Wallace wishers will have to wait until Frye’s ready

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, September 13, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
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After acquiring Charlie Frye from Cleveland this week, the Seahawks finally have a capable third-string quarterback. So many people are clamoring for the team to start using Seneca Wallace as the secret weapon the coaches have talked about - but seldom used - ever since the athletic signalcaller was drafted in 2004. But anyone who thinks that is going to happen is just going to have to wait.

The Seahawks did indeed pick up what seems to be a very capable third quarterback, acquiring Frye just two days after he had started the season opener for the Browns. Frye, a third-round pick in 2005, has started 19 games in his first three seasons. But the Browns drafted Brady Quinn in the first round this year, and Frye had not separated himself from Derek Anderson in the battle for the interim starting job.

So one team's garbage became another team's gold as the Seahawks were more than happy to send a sixth-round pick (likely the one they got the same day in a deal that sent Bryce Fisher to Tennessee) for a veteran third QB.

The deal immediately sent a wild fire of speculation throughout Seahawk Land that the trade was made so Seattle could finally get Wallace on the field - something the coaches have wanted to do for two years but couldn't because they didn't have a capable third quarterback in case Wallace and starter Matt Hasselbeck were both injured.

After Trent Dilfer left before the 2005 season (coincidentally, traded to Cleveland to be the Browns' starting quarterback), Wallace became the No. 2 passer behind Hasselbeck. But David Greene, Seattle's third-round pick in 2005, never did enough to make coach Mike Holmgren think he could handle the job if both Hasselbeck and Wallace were hurt. That's why the team finally gave up on Greene this summer.

With the sudden acquisition of Frye this week, many people were a-twitter with excitement over the prospect of lining Wallace up somewhere besides quarterback.

"That could happen," Holmgren told reporters Wednesday. "In the future, though. Now let's all just slow down here just a little bit on that one ... that's somewhere down the road there."

As in several months down the road. For Holmgren to feel comfortable leaving the offense in Frye's hands, Frye needs to know the offense. And that takes time, especially with Holmgren's complicated West Coast scheme. It can't be learned in a week, a month or even a year.

That said, the Seahawks might get to a point by the second half of the season where they are comfortable with the possibility of having to use Frye. And that's when Holmgren might risk injury to Wallace by sending his real No. 2 out there as a receiver or punt returner or trick playster.

"My hope has always been that I could bring in a third quarterback who I felt could come in and play," Holmgren said. "I mean really play, in which case that would free up Seneca to do some other things.

"Now, maybe we are in that situation, but it won't be for a while. It will not be for a while. So we just have to wait."
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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