The Seattle Seahawks will apparently have five quarterbacks on their roster heading into training camp.
Five equals zero for the time being because none of those quarterbacks has proven he can win or keep a starting job in the NFL.
Jackson
LeinartThe future is not quite now for Seattle, but newcomers Tarvaris Jackson and (possibly) Matt Leinart will join Charlie Whitehurst in helping the Seahawks get to theirs. The team's agreements with Jackson and Leinart create a muddled short-term picture at the position. Matt Hasselbeck, who will not return, has been replaced by committee.
A few quick thoughts on the Seahawks' veteran players at the position:
Jackson. Brian Holliday came through with the stat of the day via Twitter, noting that Jackson has a higher career passer rating than Philadelphia Eagles backup Kevin Kolb. Think about that while pondering whether Arizona should part with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and draft compensation for the rights to Kolb. Jackson is 28 years old, has a 10-10 starting record and posted season passer ratings of 95.4 and 113.4 in two of the past three years. Jackson's career rating is higher than any one-year rating for Hasselbeck over the past three seasons. On the other hand, he is Tarvaris Jackson.
Leinart. The Seahawks showed little interest in Leinart last summer. That seemed telling given coach Pete Carroll's connections to Leinart from their days together at USC. One line of thinking was that Leinart would not fit just any offense. He would need a team to set up its scheme just right for him, and who was going to do that? Whether or not that is true, Leinart's pedigree as a first-round draft choice means he has talent. The way Arizona handled him last season sent a strong negative message, however. The Cardinals, by their actions and coach Ken Whisenhunt's comments at the time, pretty much said Leinart didn't have what it took to lead a team. He wasn't going to beat out Kurt Warner (or even Derek Anderson, as it was), but could he beat out Jackson and Whitehurst? ESPN's Chris Mortensen says Seattle and Leinart are talking.
Whitehurst. Two starts and a 1-1 record leave Whitehurst as the least-known prospect among the three. The team hasn't seen enough of him to make an informed decision. What they have seen wasn't enough to make them bet much on Whitehurst, either. If Whitehurst cannot beat out Jackson or Leinart, the Seahawks will have all the information they need, most likely.
Let the adventure begin.
Note: This item initially indicated Leinart had agreed to terms on a deal with Seattle. An ESPN.com story on the Seahawks' quarterback situation indicated that was the case. I'm told that part of the story was in error and the product of a miscommunication. Leinart is in the picture for Seattle, but there is no agreement at this time.