-
John Keim, Editor of ESPN
ASSHBURN, Va. — The Commander Washington said it all unintentionally: Midfielder Sam Howell is their guy. Then, in last week’s draft, their action was even greater. The Commanders did not draft a quarterback, as some analysts predicted they would. That is to say: Howell really is their man, as they have long said.
That might surprise many people outside of Washington, but the Commanders really like Howell, entering his second season, and team sources say they plan to give him his first chance. into the job starting in 2023. They love how he’s developed in 2022, culminating in a 26-6 win in the season finale over Dallas. On his first and only start — and action in the game — Howell completed 11/19 169-yard passes, one touchdown pass, one hasty touchdown and one intercept times.
But the team’s faith in him goes beyond what he showed in that game.
“I’m pleased with exactly where he is,” Washington general manager Martin Mayhew said.
That’s why the Commanders don’t want to choose Kentucky’s Will Levis when he’s ready with his 16th pick, pick a full-back instead Emmanuel Forbes. A source in the group said the only quarterback who could tempt them is Tennessee’s Whore Hendon — but only if he’s there when they pick in the third round.
They don’t feel as urgent as they did last season, though, when they called every team that might have a midfielder available. They even phoned retired Andrew Luck just in case. In the end, they exchanged two third-round picks for Indianapolis for Carson Wentz and his $28 million limit is reached. They then eliminated Wentz at the end of the season after injury and a lack of consistency contributed to him finishing 30th in the QBR after just eight appearances. This season, their only move in this position is to sign veterans Jacoby Brissett.
Team sources say the Commanders also like Howell because he is signing rookies, which allows them to make other moves like re-signing defense daron payne.
With new ownership coming up, coach Ron Rivera and his staff enter a pivotal year, and Howell is the man who could make or break their fortunes. They need him to work. And here’s why they’re confident he can:
‘I’m not suggesting he’s the next Drew Brees, but…’
According to sources familiar with the Commander’s enlistment process, Washington scouts gave him the equivalent of a second-round pick. Some of them gave him the equivalent in the third round but others gave him a late first place. A source said leading up to the draft that, if they don’t trade for Wentz, they will target Howell on day two. When he was still in the fifth round, the Commanders attacked.
In the spy receiver Brown-black ahead of the 2021 draft and attending his pro day in North Carolina, where Howell passed him, they got a close look at Howell.
“It was a very impressive day,” Mayhew said. “You would think he’s one of those coming out. And there is a quiet confidence that he has. Guys trust him, they respect him, he works hard. He is very smart. Like I said, he can make every pitch and he’s very, very talented. He will become a good player, I believe.”
The Commanders also knew well what the Tar Heel trainers thought of Howell. They claim that Howell is obsessed with the game, saying he will research the games and safeguards on Sunday morning – the day after the game – which allows coaches to have conversations. the story was more advanced with him when they met.
“The game came naturally to him,” said Phil Longo, a former UNC offensive coordinator who is now in Wisconsin.
After the draft, Longo compared Howell to ex-Saint New Orleans midfielder Drew Brees. In terms of size at 6-foot-1, Howell is over an inch tall and has pocket-sized abilities as well as the ability to make quick throws even when defenders surround him.
“I don’t think he’ll be the next Drew Brees,” Longo said, “but his kit has similar strengths.”
‘I’ve come a long way’
In training camp, compared to other midfielders on the list — Wentz and backup Taylor Heinicke — Howell was clearly behind. Multiple sources with the group said at the time he needed to fix his fundamentals. Howell himself says he needs to focus on footwork and timing his feet with route concepts — something he hasn’t done much in North Carolina.
“We found that because of his quick dribbling, there were some things he got lazy about,” Rivera said.
In a pre-season game against Baltimore, Rivera pointed to a play in which Howell’s inability to quickly draw a shotgun that could have sent him down five steps. Instead, he stayed close to where he was photographed and fired in the play. Still, says Rivera, if Howell uses the right footwork, he’ll have more depth and better timing on the route.
“That’s what worries me,” Rivera says of the impact of sloppy footwork.
Howell said in December: “In college, we dropped points equally on most of our passing plays. “Here, every time you play, you have to know exactly where to fall and how many times the ball has to come out in each turn.”
But Howell and the coaches have been focused on his footwork from the moment he arrived. Towards the end of the season is better. And at the end of the season, Howell was in a good position. Even as he had to learn a new system under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Howell enjoyed his place in his development. His footsteps were not an issue in the final win of the season over Dallas.
“I have come a long way,” he said.
‘Players know players’
Because Wentz missed seven weeks last season with a broken right ring finger, Howell got the chance to train with the first team. Heinicke, who is starting for Wentz, has done nearly all the reps but there are periods when Howell does all the reps.
“At the end of last season, we started to see some really positive signs that he was very confident and comfortable,” Rivera said. “A few times something happened in reality and you’ll see him fixing it on his own. It’s always what you’re looking for. He’s been doing things like that probably mid to late in the season so we feel really comfortable about that.”
Prior to this point, Howell’s primary role was in the scouting team. His job is to simulate an opponent’s offensive behavior against a defense that has worked against specific looks.
“They knew what was going on in defence, but he still made the throws. That’s impressive,” Rivera said.
Rivera said he noticed how the players reacted to Howell in practice, whether as scouts or with starters. Personally, at the end of the season, players feel he’s ready to start — some even predict he’ll do very well in the NFL.
“The first thing you hear from defensive players is, ‘I tried to play that game, I just couldn’t get the ball’,” Rivera said. “The old saying that the player knows the player. When you listen to them talk about it, [receivers would say], ‘His ball is easy to catch; he threw it in the only place [open].”
Sam Howell’s first NFL pass attempt was a TD for Terry McLaurin!
: #DALvsWAS on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2tZrKMRiWu pic.twitter.com/6a0KfqblwI– NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
‘Best touch-in throw possible’
Howell’s solitary start was almost non-existent. Rivera originally assigned Heinicke to start the final against the Cowboys even though Washington was disqualified. The plan was for Howell to take over in the game. But Heinicke and the others convinced Rivera that Howell should start and take the whole game.
It’s good that he listened; Howell was able to show more than he could do. Rivera liked it that after making an interception on the back yard, Howell immediately told him what he had done wrong and how he could correct it.
There are other plays that stand out to Washington. In Howell’s first pass, after a sale in Dallas, he connected with the recipient Terry McLaurin for a 16-yard touchdown. The Cowboys were within range of the man’s guard, but McLaurin’s men handed him over to a midfield full-back to remove a shallow cross.
However, Howell had read the news about the man at the line and was prepared for how the Cowboys would play McLaurin. He also knows how McLaurin will react on the path he chooses — keep crossing because it’s human. Rivera said Howell made the play because he had read it first.
“The best throw-in touches the ball,” Rivera said. He hit him in stride.
Then Howell connected to the receiver Jahan Dotson to reach 30, 22 and 20 yards. Of those 74 yards, 47 came after catching the ball. There was a gap in the middle as he went 22 yards from Howell’s catch, touching the ball once and touching Dotson’s feet before a defender could run to help.
Then, with the defenders almost in his lap, he connected with Dotson from 10 yards, sent the ball out and led Dotson in for another 10 yards.
“He was the reason I turned the game around and won many yards after catching the ball,” Dotson said. “On the inclines in between, he strode, right where it needed to be. Arm talent, we all know he has it. It’s just a matter of getting in those situations.
