Smokescreens can billow this time of year, when the annual NFL draft brings out the inner poker player in every personnel man around the league.
So when word leaked out late last week that the Seattle Seahawks were interested in USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, the news was met with a few rolled eyeballs.
What better way to increase the value of the No. 4 overall pick than to float a rumor about the most important position on the field being a likely fit?
But when it comes to smokescreens, this one might actually stem from fire.
The Seahawks, who have a 33-year-old starting quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck and an eye toward the future under new head coach Jim Mora, may well decide to use the fourth pick on Sanchez rather than more obvious so-called needs — namely, offensive tackle and linebacker.
So why the sudden puppy love for a rookie quarterback who started just 16 games in college?
The answer can be traced back to April 1.
That’s when Sanchez put on a show at USC’s Pro Day, with several Seahawks scouts and front-office personnel among the people in attendance.
“It was the most impressive throwing performance I’ve ever seen in my life — and I’ve watched Hasselbeck and (Cincinnati quarterback) Carson Palmer in practices,” said CBS draft analyst Rob Rang, who was also at the session. “If (Sanchez) can be that good, then the timing is right (for the Seahawks to pick him).”
The Seahawks, of course, are refusing to let their feelings be known. When team president Tim Ruskell was asked last week whether team personnel were satisfied with what they’ve seen from Sanchez, his response was a terse: “Yes, we are.”
Personnel people who are trying to fan the rising smoke don’t typically clam up like that.
Sanchez is regarded by many as the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft, behind Matthew Stafford of Georgia. But there is a growing sense that some teams actually favor the less-experienced Sanchez as the top quarterback in the Class of 2009.
One local person who knows Sanchez’s game about as well as anyone is University of Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian. The former offensive coordinator at USC, Sarkisian spent a good part of the past three years helping develop Sanchez into the player that he’s become.
“I think Mark will be a fantastic pro ,” Sarkisian said after UW’s spring practice Monday afternoon. “He’s extremely bright, he’s a tremendous competitor, and he brings a lot of energy to the football team. Nobody works harder, on and off the field, from a preparation standpoint.
“And I think the greatest thing that Mark Sanchez brings is the person that he is. He’ll be tremendous for any community that he goes to. If Seattle’s lucky enough to get him, from a community standpoint, they’ll really embrace him.”
Sarkisian is not the only person who believes Sanchez can develop into a solid NFL starter. The 22-year-old quarterback is climbing up the mock drafts, many of which have him landing in Seattle this weekend.
“He really could have been the No. 1 pick if he came back for his senior year,” Rang said, referring to a 2010 draft that could include Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow as well as Texas standout Colt McCoy. “You can’t take him No. 1 (this year) because he only has 16 starts. But if you watch the kid, he’s got everything you’re looking for.
“His arm is every bit as strong as Matt Ryan (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 draft) had last year, and it’s as strong as Hasselbeck’s. He’s accurate, and the rare thing is that he’s every bit as accurate when he’s rolling out. He’s a natural leader, and I think the Seahawks really like his intangibles.”
The Seahawks’ interest in Sanchez is becoming more and more apparent as the calendar days count down toward draft day.
But it’s far from a done deal. Ruskell is on record as saying that Seattle will have to be careful about inflating a player’s grade during the week leading up to the draft, regardless of position. This came last week, after he was asked about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 1994 decision to draft quarterback Trent Dilfer sixth overall.
While Dilfer went on to have a moderate career, his days with Ruskell in Tampa were mostly disappointing.
“It made you think you have to be very disciplined (in the draft),” said Ruskell, a former Buccaneers personnel man, of Tampa’s decision to draft Dilfer that year. “Yes, we had a glaring need at the position. But you have to make sure that you’re not altering your grade. You see that a lot, especially at that position.”
The Seahawks organization knows a lot about disappointing first-round quarterbacks, having drafted Dan McGwire (16th in 1991) and Rick Mirer (third in 1993) and ending up with very little to show for those picks.
Ruskell and the Seahawks hope they don’t make the same mistake this time around.
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