The Washington Commanders are likely to select a quarterback with the second choice in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Commanders will have the option of selecting at least two of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Other teams require quarterbacks, and following Sam Howell’s season, they may be interested in adding the Commanders quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most obvious prospective landing locations.
With Kirk Cousins entering free agency and coming off an Achilles injury, the Vikings face a difficult offseason. They could take a variety of approaches, including potentially moving Justin Jefferson if they can’t acquire a quarterback. However, Howell can give them a chance next season and would be a far cheaper option than re-signing Cousins. According to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, Howell has value around the league.
“How about Howell?” According to multiple NFL sources, numerous teams are interested in dealing for the 23-year-old, who passed for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns in 17 starts last season (despite an NFL-worst 21 interceptions). If they decide to trade him around the draft, they may potentially obtain a third-round pick or more.
Given Howell’s performance last season, a third-round pick for the 23-year-old is reasonable. If he can reduce his turnovers (21), he should begin to see greater success.
A suggested trade may look something like this:
Commanders receive: 2024 third-round selection and 2025 fifth-round pick.
Vikings receive: Sam Howell.
Vikings Attempt to Go Cheap for a Season.
Cousins, a free agent for the Minnesota Vikings, is worth $118.1 million, according to Spotrac. Cousins is expected to sign a three-year agreement at an average salary of $39.3 million.
That’s a significant difference from Howell’s base pay of $985,000 next season. Howell also has a cap hit of only $1.075 million. That could be another reason why the Washington Commanders keep him around, as there aren’t many quarterbacks at that price who can perform like he has.
Multiple insiders have speculated that Cousins will leave the Vikings in free agency. Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network predicts Cousins will sign with the Atlanta Falcons.
“The Falcons have $25 million in cap space, can restructure existing contracts to make additional room, and might structure Cousins’ agreement to reduce his 2024 cap figure.
“With RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, an underrated offensive line, and a talented defense already in place, Atlanta is a quarterback away from contending next season — and Cousins is their best choice.”
If this happens, Howell or someone else will need to move.
Howell Can Be Insurance for Commanders.
This offseason, the Washington Commanders’ most pressing need is to choose a quarterback. Howell has performed well enough to earn a chance elsewhere, but he has not demonstrated the potential to be a franchise quarterback.
Instead, he might be a valuable backup for the Commanders next season if something occurs to their No. 2 choice. However, a third-round pick could be more useful for a Commanders squad trying to add skill in the draft.
The Minnesota Vikings are just one team that could be interested in Howell once the offseason gets underway.
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