The Washington Commanders have done a good job filling some of their roster holes through free agency and the 2023 NFL draft. Unfortunately, they didn’t fill every hole, and it’s fair to question if Washington did enough at certain positions, like the offensive line.
One position where outsiders question Washington’s decision-making this offseason is quarterback. Anonymous scouts, draft analysts, retired front-office executives, etc., have all chimed in on the Commanders’ handling of the quarterback position.
Washington is all-in on second-year quarterback Sam Howell. A fifth-round selection in 2022, Howell started the final game of the season and led the Commanders to a win over the Cowboys. But it was just one game.
Throughout the offseason, we’ve heard head coach Ron Rivera and others say it was more than the one game. Howell won the respect of his teammates during practice last season. He can make all the throws, is athletic and can make off-schedule plays.
Washington lost backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke but upgraded by signing Jacoby Brissett. If things don’t work out with Howell, the Commanders can turn to Brissett who can keep them in the playoff hunt.
Therefore, Washington bypassed adding a quarterback in the draft. The Commanders passed on Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.
Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders, via ESPN, recently named the biggest roster hole for all 32 NFL teams post-draft. For Washington, he picked quarterback.
So Washington is really going into the season with Sam Howell as the starter, huh? The track record of fifth-round quarterbacks is not a strong one, and Howell had a minus-18.5% passing DVOA and 44.5 QBR in limited playing time last year.
Jacoby Brissett makes for an excellent backup and could take over the starting role in training camp, but let’s not expect him to repeat his fantastic 2022 season. Brissett ranked eighth among starters with a 60.0 QBR and seventh with 13.0% passing DVOA, but that’s a good bit higher than what he has done with significant playing time in past years. The Commanders are just as likely to get a Brissett close to the one we saw with the 2021 Dolphins, who ranked 31st out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks in passing DVOA.
There are other positions where the Commanders could use depth, such as wide receiver, but quarterback is still the position where the Commanders’ current starting plan makes you scratch your head.
Someone else mentioning the track record of fifth-round quarterbacks. Look, Howell may not work out as a starter, but it will not be because he’s a fifth-round pick. That’s a tired, old narrative at this point.
Howell will have every chance to prove he’s an NFL starting quarterback in 2023. If he doesn’t succeed, sadly, a lot of people will be beating on their chests proclaiming, “I told you so; he was a fifth-round pick.”
What happens if he succeeds?