The Sam Howell in Washington came to a sudden end on Thursday. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he is no longer part of the Commanders’ future. The team sent him to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for draft picks. Full deal is below.
Another QB trade: Commanders are sending last year’s starter Sam Howell to the Seahawks in a pick swap, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2024
Trade:
🏈Seahawks receive Howell, a fourth-round pick (No. 102), a sixth (No. 179).
🏈Commanders receive a third (No. 78) and a fifth (No. 152). pic.twitter.com/jCEivnjg9D
How does this trade affect both teams and their future?
For Washington, their draft plans are officially clear
With the departure of Howell, the Commanders know exactly what they will do with the second overall pick in the 2024 draft: getting a quarterback.
Now, it may not be Caleb Williams, who will likely go number one to the Chicago Bears. But, prospects like Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are the other choices that will be on the board for them.
A new regime led by head coach Dan Quinn, it wasn’t a surprise the team traded away Howell, who has some good moments in 2023. There was a point where he led the league in passing. In the end, he finished with 3,946 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
With a record of 5-13 as a starter, it was not impressive of a resume for Washington to even think about keeping him around. Considering where they are at in the draft, Howell was expendable.
At the moment, the Commanders have the recently signed Marcus Mariota and Jake Fromm as the only quarterbacks on the roster.
For Seattle, they may have found their future starter
It’s clear Howell needs time to develop into a capable and dependable starter. Seattle is a great place for him, as he won’t be thrown into the starting job immediately. It’s because the incumbent Geno Smith is slated to be the number one guy, barring any injury or surprise coaching decision.
At 33 years old, Smith’s time is running out in the league. He surprised many with his play in 2022 (30 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions along with 4,282 passing yards). But, 2023 was more of a subpar year. He threw just 20 touchdowns and 3,624 yards (although he did miss two games due to injury).
Now, if Smith struggles again in 2024, new head coach Pete Carmichael could turn to Howell and let him do this thing. It’s simple: if Howell plays well, he could be the future QB1. If not, then the Seahawks will need to address the position in next year’s draft as they could finish with a top pick.
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Featured Image: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
