Looking back, Sam Darnold has still earned the Seahawks an 'A' grade in free agency

The Seattle Seahawks shook up their quarterback room in March. They signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract days after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. The move drew positive reviews initially. It looks even better now.

Darnold’s contract isn’t fully guaranteed, and the Seahawks can cut him with a post-June 1 designation next year that would save them $27.5 million. If they’re comfortable with rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe’s development, this contract could be perfect for Seattle, says Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.

The deal looks even better now. Signing Darnold, who could start for another decade or more, was a low-risk, high-reward move. Seattle then got itself a developmental Plan B when it drafted Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Round 3.

Milroe may be on the unpolished side but has the ceiling of an elite dual-threat quarterback in the mold of Lamar Jackson—who head coach Mike Macdonald saw plenty of as the Baltimore Ravens‘ defensive coordinator.

If Darnold maintains his Pro Bowl form in Seattle, great. At worst, he’ll give the Seahawks time to develop and evaluate Milroe while examining options in future draft classes.

Knox gave the signing an “A”, an upgrade from his colleague Gary Davenport, who gave the signing an “A-” initially after the signing.

It feels like another fair deal for Darnold. If he outperforms expectations, he could set himself up for an extension from the Seahawks or earn an even bigger payday from another team if Seattle wants to move on to Milroe. Darnold is still only 28, and he possesses all the physical attributes needed in an NFL quarterback.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Looking back, Sam Darnold has still earned the Seahawks an ‘A’ grade

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