The NFL practise is similar to a barbershop. The combine is the spot to be if you want to hear rumours from around the league, some of them real, some of them boasting.
With the completion of the 2023 NFL combine, several reports and stories about the Washington Commanders circulated. Some were outlandish, such as Matthew Berry of NBC Sports Edge, who wrote in his piece about how Ravens owner Daniel Snyder could sign QB Lamar Jackson to an offer sheet and a completely assured six-year contract. The theory is that if Baltimore does not match the offer, Snyder, who plans to sell the club, will leave the tab to the next owner, enraging the rest of the league, which wants him out.
As bizarre as it may sound, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has been discussing this situation for a few weeks.
Snyder, however, was not the only subject of discussion regarding the Commanders. According to Rich Eisen, QB Sam Howell was also mentioned.
Eisen said on his show this week that he heard the Commanders “love Sam Howell” in Indy. Eisen stated that he knows how head coach Ron Rivera goes around building up Howell, but this was unique. He’d heard from several sources that Washington has high hopes for the emerging second-year quarterback from North Carolina.
Eisen stated that he felt Howell was drafted much lower than his skill level, owing in part to his final year at North Carolina. UNC head coach Mack Brown, a previous guest on Eisen’s programme, stated that the Tar Heels did Howell no favours by losing everything around him.
“I believe the Commanders really like him,” Eisen said of Howell. “And I believe he’s going to be [the] Week 1 starting. And I believe they are eager to see what they have in him.”
There is some speculation that the Commanders are only beginning Howell because the management circumstances stopped them from chasing a more experienced warrior. That could be correct. Possibly, it prevents them from making an additional costly mistake with a veteran.
We’ve said before that the Commanders needed to locate a QB on a rookie contract and develop around him. It might work for Howell. It might not. But bring in another senior to maintain you in the 7-8 victory zone, which indicates you’re not going anywhere.
If things don’t work out with Howell in 2023, you’ll have the opportunity to take a top selection in the 2024 NFL draught
