By Jordan Long
The Seattle Seahawks decided to pass on Colin Kaepernick as backup quarterback. They signed Austin Davis to serve as the backup quarterback to Russell Wilson this season. Davis agreed to a one-year $855,000 deal.
Davis enters his 5th NFL season. Davis doesn’t have much NFL experience, suiting up in a total of 13 games and passing for 2,548 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He hasn’t seen the field since 2015. That year, Davis was a member of the Cleveland Browns and appeared in three games. Last season, when he was with the Denver Broncos, Davis was third on the depth chart behind Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Once the season was over he was a free agent and it was clear the Broncos weren’t interested in keeping Davis. The Seahawks decided to reach a contract with him since he is a veteran quarterback.
This was a surprising move. Davis is not a mobile quarterback. If Wilson goes down, it will be difficult for Davis to run the bootleg because he doesn’t have the speed to do so. The Seattle Seahawks will need to adjust the playbook and must have him in the shotgun. Davis hasn’t proven he can play in the NFL. When he is on the field, Davis doesn’t read defenses well and throws the football into double coverage and more times than not it is picked off.
If the Seahawks wanted a quarterback that has the same skills as Wilson, they should have signed Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is the same type of player that Wilson is and can run the Seattle offense. Kaepernick can also run to gain first downs and avoid defenders. He protects the football and won’t turn the ball over because he doesn’t take risks with it by throwing into double coverage.
The Seahawks are taking a gamble with Davis. He can learn the offense but if he has a chance to play, Davis can’t turn the ball over. That will cost the Seattle Seahawks points and field position. Hopefully, this risk works out for them.
What do you think of the Seattle Seahawks signing Austin Davis rather then Colin Kaepernick?
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