Here’s why Sam Howell would make sense for the Broncos

Sam Howell would appear to be available now.

When the /news/commanders-agree-to-one-year-contract-with-qb-marcus-mariota”>Washington Commanders agreed to terms with Marcus Mariota on Tuesday morning, it established who the Commanders’ bridge to a potential Round 1 quarterback would be. Mariota

From a cap-management standpoint, it’s a curious move. Howell carries a cap figure of $1,075,400 on his rookie, fifth-round deal. Mariota is on a one-year, $6-million deal. So, the Commanders are choosing to take on a greater cap figure.

But that might open a window for the Broncos to add Howell to their quarterback room. Getting him would require some draft compensation, but the acquisition of Mariota likely drops the potential price on Howell, since Washington effectively acquired his replacement. And Howell’s cap figure would come in under $1 million, since Washington would assume the pro-rated portion of the original signing bonus.

The Broncos had interest in Sam Darnold. But he agreed to a one-year, $10-million deal with Minnesota. Howell would come in at less than 10 percent of the cap figure. But it can be argued that Howell is the superior prospect at this point.

HOWELL MIGHT HAVE MADE SENSE TWO YEARS AGO

Two years ago, the Broncos could have drafted Sam Howell — especially once he tumbled into the fourth round. And it would have made quite a bit of sense. He would have represented an upgrade from the No. 2 quarterback at the time, Brett Rypien. And his fall through the draft was curious, considering where he stacked up among draft prospects heading into the 2021 season, his final year at North Carolina.

In 2021, Howell’s metrics declined. Protection issues left him scrambling. And getting up to speed with a new collection of wide receivers and running backs led to some awkward moments early before the Tar Heels offense hit cruising altitude. Still, Howell didn’t point fingers. And he provided an example for the quarterback who followed him in Chapel Hill, likely 2024 early first-rounder Drake Maye.

As Maye said at the NFL Scouting Combine, Howell taught him “how to prepare, how to create relationships and handle all the media.”

Which is telling, because it’s a reminder that being a quarterback is about far more than throwing passes and running the offense on game day. Howell set a positive example in the intangibles of the job. That was one reason why he earned team-captain status last year in Washington — even though he had just one start to his name before beginning the 2023 campaign.

GETTING SAM HOWELL COULD GIVE THE BRONCOS TWO SHOTS AT FINDING THE FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK

Now, Sam Howell’s season as a starter could be maddeningly inconsistent. On the positive side, he proved capable of firing tight-window rockets downfield — including one for a third-quarter touchdown in Denver in Week 2. But there were also some bad decisions — and a habit of turning potentially moderate losses to sacks into massive ones as he tried to keep the play alive.

Howell needs to learn the art of the Peyton Manning self-sack. But a higher percentage of Howell’s sacks were on the offensive line than, for example, was the case with Russell Wilson. So what could he do with an offensive line that was among the league leaders in pass-block win rate?

Howell is also capable of working the middle of the field. Sean Payton could see Howell’s traits and find a lump of clay with which he can work.

This wouldn’t take the Broncos out of the draft-quarterback sweepstakes. But there is enough unexplored upside on Howell to where he might provide another option to give the Broncos two shots at finding the answer they seek.

And as noted earlier, the price is right.

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