In 2009, many fans were hoping for a quarterback to be the heir apparent to Matt Hasselbeck. Instead, they got a sixth-round pick with plenty of upside and even more downside.
Hasselbeck commented before the draft how he doesn't trust high draft picks since they're handed everything rather than having to fight for it as he did, a sixth-round pick.
So Mike Teel was the selection, and he'll have plenty of opportunity to fight and scrap for a roster spot. Whether it makes a difference remains to be seen.
To continue...
Mike Teel
6-3
225 pounds
College stats:
The skills
Unlike when Hasselbeck came out of Boston College, Teel has the ideal physical attributes. He has good size and more importantly, a strong arm.
Throwing to fellow draft picks Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt all three years he was a starter, Teel had time to grow with his receivers, and like them, he made steady improvement every year.
But he was also inconsistent and temperamental. Despite showing signs of strong leadership in leading his team to an upset win over top-10 ranked Rice in 2006, he also showed signs of being a poor leader, punching a teammate near the end of a 2008 loss.
Here's a video on the team's reaction to it:
All in all, Teel is a fiery competitor who needs work on going through his progressions and staying calm under pressure if he's going to stick in the NFL.
Go here for a more detailed scouting report.
Rookie projection
Teel will have a chance to make the squad as the third quarterback, but to do so, he will have to beat out third-year pro Jeff Rowe.
Rowe was a fifth-round pick of the Bengals in 2007. He spent that year as their third quarterback before being demoted to the practice squad in 2008. From there, he was signed by Seattle to their 2008 roster.
The two young quarterbacks are similar in talent, both having good size and strong arms with questionable decision-making. Playing the shallow shotgun in college, Rowe was more raw, but it's hard to know how much he's improved since entering the NFL.
While Rowe was the higher pick, Teel put up better numbers in college in a tougher conference, albeit with better surrounding talent.
Both player have the talent to develop into starters, but only one will likely get that chance in Seattle. Unless Rowe can improve on his slow, slow release, Teel may have the better shot. Either way, neither likely gets the chance to play this year, so Teel's projection is:
0 passing yards
0 touchdowns
The long projection
All the pundits were searching for the next Tom Brady this year, but the fact is Brady was a once-in-a-lifetime pick. No Hall of Fame quarterback has been selected beyond the third round since 1980 except for Warren Moon (undrafted) and Brady.
So we can safely say Teel won't be making it to Canton. But still, there are plenty of solid starters and Pro Bowlers who were drafted low or went undrafted all together.
But projecting whether Teel is one of those players is impossible at this point. It's doubtful even the Packers knew what they had in Hasselbeck when he was a rookie.
Teel certainly has the physical talent, but whether he has the drive and mental makeup to be a starter remains to be seen. Chances are he's just another late-round quarterback who's drafted and then never heard from again.
But then, you never know. Some people are just late, really late, bloomers.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
