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Jalen Milroe gets a golden opportunity to develop in Preseason Week 3 as he’ll start and play the entire game against the Packers. While this is atypical use of the final preseason game, it speaks to the Seahawks long-term approach at quarterback.
General manager John Schneider is no stranger to bold quarterback moves. In 2012, he enabled Pete Carroll to start rookie Russell Wilson over veteran free agent Matt Flynn in Week 1 despite the salary cap situation it would go on to complicate. In 2022, he traded Wilson to the Broncos and enabled Carroll to start Geno Smith despite flak from fans and media. Observers have been curious how his plan looks after adding two quarterbacks this offseason, drafting Milroe in the 3rd Round and signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract.
Darnold has received solid reports in camp and is the starter, but Milroe’s athleticism is a constant talking point. With a 4.37 40-yd dash, he’s already the second fastest quarterback in the league to Lamar Jackson (unofficial 4.34 40 in 2018). As a result, some of the same talking points about Jackson coming out of college apply to Milroe, too.
The 99th percentile speed they both possess can be a blessing and a curse at the position. Since peewee, Milroe has had an athletic advantage in his back pocket that he can use when the offensive play fails. He’s truly gifted at escaping the pocket and running when passing plays don’t develop. But to play in a pro offense, he has to prove what Lamar did- that he can take care of the football.
In Alabama’s offense, he was able to rely on other star players making individual efforts. He could maintain his run and gun tendencies as long as he hit Ryan Williams downfield or scrambled for a big gain. But Seattle’s offense is built on a horizontal approach rather than a vertical one, meaning Milroe will have to be taught new habits.
New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak showered Milroe with praise at the start of OTAs. While his offense is a near-polar opposite of what Nick Sheridan ran last year at Alabama, Milroe has vital development time to learn good habits before being judged by NFL standards. He doesn’t have to step in right away like Anthony Richardson did for the Colts. Darnold’s stability allows him to watch and learn for an entire year, like Patrick Mahomes did for the Chiefs.
Milroe throws a beautiful deep ball and runs with skill players, but the real key to his short-term success is learning not to be the hero. A successful day for Milroe tomorrow relies on hitting open receivers with textbook timing, rather than rocketing the ball into tight windows (we know he can). It relies on him making pre-snap adjustments, looking the safeties off and completing mid-range passes that put the defense in a bind. His arm makes them respect the deep ball, his legs force them to respect the run, and if he develops the poise to gash them over the middle, there will simply be too much grass to cover for almost any personnel or scheme.
When he does need to beat players individually, he has big play firepower. But it’s more about knowing when to use it. The more plays, drives and quarters he sticks to the script, the more he’ll look “ready”.
Saturday is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for Milroe. His strengths are apparent every time he steps on the field. If he shows his weaknesses, he’ll have a whole season to study and address them. But if he shows improvement, the Seahawks can get excited about the next stages of the plan to reach his high ceiling- and eventually, take Seattle with him.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks setting Jalen Milroe up for success at Green Bay Packers
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General manager John Schneider is no stranger to bold quarterback moves. In 2012, he enabled Pete Carroll to start rookie Russell Wilson over veteran free agent Matt Flynn in Week 1 despite the salary cap situation it would go on to complicate. In 2022, he traded Wilson to the Broncos and enabled Carroll to start Geno Smith despite flak from fans and media. Observers have been curious how his plan looks after adding two quarterbacks this offseason, drafting Milroe in the 3rd Round and signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract.
Darnold has received solid reports in camp and is the starter, but Milroe’s athleticism is a constant talking point. With a 4.37 40-yd dash, he’s already the second fastest quarterback in the league to Lamar Jackson (unofficial 4.34 40 in 2018). As a result, some of the same talking points about Jackson coming out of college apply to Milroe, too.
The 99th percentile speed they both possess can be a blessing and a curse at the position. Since peewee, Milroe has had an athletic advantage in his back pocket that he can use when the offensive play fails. He’s truly gifted at escaping the pocket and running when passing plays don’t develop. But to play in a pro offense, he has to prove what Lamar did- that he can take care of the football.
In Alabama’s offense, he was able to rely on other star players making individual efforts. He could maintain his run and gun tendencies as long as he hit Ryan Williams downfield or scrambled for a big gain. But Seattle’s offense is built on a horizontal approach rather than a vertical one, meaning Milroe will have to be taught new habits.
New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak showered Milroe with praise at the start of OTAs. While his offense is a near-polar opposite of what Nick Sheridan ran last year at Alabama, Milroe has vital development time to learn good habits before being judged by NFL standards. He doesn’t have to step in right away like Anthony Richardson did for the Colts. Darnold’s stability allows him to watch and learn for an entire year, like Patrick Mahomes did for the Chiefs.
Milroe throws a beautiful deep ball and runs with skill players, but the real key to his short-term success is learning not to be the hero. A successful day for Milroe tomorrow relies on hitting open receivers with textbook timing, rather than rocketing the ball into tight windows (we know he can). It relies on him making pre-snap adjustments, looking the safeties off and completing mid-range passes that put the defense in a bind. His arm makes them respect the deep ball, his legs force them to respect the run, and if he develops the poise to gash them over the middle, there will simply be too much grass to cover for almost any personnel or scheme.
When he does need to beat players individually, he has big play firepower. But it’s more about knowing when to use it. The more plays, drives and quarters he sticks to the script, the more he’ll look “ready”.
Saturday is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for Milroe. His strengths are apparent every time he steps on the field. If he shows his weaknesses, he’ll have a whole season to study and address them. But if he shows improvement, the Seahawks can get excited about the next stages of the plan to reach his high ceiling- and eventually, take Seattle with him.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks setting Jalen Milroe up for success at Green Bay Packers
Continue reading...
