The trade gives Washington six of the top 100 selections — Nos. 2, 36, 40, 67, 78 and 100 — which will help the team continue to overhaul the roster or, should it want, try to cut another deal in the draft.
The Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, labeling him a developmental player who needed time before stepping into a bigger role. After spending most of his rookie season sitting behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, Howell impressed in a Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys and was named the starter for 2023, with Eric Bieniemy as his play-caller.
Despite showing promise early and in big games, Howell’s performance regressed as the offense (and team) struggled. He was benched late in the season, but an injury to backup Jacoby Brissett prompted former coach Ron Rivera to keep Howell as the starter for the full season. Howell completed 63.4 percent of his passes and registered a 78.9 passer rating, but he took the most sacks (65) and threw the most interceptions (21) of any quarterback in the league.
The arrival of General Manager Adam Peters and a new coaching staff led by Dan Quinn set in motion a complete roster overhaul that began in earnest Monday, when the NFL’s open negotiating period began. The Commanders have since agreed to terms with 14 new free agents and re-signed three of their own, all with the intent of addressing positions of need and providing veteran leadership; most of the free agent deals were for one or two years.
Among Washington’s additions was quarterback Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. His arrival signaled that the team probably viewed him as a backup who could mentor a younger quarterback and help him develop — or, if necessary, step in and start.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of different things throughout my career,” Mariota said Thursday before the Commanders traded Howell. “I’ve been a starter, won a playoff game. I’ve also been cut. I’ve also been injured. I’ve also been benched. So I think all those experiences create value and also create opportunities for me to build relationships with guys. I can build [relationships] with the top guy on the roster to the very bottom of the roster. That’s important. Sometimes you need guys like myself to kind of glue guys together and just be an advocate for the guys.”
Peters and Quinn praised Howell last month for his toughness, but his status in Washington was precarious because of the team’s No. 2 pick, a prime spot for selecting a quarterback.
In Seattle, Howell will get a fresh start with a new coaching staff led by Mike Macdonald. Geno Smith remains the starter, but his backup last season, Drew Lock, signed with the New York Giants in free agency.
“We were sweating that out,” Seahawks GM John Schneider said in an interview with Seattle Sports 710 on Thursday. “There were several teams involved with it. … We’re just really excited to be able to acquire him.”
Schneider noted that at 23 years old, Howell is the same age, if not younger, than some of the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class and has 18 games of starting experience in the NFL.
The trade came during an offseason heavy on quarterback movement. The New England Patriots traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. The Atlanta Falcons sent quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals for wide receiver Rondale Moore. The New York Jets reportedly granted Zach Wilson permission to seek a trade, and the Chicago Bears have floated the possibility of moving on from Justin Fields.
The Commanders have been quiet about their plans for the quarterback position. But after signing Mariota and moving Howell, it’s clear they need to add in the draft. The question is whether they will hold pat at No. 2 and take either Jayden Daniels out of LSU or Drake Maye out of North Carolina, assuming Chicago selects Caleb Williams at No. 1. They also could try to package their picks to try to grab Williams with the top selection, or they could trade back and collect even more draft capital while grabbing a second-tier quarterback such as J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr.
“With that position, every year you want to take it as far as you can when you’re possibly selecting one,” Quinn said at the recent scouting combine. “Quite often, there’s many years where you’re keeping, selecting and going and developing that position. We’ve all seen the importance of the position through the league.”
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