The Washington Commanders have a new owner, general manager and have assembled an impressive coaching staff that his spear-headed by Dan Quinn, but includes former NFL head coaches Kliff Kingsbury (offensive coordinator) and Anthony Lynn (running backs) as well as several respected names within football circles.
With a roster that has some talent, particularly at running back, receiver and on the defensive line, the Washington Commanders were viewed as one of the top destinations for head coach and GM into this offseason.
Beyond some of the in-house talent that wasn’t maximized under Ron RIvera’s tenure, the Commanders own the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft and have several picks within the first three rounds due to their midseason trades of pass rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young. With the increased salary cap that was released by the NFL last week, Washington leads the entire league with over $79 million in available funds.
New GM Adam Peters certainly has some massive decisions ahead of the 2024 season, with massive expectations and an impatient fan base.
The biggest question is who will Washington select with the coveted second pick? With the Chicago Bears almost surely taking USC star Caleb Williams at No. 1, barring a crazy turn of events or monumental trade, Washington will likely have to choose between UNC QB Drake Maye and LSU dual-threat QB Jayden Daniels.
There are mixed reviews on how NFL Draft evaluators grade each prospect, but the general consensus is either option would be a smart move and instant upgrade for any team.
Still, there are major questions on what the team will do with Sam Howell, who was the team’s starter last season in his second year out of UNC, where he mentored Maye and remains best friends with the highly-touted QB ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Howell has been linked to several trade rumors but there’s a strong chance Washington keeps him in-house as he had plenty of flashes last season — behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and questionable play calling — that showed he could possibly thrive as a starter in the NFL.
On a recent podcast appearance with Adam Schefter, Drake Maye was asked about the possibility of getting drafted by the Washington Commanders and having to compete with Sam Howell.
Yeah I think it’s part of it, I think it’s one of those things that’s not ideal but it’s part of the business,” Drake Maye responded. “You know we’ve done it in college together, we would help eachother, and however the scenario goes he’s still one of my best friends and there’s no hard feelings. And being in the same room as two NFL quarterbacks together isn’t a big problem. There are a lot bigger problems in this world.”
Schefter then asked Maye to elaborate on saying “it’s not ideal” if he were to get drafted to Washington and have to compete against Sam Howell.
“I mean I wouldn’t say it isn’t ideal but you don’t really plan, you know growing up and talking about it in college Sam and I we’d talk about possibly playing against eachother and having shootout games and hey, it’s something that could happen and it’s not something we are shying away from, we’ll see what happens and I think God has a plan and whatever happens we will be ready for it.”
New Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters Reveals Plan For Sam Howell
There have been rumors swirling about teams inquiring about bringing in Washington’s 2023 starter, Sam Howell, in a possible trade.
Peters was highly complimentary of Howell and made it sound like there’s a strong chance the team keeps their young QB to potentially compete with the rookie QB Washington is projected to select with at No. 2 in April, or at the very backup, serve as a reliable backup with NFL starting experience.
“We’re really excited to work with Sam. He’s extremely talented, very athletic, and tough as heck,” the GM said. “I really like him, and I know DQ and Kliff like him, too, so that will factor into it – but again, that’s all down the road.”
It’s clear Adam Peters and the Washington Commanders are high on Howell, and realize there’s a reason so many teams are inquiring about the former UNC gun-slinger. It will be interesting to see if they keep him around to compete with a rookie, as many believe he didn’t get a fair shot last season with an awful offensive line and poor play calling.