THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: A lot of variables at QB in Seattle

The John Schneider era is going to rock.

Trust me, there will be players, agents and fans scratching their heads about the Seahawks’ plans from time to time. We’ve known for a long time that Schneider —now the president of football operations — is really a character.

All this time, though, Pete Carroll was contractually the man in charge, so Schneider wasn’t in the public eye quite that often.

But.

Now?

John has been steering the ship for about five minutes, and already we have a controversy. 

I mean, it’s probably NOT any kind of puzzle inside the organization, but Schneider was willing to let the press and public wonder if the Seahawks perhaps aren’t committed to Geno Smith as QB1.

John made a couple of statements while he had the podium at the NFL Combine this week, and got the place buzzing.

Everyone’s attention, for instance, shot up when he was asked straightaway if Smith was his starter. 

“Yeah, I mean, I would think yes — he’s the starter,” Schneider said. “Until he’s not.”

Now, technically, you could say the same thing about Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Someday, they won’t be starting quarterbacks.

It’s not going to happen in 2024, however.

AND GENO?

He doesn’t have a “forever” position like the NFL’s grandest stars, but he does have a job.

Perhaps even more important, he has a contract.

When the Seahawks recently converted a chunk of Smith’s money to a signing bonus, they essentially changed his pocket cash to around $22 million for ‘24.

More critical in terms of adding and subtracting players on the roster, however, Smith now carries a $27 million dead cap hit — which is what the Seahawks would incur if Geno were traded or released.

Yes, the NFL cap is jumping up around $30 million this year, but nobody (including Seattle) wants to waste that money before they’ve even tried to make some improvements with it.

Let’s be reasonable.

Schneider and new coach Mike Macdonald surely have had conversations long into the night about plans for an ultimate transition at quarterback.

Geno is not likely to spend a decade in his current gig.

Circumstances, however, cry out that any major change will likely happen at least another season down the road. 

There has been speculation among media who cover the NFL that the Seahawks manipulating Smith’s salary makes him easier to trade, because any other interested organization would know exactly what sort of money is involved.

Schneider more or less dismissed that strategy by saying the Hawks needed to adjust Geno’s contract at some point, “so why not do it now?”

Of course, this is pro football, so you can’t ever feel assured that you’re hearing the truth.

At the combine two years ago, Carroll made sure to tell anyone who would listen that the Seahawks had no plans to trade Russell Wilson.

One week later, they shipped him off to Denver.

IT’S NOT exactly a surprise that the Seahawks also hope to retain Drew Lock — now a free agent — who played as Smith’s backup last season on a one-year, $4 million contract.

Schneider even phrased it as a competition, which is fair enough since Lock looked pretty solid in four games (two starts) last season.

Note: Lock is 27, Smith 34.

Then there’s the issue of the draft this spring — where Seattle will pick 16th in the first round, but has no choice in the second (part of the trade for defensive tackle Leonard Williams).

Schneider has become known as something of youth quarterback specialist, too.

He championed both Mahomes and Josh Allen before they were household names, but the Seahawks had Wilson in his prime at those points.

So.

It just makes sense that things should fall into place roughly the same way as last season —  with one possible twist.

Smith will go in as QB1, with Lock challenging him (assuming they can sign him), but Schneider claims he WANTS to draft a quarterback.

“It’s a good group,” Schneider said of this year’s QB class.

“Every year, it’s a goal to acquire a quarterback, whether that’s draft, free agency, whatever it looks like. “But, yeah, this year’s draft class is a cool group.”

Remember, too, that the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator is Ryan Grubb, who was the University of Washington’s OC and thus had two seasons working with Michael Penix Jr.

Schneider summed it up this way: “There are a lot of variables.”

No kidding.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”