News broke during Tuesday’s BMitch & Finlay show that the Commanders were signing ex-Eagles backup QB Marcus Mariota, ostensibly filling the Jacoby Brissett-like role of veteran QB mentor for whomever is picked No. 2 overall.
And BMitch & Finlay’s immediate reaction: what does this mean for Sam Howell?
“He never has emerged as starter, but has proven to be a capable, and they gave him a one-year deal with a base of $6 million, real backup QB money,” JP said. “So, there are two questions, and the biggest one is what happens now with Sam Howell? It would sure seem like a trade seems a lot more possible now.”
“Ever since I heard that there were people interested, I figured that that was going to happen,” BMitch replied. “When you roll in and you're trying to build a squad, there's a fan-favorite type guy, like a lot of people love Sam, but if you're coming in to do your thing and you don't want the show on the side…you didn't draft him, you move forward and get the people you want around, and you move forward.”
Probably little chance he sticks around, and NO chance it’s a competition for QB1 between Sam and Marcus, but could, say, Sean Payton look at Sam as a similar QB to those he’s had and spend a late-round pick to get him to Denver?
Maybe, but the other question is this, and more Commanders-centric: does Mariota, even with the other guys rumored to be in the mix, give an inclination of where the team goes at No. 2?
“We had a conversation about Brissett and Tyrod Taylor, and I said if you’re going to draft Jayden Daniels, you don’t want Brissett, because he's just a different kind of quarterback, while Tyrod is a lot more mobile, and makes more sense with Daniels,” JP said. “They went with Marcus Mariota, and it’s hard to think that signing Mariota doesn't lead you to believe Daniels is the favorite at No. 2.”
“I don’t know; he can run, but Jayden Daniels last year was as good in the pocket as anybody else,” BMitch replied. “And, whenever you hear someone talking about Drake Maye, they’re talking about his athleticism, and Mariota we know is an athletic guy. It could go either way, and I think all quarterbacks in the NFL today have to be mobile. They're all not the same, they're all not fast, but they have to be mobile. If you're not mobile, you're ineffective today.”
JP pointed to Jalen Hurts’ skills and why Mariota was added as his backup, and of course, last year’s Eagles OC, Brian Johnson IS here, so who knows…but you can listen to the entire conversation above!