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Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks’ QB rumor mill keeps churning. The latest name? Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo warms up before an NFC divisional playoff game in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Jan. 22.  (Tribune News Service)
By Bob Condotta Seattle Times

Just when you thought it was safe to wade into the NFL rumor mill with no danger of finding something about the Seahawks and quarterbacks, a report came Monday linking Seattle with, yep, Jimmy Garoppolo.

It was just five days ago that the Browns finally traded Baker Mayfield to Carolina, a move that given the meager haul Cleveland got for him seemed to confirm that Seattle was never interested in trading for him. (Signing as a cheap free agent, however, might have been another matter.)

On Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that he has been told the Seahawks have had internal discussions about “the possibility of Garoppolo playing for them” and have “done their film work to see how he would fit.”

Of course, it would be a surprise – if not football malpractice – if they hadn’t.

The job of NFL execs is to do whatever it takes to improve their team, and Seahawks GM John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll famously always say their goal is to be “in on everything” happening around the league.

As Fowler further noted, Seattle likely is interested only if Garoppolo is released, as was thought to be the case with Mayfield.

Fowler said the Seahawks would “maybe just wait for the 49ers to release him” before doing anything, one way or the other.

But as Fowler further noted, that can’t happen yet.

Garoppolo had surgery on his throwing shoulder in March and first must pass a physical before a move can be made. Reports have stated he has or will soon begin throwing and could pass a physical in time for the beginning of training camp July 26.

No team is going to trade for a contract that is even more costly than Mayfield’s was – Garoppolo is due to make a $24.2 million base salary in 2022. Unlike Mayfield’s, Garoppolo’s salary is not guaranteed, so as Fowler also reported, the 49ers will likely redo his contract before trying to trade him.

So, yes, a lot has to happen before you need to rush out and buy a Seahawks Jimmy G. jersey, especially since intra-division trades tend to be rare. Seattle hasn’t made a trade in the division since 2017, though that was with 49ers – a draft day deal in which the Seahawks moved down three spots to pick up an extra fourth-rounder. Would the 49ers really be willing to trade a QB to a division rival?

Then there’s the matter of whether the Seahawks would even be all that interested – discussing internally how he might fit is obviously a step short of saying Seattle would definitely pursue him if available.

The Seahawks have spoken strongly of their confidence in one of Geno Smith or Drew Lock to give the competent quarterbacking in 2022. While some may regard that as lip service, the team has done nothing of note to add to the position since acquiring Lock on March 8 in the Russell Wilson deal other than re-signing Smith.

Conventional wisdom is that the Seahawks are fine going with Smith/Lock (or should that be locksmith?) in 2022 knowing they have a ton of draft capital (two first-round picks and two seconds) in 2023 to pursue a Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud if they want, as well as oodles of cap space (currently, almost $58 million).

That’s why the thought has been Seattle hasn’t wanted to invest much in a QB now, such as a trade involving future picks or spending much – Seattle has just $5.8 million in cap space devoted to QBs this year (not including $26 million in dead money to Wilson), less than all but three other teams.

But should Garoppolo soon pass a physical, the expectation is the 49ers will work quickly to move him one way or the other, wanting to open the door for second-year QB Trey Lance while ridding themselves of Jimmy G.’s salary and cap hit – $25.5 million in 2022 – to make other moves (such as giving an extension to WR Deebo Samuel). The NFL Network reported Monday the expectation is that the 49ers will trade Garoppolo before July ends.

But should they not be successful and Garoppolo ends up being released and available for only whatever contract he and another team can agree on, could Seattle really be interested?

Well, Garoppolo is just 30, and the Seahawks wouldn’t be the Seahawks if they didn’t at least throw it up on the chalkboard for discussion.

For now, Fowler’s report may prove mostly that as with Mayfield, until Garoppolo lands somewhere else, the Seahawks’ QB rumor mill figures to just keep churning.