I Think I am Convinced About Sanchez

by: Michael Steffes

No, I don't think he is the greatest QB to come through the draft this decade, and I am not sure he would even be top ten in some years. But I think I am convinced the Seahawks should draft him.

I don't want the Seahawks to keep him necessarily, but I do want the Seahawks to draft him. Clearly there is a ton of interest in him, and it can't all be smokescreen. If the Hawks draft Sanchez, then teams have to come to them. The price becomes the issue because obviously he wouldn't have slipped in to the back half of the top ten.

I want the Hawks to draft Sanchez and then try and trade him, mostly because I think trading down is the absolute, 110% right move for the Hawks this year. I am not sold on the value, or certainty of success of any of the other prospects there.

Hear me out on this. Even if the Hawks don't find a take right now for Sanchez, they set themselves up pretty good. If Hass gets hurt, or fails to return to form, the Hawks do have someone in the wings. If he does return and excel, looking once again like a Pro Bowl QB, then the Hawks can still look to deal Sanchez. I mean there is still interest in Matt Lienart right now, and he has been in the league for three years doing nothing of value (except hot tubbing!). There is interest in Brady Quinn. Has he shown that he is a no doubt future Pro Bowler, absoulutely not. If you trade him next year, all you have wasted is a year of development.

Taking Sanchez puts pressure on several teams who are a much more dire situation at QB. Those teams have people making decisions who either make irrational decisions(WA),don't have much room left to alienate their fanbases(DEN), or have spent a ton of money on vets and need to win now (NYJ). You can find a taker, and get value. It might be the only chance to really come out a huge winner in the first round of this draft. It is defintely risky, but I think I am now willing to live with that risk. It is probably no riskier than taking a WR in the first round with a screw in his foot. I think that the Seahawks could make this risk work, even if they have to wait a year.

Now, I will just cross my fingers that KC doesn't pick him first. END