Sam Howell is Geno's Backup!!

Spin Doctor said:

Mixed feelings on that one. While I think Sam Howell is a gritty, serviceable backup QB, I think that is all he's going to be. He reminds me of a Minshew character. Minshew is a really good backup and he can win you games, but he's never going to be "the guy". He's fun to watch but he has some huge flaws in his game. He goes about playing the game like Russell Wilson, always has going back to college, except he doesn't have elite athleticism like Wilson had. He holds onto the ball forever and prefers to work outside of the pocket as much as possible.

For as much as Schneider talks about QB's, he sure has been hesitant to pull the trigger on one in the draft and it's likely that at most we're going to have a late round developmental prospect that will be stashed away on the PS. It just feels like we keep kicking the can down the road.

Click to expand...

Howell's arm is far better than Minshews. He makes throws that Minshew cannot. They both kind of have that moxie to lead teams though.

Sam Howell looks like Mike's half-brother.

This feels like we are not taking a Qb this year. Howell will start by the end of the year if we are not in the playoff hunt. And will be starting for us next year.

Bear-Hawk said:

The only thing I’d change in this plan is that, if Seahawks manage to draft TQBOTF at #16, he’s my QB2 behind Geno at the start of the season, and Howell is QB3 if you can’t trade him.

Click to expand...

You keep all three this season, trade/cut Geno next season and the QB position is set for a while.

Watch Howell's game against the Eagles... lots of high-level stuff. Yes, one badly timed pick, and one badly timed sack-fumble on 4th down.
But, 400 yards and 4 TDs, despite several key drops by his WRs. This was an impressive outing.

For the most part, the Commies OL picked up Philly's pressure, and gave Howell that extra half-second to throw. Except for the few times they didn't and bad things happened. Howell seems like a QB who thrives when he gets reasonable protection, and struggles when the protection is poor.

After I saw Howell play against the Hawks, and a couple other good games, I expected him to be an up-and-comer starting QB. I'm not really sure why the wheels fell off later in the season, though the numbers suggest he was under pressure constantly, and that wore him down mentally and the OC didn't make adjustments to help his QB, or couldn't make those adjustments due to OL talent issues.

Clearly Grubb was on board with this acquisition and sees things he likes in Howell, and things he can coach up. I really, really like this acquisition, especially at the cheap price. I do think he is one season away from being a viable replacement for Geno as the starter.

Sam Howell every throw and run | Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles | week 8 |​

haroldseattle said:

You keep all three this season, trade/cut Geno next season and the QB position is set for a while.

Click to expand...

That’s possible, but I think you could get more value trading Howell this year than Geno next year. Maybe not. Geno’s contract makes it difficult.

WarHawks said:

If all he is is a cheap backup, then whatever. I was just hoping this might finally be the year they make a big move to get a qbotf, and with our dearth of picks ( which admittedly is not all JS's fault), it seems likely we're just kicking the can down the road [again] toward a weaker draft class next year. I'm just not sure what the long term end game is here.

Click to expand...

I'm hoping it's a trade down and maybe sneak in someone that falls or maybe a guy like Rattler. Thing is Howell definitely has a live arm and talent and we definitely will have at least a middle level defense and our OL won't be trash given the coach in charge and this is a very rare draft loaded with quality OL

1. QOTF
But if it's not possible to get the quarterback you like....Go plan B
2. Very cheap backup that actually may challenge Geno
3. OL, ol, ol
4. Hopefully a Chis Jones type
5. ONE top tier CB
6. Versatile LB's and Safeties

AK49Hawk said:

Sam Howell looks like Mike's half-brother.
View attachment 65566

Click to expand...

He looks like the model for the Minecraft dude.

Bear-Hawk said:

That’s possible, but I think you could get more value trading Howell this year than Geno next year. Maybe not. Geno’s contract makes it difficult.

Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about that. Next year's QB class is very uninspiring; probably will be more demand for Geno if he plays well this year.

olyfan63 said:

After I saw Howell play against the Hawks, and a couple other good games, I expected him to be an up-and-comer starting QB. I'm not really sure why the wheels fell off later in the season, though the numbers suggest he was under pressure constantly, and that wore him down mentally and the OC didn't make adjustments to help his QB, or couldn't make those adjustments due to OL talent issues.

