When the Seahawks drafted QB Russell Wilson in the 3rd round of last month's NFL draft, it was one of the rare moves made by the franchise that pundits actually praised. The lone knock on Wilson was his height, or else he would have likely gone in the Top 10, according those same pundits.
Based on reaction from his performance at the Seattle Seahawks' rookie minicamp this weekend, it sounds like size doesn't matter.
Most notably, Carroll saying that Wilson had shown enough to get a chance to compete for the starting QB spot with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson:
Pete Carroll says Russell Wilson is going to be in the competition for starting QB with Matt Flynn & Tarvaris Jackson.
— Curtis Crabtree (@Curtis_Crabtree) May 13, 2012
Carroll on Wilson: "He's going to be in the competition. He's shown us enough. He's in the competition."
— Curtis Crabtree (@Curtis_Crabtree) May 13, 2012
Following that news, a football mind that we greatly respect here at SBN Seattle, Doug Farrar, took to twitter and fired off this series of tweets on Wilson:
Wilson impressed right away with command of the offense. When the bullets are flying, how high is his ceiling, literally and otherwise?
— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) May 13, 2012
Wilson is a very unique player in that he has one very obvious physical debit, but he absolutely maxes out in everything else.
— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) May 13, 2012
This isn't one of those gritty underdog stories -- you watch Wilson play and it's perfectly clear that he has everything else to succeed.
— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) May 13, 2012
Saints do all kinds of rollouts with Brees -- designed bails, boot-action half rolls to get clear and open lanes. Wilson would need similar.
— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) May 13, 2012
I'll say this: Based on tape/minicamp, Wilson already throws receivers open and sells play action as well/better than anyone on the roster.
— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) May 13, 2012
Also, this from ESPN's Liz Mathews:
More Carroll on Wilson: "He really left no doubt that he needs to be in the competition of this thing."Going to be an interesting battle!
— Liz Mathews 710 ESPN (@Liz_Mathews) May 13, 2012
Now, the comparison to Drew Brees is an obvious one, because both QB's are vertically-challenged. But In reality, Wilson doesn't need to be measured against Brees, he needs to be measured against Flynn and incumbent starter, Jackson.
That's where Farrar's analysis perks our interest. The fact that Wilson can do certain things "as well or better than any QB on the roster" means we may actually get the first real QB competition of the Carroll Era.
---------------
For more Seahawks talk and analysis be sure to visit SB Nation's Seahawks blog, Field Gulls.