the team elsewhere, and we really need it.