Here are three potential destinations for Washington Commanders Quarterback, Sam Howell. He appears to be on the move soon after rumors of multiple teams having interest in him. His departure could come in the wake of head coach Dan Quinn making numerous changes in his coaching staff. Quinn made a statement in his introductory press conference after being introduced as the new head coach.
“I would say this is a ‘recalibrate’ you know, finding our north again. So no, you will not hear me say the word ‘rebuild’ at all,” he said.
Quinn is pointing out that he may not be willing to rebuild with the pieces that the Commanders have now. According to reports, many talking heads believe that Howell won’t be a part of that new regime. If the coaching staff changes didn’t happen, then he may still have his starting job. Names in the NFL Draft are Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, but Washington may still trade up to the No. 1 spot.
Howell though has shown real promise when it comes to throwing the football downfield. His best games came when the Commanders were forced to chase big deficits. However, he’s still on a cheap contract with Washington so there’s a chance he may stay. Who’s to say that the Commanders won’t trade him up?
That’s still a possibility. Howell three for 3,946 yards in 17 appearances, completing 63.4 percent of his passes while recording 21 touchdowns. It may be too early to give up Howell, but if they want to then they could receive a third-round pick in return.
Commanders Could Get Trade Interest In QB Sam Howell https://t.co/EAHeNqIpL4 #Commanders
— NFLTradeRumors.co (@nfltrade_rumors) February 25, 2024
Three Potential Destinations for Washington Commanders Quarterback Sam Howell
New York Jets
According to sources, Howell has been linked as a backup possibility for Aaron Rodgers. A team like the Jets may need a quarterback for the future to learn behind Rodgers. The 40-year-old experiment with Rodgers could end soon, especially after rupturing his left Achilles tendon. The Jets probably wouldn’t want their season to winter away if Rodgers suffers another injury, so maybe they could trade for Howell.
The Jets struggled to look competent without reliable and quality backup. The team’s struggle resulted in a 7-10 season. Howell did lead the league in interceptions last season, but he may still be able to do big numbers and finally get some momentum going for New York. They could do a lot worse without Howell so it may be smart to get him since the Commanders may instigate a trade war.
Luckily, the salary cap won’t be an issue for the Jets since he still carries a rookie contract. This could be enticing for any team with the logic to bring him on board for a cheap deal. However, the question is what the Commanders may be asking in return. The Jets could throw in Zach Wilson and a late-round pick swap with Washington for Howell.
Minnesota Vikings
With Kirk Cousins hitting the free agency, Howell could be an intriguing trade for the team especially for Wide Reciever, Justin Jefferson. Cousins is coming off an Achilles injury, so there’s no sign yet of him being back in Minnesota. They find themselves in a tough situation already with figuring out how to pay Jefferson and they may move him if they can’t find a reliable franchise quarterback. According to a source, Howell has value around the league so many teams may offer a huge lucrative deal to snatch him.
Vikings free agent Kirk Cousins has a market value of $118.1 million compared to Howell’s base salary of $985,000 next season. So if connecting the dots and weapons, this trade could make sense.
Los Angeles Chargers
This trade may seem a little bit more unlikely after needing to pay top guys like Joey Bosa. The Chargers are already letting their long-time running back, Austin Ekeler go in free agency. So the Chargers could go cheap and sign Howell since they may need to save more in their salary cap. Howell showed promising strides, but he could look like a complete quarterback under the new leadership of Jim Harbaugh.
While Justin Herbert is the starter, Howell could continue to learn and be his backup in time for anything. Having a reliable backup quarterback and possibly pairing with Wide Receiver, Keenan Allen doesn’t sound bad for both sides.
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