Commanders take first offseason misstep with Sam Howell trade

The discourse surrounding Howell in D.C. — as it tends to be regardless of who Washington's QB is — had grown beyond tiresome, with opposing camps firmly entrenched both in the positions of keeping him and of drafting his replacement. 

Those thinking with their brains instead of their emotions would realize that no draft prospect is a sure thing and that Howell was put in a near-impossible situation in 2023, a situation in which he showed enough to at least remain on the roster.

Alas, it's understandable that a new management group would want to start over with a blank slate, which has proven to be the case with Washington's barrage of roster cuts and free agent signings. The addition of veteran Marcus Mariota as a presumed backup seemed to signal the end of Howell's time in D.C., and now it's official.

The Commanders will now set their sights on selecting their next long-term QB project with the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft, which is likely to be either North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels. It's worth noting that Maye was Howell's backup at UNC before Howell entered the draft.

Maye could become a franchise QB, or he could also become Mitch Trubisky. Daniels could be the next Lamar Jackson, or he could be the next Trey Lance. Until there is tape of them playing in the NFL, no one can know for sure.

There is tape of Howell playing in the NFL, and it's clear from watching it that the tools are there. The coaching and confidence was not, nor was the perception of him having earned Washington's patience, simply because he was drafted as a fifth-round pick.

Howell will go down as a victim of circumstances in D.C., and the team must now hope that whichever signal-caller it selects at No. 2 ends up paying off — otherwise the consequences could be costly.