What are John Schneider’s expectations for new quarterback Sam Darnold? And what was really behind the DK Metcalf trade? The Seattle Seahawks’ general manager talked about that, and more, during an appearance Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show.
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Here are four quick takeaways from the interview.
• The DK Metcalf trade wasn’t about money.
Seattle dealt star receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers on March 9, which was a move not altogether shocking for people who’d wondered whether the team would pay Metcalf more than $30 million per year.
But it wasn’t always part of the plan for Schneider. If anything, according to him, it was a plan from Metcalf.
“It really wasn’t (about a big contract),” Schneider told Eisen. “It was interesting because it wasn’t, like, animosity either. He really, really wanted a fresh start. It’s not like we went into the offseason thinking this would be a possibility, but he was pretty dug in on it. It ended up working out for both clubs, worked out for us and worked out for Pittsburgh. And we wish him the best. He’s a great guy and obviously a high-end competitor.”
• Schneider has very high expectations for Sam Darnold.
Darnold was never supposed to be the guy in Minnesota. He was brought in on a cheap one-year deal to provide some veteran support to first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy. Darnold became the starter after McCarthy’s season-ending injury and ended up throwing for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.
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Schneider has been impressed with Darnold’s development through stops with the 49ers and Vikings and has high expectations for a passer with plenty of potential, but also plenty of question marks.
“You can see the progress getting with Kyle (Shanahan) and those guys in San Francisco and where Kevin (O’Connell) and his group took it last year,” Schneider said. “He just keeps making really cool progress every year. And to have an established system in place that he’s played in and is comfortable with is a big deal. Great human, great competitor, been a great leader so far.”
• Mike Macdonald gave Sam Darnold a heads-up that they could be drafting a quarterback.
Schneider and Macdonald made sure to reach out to Darnold, Drew Lock, and Sam Howell (the latter was later traded) prior to the NFL Draft to let them know about the team’s plan to take a quarterback.
“(Macdonald let him know) like, hey, this isn’t about you. This is about acquiring an impact player in our opinion. Where does the quarterback stuff go, we don’t know how fast,” Schneider said. “So Mike talked to Sam (Darnold), I was able to communicate with Drew, and obviously we were communicating with Sam Howell all throughout the weekend as well.”
• They had durability questions before signing Cooper Kupp, but feel like the game speed is the same.
No, the Seahawks didn’t replace Metcalf with Cooper Kupp. Kupp is returning to Washington state as a veteran who can provide support to a young quarterback and a young No. 1 receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba – though it doesn’t mean Seattle’s front office thinks he’s lost a step.
“When you watch the film, there were some durability questions there,” Schneider said. “But when you watch the film, the game speed quite honestly is the same. And he’s very confident in the way he takes care of his body.”
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