Click to expand...

In Howells defense he was the most sacked QB in the league last season so the constant pressure was legit. A contributing factor to the sacks is that Washington was always playing from behind so Howell was throwing a lot. He threw the ball over 600 times last season.

Even though Lock-Smith is no more, Seahawks went and gave me the opportunity to continue to be silly and now we have…

GunSmith and Howitzer

Bear-Hawk said:

That seems about right. There is zero reason to bring in Howell, if JS plans to draft a QB. For better or worse, it looks like we’re a year or two from drafting a QB.

Click to expand...

It does appear that way.

Fresno Hawk said:

This feels like we are not taking a Qb this year. Howell will start by the end of the year if we are not in the playoff hunt. And will be starting for us next year.

Click to expand...

I think the team is just hedging their bets. They probably want a guy that’ll be in Top 5 and don’t have the capital to trade up, or if a QB slides they won’t make it past a MIN at 11 or LV at 13.

AK49Hawk said:

Sam Howell looks like Mike's half-brother.
View attachment 65566

Click to expand...

I don't know who Mike is, but he looks like the Lego Fortnite character my son plays with. I gotta show him when he wakes up

flv2 said:

Smith is the starter. Howell is the back-up. If they can get a potential QBOTF and they only want 2 QBs on the active roster they will trade either Smith or Howell away. Alternatively if they acquire a QBOTF he can sit as a #3. Most likely a QBOTF will be out of reach or too expensive a gamble with the Draft resources available.

You don't go into the Draft with just Smith, miss out on all the rookie QBs, and then try to get a decent #2 QB.

Click to expand...

This makes sense. Well stated. Thank you.

<

Seahawk_Dan said:

I think the team is just hedging their bets. They probably want a guy that’ll be in Top 5 and don’t have the capital to trade up, or if a QB slides they won’t make it past a MIN at 11 or LV at 13.

Click to expand...

That is why Seahawks should trade up to #9 with the Bears. The opportunity will probably be WORSE in 2025. And even if you don’t get Nix or McCarthy at #9, you get your pick of the best defensive linemen. That’s not a bad consolation prize!

Bear-Hawk said:

That is why Seahawks should trade up to #9 with the Bears. The opportunity will probably be WORSE in 2025. And even if you don’t get Nix or McCarthy at #9, you get your pick of the best defensive linemen. That’s not a bad consolation prize!

Click to expand...

Not me. You have to give up too much to get that high on the board. Better to trade back into the 20's and pick up a 2d and perhaps more. Right now, the 'Hawks don't need the flash at the top, they need lunch pail type guys from the middle rounds to build up the base, the kind of guys that won't get run on 200 yds/game.

Maelstrom787 said:

I LIKE Howell. I think he can be pretty damn good if he learns how to navigate a pocket.

I'm just annoyed that they reportedly always liked him, yet passed up on the chance to take him for a fifth in 2022 and have him developing in house OUR way for 2 years.

Instead they wait for him to self-destruct in a terrible organization and pay twice as much in draft capital to undo that damage while also losing half his rookie contract.

Just so, so annoyed by the process there.

Click to expand...

"OUR" way? Do you mean Pete's way? Do we really need a mini-ME3 in the NFL?

Bear-Hawk said:

That is why Seahawks should trade up to #9 with the Bears. The opportunity will probably be WORSE in 2025. And even if you don’t get Nix or McCarthy at #9, you get your pick of the best defensive linemen. That’s not a bad consolation prize!

Click to expand...

There's no reason to think that Nix or McCarthy will be better than Howell, though. I really doubt either are going to put up nearly 4000 yards and 21 TDs in their first full season. Two of the three between Williams, Daniels, and Maye will fall on their faces too. That's not to say we shouldn't be drafting QBs. We should have been all along. That's just to say that posters are irrationally down on Howell because of his bad plays in his first full year. It just seems to be that all of his good plays suggest he's has actual NFL QB DNA that can be developed. If Justin Fields or Kenny Pickett did what Howell did, those teams would be getting pretty significant draft compensation based on original draft position.