Seahawks Almost Drafted 'Best QB Athlete Ever,' Reveals Coach Pete Carroll

"He might be the best athlete that's ever been drafted at that position," Seahawks coach says of Anthony Richardson "He's arguably that.'' ... An NFL quote worth filing away for the long-term ...

Let's not miss the real point - the big-picture point - of the Seattle Seahawks' high opinion of Florida quarterbac kAnthony Richardson, who as it turns out was unavailable when the team made pick No. 5 overall in the recent NFL Draft.

This has nothing to do with any disrespect for the player Seattle did choose. The Seahawks surprised some in the football world but delighted themselves by selecting Illinois defensive back Devon Witherspoon in that spot.

This also has nothing do with any disrespect for the incumbent quarterback Geno Smith, who was signed to a new deal this offseason, all along with the understanding that Seattle might end up drafting his heir.

And finally, this doesn't even have to do with the quote from head coach Pete Carroll making the rounds that makes it clear the Seahawks gave Richardson "tremendous consideration" in the pre-draft process.

"We considered him," Carroll said. "Shoot, we flew all the way out there to go see him... We gave him tremendous consideration."

No, no. There is something else here, and this is about Richardson specifically. Because Carroll didn't just characterize Richardson as an option had the QB been available in the No. 5 spot. More than that, he said that the ex-Gators Florida signal-caller might be the most athletic quarterback prospect ... ever.

"He might be the best athlete that's ever been drafted at that position," the Seahawks coach said. "He's arguably that. So, we had to definitely consider him."

If that is truly the evaluation? Yes, Richardson - who was selected one slot ahead of Seattle by the Colts at No. 4 - deserved to be considered. But not just over Devon Witherspoon, had the  chips fallen just so ... but also over Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, who went at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, to Carolina and Houston. And for that matter, over John Elway and Michael Vick and Steve Young.

Pete Carroll was asked on @SeattleSports radio how seriously Seattle considered QB Anthony Richardson, who was drafted one spot ahead them to the Colts.

Pete: "We gave him tremendous consideration." pic.twitter.com/NcsGDzg9hG

— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) May 1, 2023

Did the Colts really draft "the most athletic QB of all time''? Did Seattle really almost do that? That makes watching the development of Anthony Richardson something to watch for the history books.

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