PULLMAN — Anthony Gordon waited, waited and waited some more.
By the time the New York Giants came up with the 255th and final pick of the 2020 NFL draft, 13 other quarterbacks had been selected – some who’d been projected to go higher than the record-setting signal-caller from Washington State, but many who were thought to be picked lower. The Giants chose Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder as “Mr. Irrelevant,” sending Gordon into free agency as one of the most-coveted quarterbacks on the market.
The nation’s leading passer wasn’t available for long.
According to a Spokesman-Review source, the WSU quarterback agreed to an undrafted free-agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Gordon was widely thought to be one of the top 10 prospects available in the draft, though it was assumed he’d be chosen between the fifth and seventh rounds and enter the NFL as a backup.
Even as a UDFA, Gordon, who grew up in Pacifica, Calif., will still have a chance to do that. Next to franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks don’t have another signal-caller on the roster, though some think the club will re-sign former backup Geno Smith.
In his lone year as WSU’s starter, the former City College of San Francisco transfer rewrote Pac-12 record books, setting single-season marks for touchdowns (48), passing yards (5,579), total offense and completions (493).
Easop Winston Jr., a teammate of Gordon’s at WSU and CCSF, also negotiated a UDFA deal. The most productive receiver at WSU over the last two years will join the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent, according to a source.
WSU’s Fred Mauigoa, the three-year starting center who blocked for each of the Cougars’ recent record-setting quarterbacks – Gordon, Gardner Minshew and Luke Falk – agreed to a UDFA deal with the Carolina Panthers, he told The Spokesman-Review Saturday afternoon.
