There's no competition, the Seattle Seahawks are Drew Lock's team next fall

Which camp are you in when it comes to the Seahawks' quarterback situation? Is coach Pete Carroll in your camp, or in a different campground miles away?

I'm waffling because I'm spending half my time in Carroll's camp, thinking they're good to go with Drew Lock as the projected starter, Geno Smith as the projected backup and Jacob Eason as the promising third-stringer.

But I'm also hanging out in a really fun camp where we sit around the fire making S'mores, drinking Fireball and thinking about how great it would be if the Seahawks traded for Gardner Minshew.

I'm accused of wanting Minshew simply because I'm a Coug, and, full disclosure, you're right — I am, and I'd like to see a return of Minshew Mania and see what it's like at the professional level after experiencing the excitement of it all at the college level at Washington State.

However, it's more than that. Minshew has been a competent NFL quarterback at Jacksonville and Philadelphia, and it's fair to wonder how he'd fare as a full-time starter, particularly in a Carroll offense that wouldn't ask the quarterback to do too much. Granted, the NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah once told me that you'll never get Super Bowl confetti with Minshew at quarterback, and I'm guessing D.J. knows more about football than I do, but couldn't we still see if that's true or not? Bring him in to compete with Lock and see if he's a better option as a bridge QB or a long-term starter?

I don't know what it would take to pry Minshew away from the Eagles. He's currently listed as the backup to Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles also have Reid Sinnett and undrafted free agent Carson Strong as possible backup candidates. Guessing it would take a fifth-round pick to get the Eagles' attention, but it doesn't seem like the Seahawks have any interest in acquiring him.

Carroll's perfectly comfortable in his camp because the Seahawks did not choose a quarterback in last week's draft. Nor did the team grab some of the bigger available free-agent quarterbacks earlier this offseason.

I don't get the Geno love — he's 13-21 as a starter in his career — but as long as he's the backup, OK. Just don't try selling Smith as the starter. No one wants that. Well, someone does, and that's Geno himself, especially with incentives that could earn him as much as $7 million this year. Carroll likes him because he knows the system. Personally I'd rather have a backup who isn't familiar with the system but has more talent.

I firmly believe that Carroll thinks he can do big things with Lock by building a stronger foundation on both sides of the ball. If he didn't feel this way, don't you think he would have pursued Baker Mayfield by now? Don't you think we might have heard some reports somewhere linking the Seahawks with rumored interest in Jimmy Garoppolo?

Or what about Nick Foles, released recently by the Bears. Didn't he win a Super Bowl with the Eagles? And wasn't he the starting quarterback last year when the Bears beat the Seahawks 25-24 at Lumen Field?

For a coach who constantly preaches "always compete," he doesn't seem to be applying that to the quarterback position this year. Carroll might say that Smith and Eason will battle Lock for the job, but everyone will mutter "Sure, Pete" under their breath, knowing that he's spewing coach-speak.

Mayfield's the wild card. From a purely entertainment standpoint, I'd love to see Mayfield in a Seahawks' uniform. The guy's a lightning rod, a former No. 1 overall pick who hasn't come close to meeting expectations, sparking non-stop controversy. Could he resurrect his career with the Seahawks?

You probably know what happened in Cleveland — Mayfield fell out of favor, prompting the Browns to throw a guaranteed $230 million at Deshaun Watson to become their franchise quarterback. Mayfield played well in 2020, leading the Browns to the playoffs, and didn't play well last year, but I would contend that much of that had to do with Mayfield playing through a shoulder injury. Could a fully healthy Mayfield look like he did in 2020? Certainly.

"He's a clear upgrade over Drew Lock," said Kay Adams of the NFL Network. "Seattle's run heavy, it's a perfect match. I hope they make the move."

That's a fair point. Mayfield benefited from a solid running game in Cleveland and would figure to have the same thing in Seattle with Rashaad Penny, second-round draft choice Kenneth Walker III and possibly Chris Carson, if he can return from a neck injury.

Two weeks ago Mayfield said on the "Ya Neva Know" podcast that Seattle would be his most likely landing spot, but I doubt the feeling's mutual. One of the issues is Mayfield's salary — he's guaranteed to make $18.9 million this year. Maybe if the Browns pick up half of it, the Seahawks might bite. Whatever happens, the Browns have no leverage and would be fortunate to get a late-round pick for Mayfield. They backed themselves farther in the corner when they signed Jacoby Brissett to be Watson's backup last month.

I sense that Seahawks' fans share Carroll's reluctance to bring Mayfield to Seattle, though it should be noted that supposed problem players can thrive when Seattle's head coach throws his arms around them and nurtures them along. But I think Carroll's excitement about Lock's potential is so strong that it lessens the possibility of acquiring other candidates.

Things could change in the coming months, but if you're holding out hope for Mayfield or Minshew or someone else, you're going to be disappointed because The Drew Lock Era is about to begin.

Jim Moore is a longtime Pacific Northwest sportswriter and sports radio host on 950 KJR at 10 a.m. weekdays with Jason Puckett, and writes a regular column for the Kitsap Sun. Contact Jim at jimmoorethego2guy@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Why Drew Lock will be Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback in 2022