Report: Washington Commanders trading Sam Howell to Seattle Seahawks in pick swap

The Washington Commanders are set to trade Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. The two teams will also swap draft picks in the move.

Howell spent the 2023 season as the starter in Washington, throwing for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns in Eric Bieniemy’s scheme. He struggled with ball security, though, as he threw 21 interceptions while the Commanders finished with a 4-13 overall to clinch the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

By dealing Howell to Seattle, Washington all but solidifies its plans for the selection. Draft experts have consistently projected the Commanders to take a quarterback, and it now makes even more sense for such a move by sending Howell to the Seahawks.

More on what could be next for the Commanders after trading Sam Howell

Washington will likely have its choice of Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, assuming Caleb Williams goes atop the board to the Chicago Bears. CBS Sports recently projected Daniels to be the selection at No. 2 after winning the Heisman Trophy this past season at LSU and cementing himself as a true dual-threat quarterback. He led the nation in total offense, accounting for 412.2 yards of offense per game and 50 total touchdowns.

It’s an interesting decision, and even ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, the debate went on about whether Maye or Daniels would be QB2.

“I don’t think there’s any question it’s Jayden Daniels,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said. “Because of the combination of skills that he brings in terms of being a run threat and a pass threat, and I’m not just talking about an out-of-structure pass threat. I’m talking about a guy who can distribute the football to all three levels of the field, make very difficult throws.”

Dominique Foxworth, however, argued for Maye to go before Daniels. He pointed out several reasons why teams might like to draft Maye ahead of Daniels, including his size and arm strength.

“I think the big choice between Maye and Jayden Daniels comes down to arm strength and the type of quarterback that you want. Like Drake Maye has the arm strength that people think can overcome a late read or something like that. Jayden Daniels I wouldn’t say has the same type of arm strength, but then he has the high floor provided by his running ability. Then again, how often do we see people pass up on six-four, 230lb guys with cannon arms? We’ve seen that work in the league a lot and that would be Drake Maye,” Foxworth said.

“While Jayden Daniels is pretty tall, he’s also pretty slight, and he has a propensity to get lit up, which is about the decisions he makes sometimes running the ball, not passing the ball. But both of these guys shape up well to develop in the right situation. I think it comes down to a choice between the style of quarterback you’re more comfortable coaching and developing around.”