Sports Radio Interviews

Is Seneca Wallace the New Starting Quarterback in Cleveland?

Seneca Wallace has been in the NFL for eight years with Seattle Seahawks and has spent much of his time sitting on the sidelines with a clipboard behind Matt Hasselbeck.  Not anymore.  Wallace is now on his way to Cleveland, but it remains to be seen what role he will have with the Browns.  While he has spent much of his career as the backup, he has gotten some playing time due to injury and when he has, he’s been pretty effective.  Wallace has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for his career and has 25 touchdown passes to just 14 interceptions.  When you look at the numbers, that’s not really that bad.  However, Wallace is short for the position at just 5’11 and because he has never gotten a consistent opportunity, nobody really knows if he can be a full-time starter in the NFL.  Except maybe for the guy that just traded for him.  Mike Holmgren was with Wallace nearly his entire career in Seattle and he was also the man that drafted him in 2003.

Right now, the Browns quarterback situation is shaky at best, the same way it has been since the team came back in 1999.  With Derek Anderson being released yesterday, the Browns currently have three quarterbacks on their roster with Brady Quinn, Brett Ratliff and Seneca Wallace.  There is a lot of time remaining this off-season and the Browns will more than likely continue their quarterback search, but right now it’s safe to say Cleveland’s roster currently has an opening at quarterback and Wallace is on his way to Cleveland to try and fill it.  Whether he can or not is a completely different story.

Seneca Wallace joined KJR in Seattle with Dave “Softy” Mahler to talk about whether or not he was surprised by this trade, whether or not he is coming into Cleveland to be the starting quarterback, and how he feels about being reunited with Mike Holmgren.

On whether or not he was surprised by the trade to Cleveland

“It came fast.  I wasn’t gonna say I was shocked.  There were some rumors out there that I was gonna get traded to Cleveland.  It just so happened so quickly yesterday.  I’m happy about it and like you said I’m on my way to Cleveland now.”

On the direction that the Seahawks are going in:

“I think they’re going in a different direction.  I think some of the things that are coming up this season, for the draft and with Pete Carroll and some of those guys coming in with the new staff, I think they’re going in a different direction.  I have no complaints.  I’m happy about the situation that came down with me going to Cleveland now and I think it’s time for me to start fresh.  I had a good time in Seattle.”

On whether or not he is going into Cleveland with the mindset of being the starting quarterback:

“That’s the way.  I’m coming in with a lot of confidence and just trying to come in and spark the team a little bit.  I know we all have our bumps in the road and now it’s to kinda start fresh.  Mike came in and he’s trying to mix that up a little bit and I’m excited about it.  I’m excited to be a part of the dawg pound, be over there, and have fun in Cleveland, Ohio.”

On never getting an opportunity to start and this being an opportunity:

“Exactly.  I’m excited about it.  The sky is the limit.  As long as I take advantage of every opportunity I get here in Cleveland, we’ll see what happens from there, but I’m really excited about being back with Gil (Haskell) Mike and those guys, and Mangini the coach over there.  The future is bright for us over in Cleveland.”

On how tough it will be for Mike Holmgren to stay off the sidelines:

“I think it’s gonna be tough for him.  Mike has always been a guy who always wants to have control and have control of every player on the football field especially on the offensive side of the ball.  I think now with his situation that he’s in in Cleveland, it’s gonna be tough for him.  I’m pretty sure we’ll see a lot of him on the field standing around and overlooking things but I think he understands.  He understands that this is Mangini’s team, he’s the head coach of the team, and he has to let him do what he has to do to make us successful.”

Listen to Seneca Wallace on KJR in Seattle here

Tags: Browns Trade for Seneca Wallace, Cleveland Browns, KJR Seattle, NFL, Seattle Seahawks, Seneca Wallace