The Junks gave their thoughts on basically NOT automatically going QB at No. 2 on Friday’s show (they all want a QB), and we’ve heard a ton of takes on their situation – including, last night, our man Lynnell saying on TV that whomever is brought in should compete with Sam Howell.
Maybe, but if we’re going franchise QB at 2 and bringing in a Jacoby Brissett-type as a veteran backup…should the Commanders look to trade Howell?
“I think that we probably would bet on Sam Howell staying here because he's under contract, but there are more and more rumors about Sam, and it'll be interesting to see what Adam Peters chooses to do,” JP said. “Connor Hughes, who covers the New York Jets for SNY in New York, believes the Jets are interested in potentially trading for Sam Howell, and loves the idea.”
“The Jets have Aaron Rodgers on the roster, he's not gonna play forever, and they're clearly over Zach Wilson,” Cakes said. “They would like to have a young developmental quarterback on their roster that doesn't cost a lot of money, so I could see where he's attractive to them from that perspective.”
Howell’s cap hit is around $1 million per year, versus Zach Wilson in the last year of his rookie deal, and yeah, whether it’s the Jets or someone else, dealing Howell makes a lot of sense for the Commanders.
“If Adam Peters gets a deal that he likes, I'm fine with him moving on from Sam Howell,” Cakes said. “Do you want two young quarterbacks that are 23 and 22 years old in your quarterback room? Don't you want a guy who has more experience? I'm looking at the free agent quarterbacks that are gonna be available, and I think the Commanders could live with a Tyrod Taylor or a Gardner Minshew type vet to pair with whoever you draft at No. 2.”
So what do you need to find a deal you like?
“I think if you get equal value for where he was drafted, I think that's a win,” Cakes said.
“I think you need more than a fifth-rounder – hasn’t he proven a bit more?” JP replied. “He was at the top of the fifth round, but he’s started for a year, and that's better in my mind than a fifth-round quarterback.”
“Maybe by a round, like maybe you could negotiate for a fourth-rounder,” Cakes shot back. “You could a thousand worlds and there's not one of them where you're gonna get like a third-round pick for Sam.”
Valdez’s thought is Howell’s cost-effectiveness for two years is as valuable as Sam himself, and Bish agrees it’s dicey because, ideally, you’re getting a backup.
“Whatever you're getting, you're getting a late round pick. You're not gonna get a mid-round pick,” Bish said. “I don't think you're getting a fourth, and you're definitely not getting a third.”
“Yeah, but the Jets’ need for a backup quarterback might be higher than the Commanders’ need considering what they went through last year,” Valdez shot back. “They might put a more of an emphasis with a 40-year-old quarterback who just tore his Achilles, as opposed to a team that's drafting a possibly drafting a quarterback. The need for the Jets is much higher, and the backup in in New York would probably play more likely than the backup in Washington.”
Take a listen to the entire conversation above!