What is the Seahawks' backup plan at quarterback?

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson runs an agility drill during Seahawks minicamp on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson runs an agility drill during Seahawks minicamp on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close What is the Seahawks' backup plan at quarterback? 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

This is the eighth of a 12-part pre-training camp series addressing key offseason questions for the Seahawks entering the 2017 season. Part 8: Are the Seahawks in a position to succeed if Russell Wilson isn't available?

Every backup quarterback situation in the NFL can be assessed in this way: How fast would everyone think the sky is falling if the No. 2 option had to start in a pivotal game?

For the Seattle Seahawks the answer is simple: Fast. Very, very fast.

Part of that is because the Seahawks at the moment don't have a clear-cut No. 2 at quarterback, the battle between Trevone Boykin and Austin Davis set to continue through training camp and the preseason (Seattle will almost certainly carry just two QBs on its roster during the sesaon).

Russell Wilson had the most unhealthy season of his pro career in 2016, failing to make it through the first week of the regular season before suffering an ankle injury. Fortunately for the Seahawks, their franchise QB didn't miss any starts and managed to put together a strong campaign and lead the team to a playoff win for the fifth straight year.

It's a good thing he didn't miss any starts, either, because throwing an undrafted rookie quarterback behind an offensive line that was regarded as one of the worst units in the league -- with a dismantled running back situation -- sounds like the recipe for a well-cooked disaster.

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Seattle has championship aspirations, and while this team has had success with undrafted players, starting one at the most important position on the field just doesn't qualify as a quality contingency plan.

The 23-year-old Boykin, whose legal issues resulted in two offseason arrests, may very well develop into a fine passer, but for he now he's inexperienced with just 18 regular season passing attempts to his name.

Then there's Davis, who despite being in an obvious position battle with Boykin will likely be compared to Colin Kaepernick during his entire stint with the Seahawks, however long that may be. Davis was brought in for a visit in May on the same day as the seemingly exiled Kaepernick, though Seattle went with Davis over the former 49ers QB.

Davis, undrafted out of Southern Miss in 2012, started two games for the Browns in 2015 and eight for the Rams in 2014, one of which included a 28-26 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle.

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During minicamp the two backups looked to be impressive, though August will be the month when they have the best opportunity to outdo each other. Boykin has the advantage of being in the system for a year, while Davis' advantage comes in the form of his veteran status, which coach Pete Carroll likes.

And in assessing Davis after minicamp, Carroll said Davis "blew us away with how fast he could pick stuff up."

"He brings more playtime experience, just in the meeting room that we treasure," Carroll said. "He's been there, he's played games and all that. Trevone hasn't had that and can't have that yet. It's been a good mix so far. So we brought him in and we'll make these evaluations as we get back but I think Austin showed very well for himself. He's got his own style. He's a different style player than Trevone or Russell of course, but I kind of like what he brought us."

But as experienced as he is, there's a reason Davis is not battling for a starting job elsewhere. If called upon to start, he'd have offensive talent surrounding him, one of the best defenses in the league manning the other side of the ball...and the highest expectations of any organization he's played for.

In terms of money, Boykin is due $540,000 in 2017 and Davis reportedly inked a one-year deal worth $775,000 with $30,000 bonus if he makes the 53-man roster. Both salaries are ideal for a guy Seattle hopes never has to play, but in the event that one of them has to, that would be, well, less than ideal.

If Wilson stays healthy, Seattle is a championship-caliber team. If he's not, Seattle could only be a .500-caliber team.

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports reporter Michael-Shawn Dugar at michaelshawndugar@seattlepi.com or @MikeDugar.