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QB Sam Howell, SEA (2 Viewers)

Oh like every single Washington fan I knew was banging the drum to start Howell months before he finally got in. I agree, it was really dumb not giving him more experience. But as I've said all along Ron Riveria is a good man, he's good with player relationships, but he's NOT a very good coach. I'm looking forward to Eric B taking over.
 
I think Howell will succeed, but they need to draft another QB to take a flyer on. Even if they sign a vet for 1 year. I always say it, and will again. Hitting on QB will always be a better deal than hitting on any other position. You gotta take a QB every year if you don't know you have one. I'm eyeing Dorian Thompson Robinson. If I remember he had a horrible bowl game and got dinged up. If he sat that out he'd be going higher. Same size and physical traits as Howell. Maybe less of an arm. I know he's hardly a perfect prospect. But I like his athleticism and throwing angles. Could be a good 5th round pick.
 
I bet Brissett wins the job. He does the stuff Rivera loves, mobility and avoiding turnovers. They would have made the playoffs if he was their QB last year.
With Howell and Brissett they're already better at QB than they were last year with Wentz and Heinicke. I loved Heinicke but the guy is just so limited.
100% agree. Heinicke is likeable, but he was even worse than Wentz. I was shocked the Flacons were so interested in him.
 
If Howell can't beat out Brissett, he is destined to be a career backup. And I say that as a NC State alum/fan and thus a Brissett fan and anti-UNC (Howell) guy.
 
If Howell can't beat out Brissett, he is destined to be a career backup. And I say that as a NC State alum/fan and thus a Brissett fan and anti-UNC (Howell) guy.
I agree, but I think Howell will have the starting job for this year. And it's a good situation for Washington. IF he's legit, I think they will likely be a strong playoff team based on what they showed last year, if he's not, I hope they don't use Brissett like Heinike (and play just well enough to win enough games to stay out of the top 10.) I want them to ride Howell boom or bust, and then reassess the QB spot after next year.
 
This is what you want if you are a Howell Owner because it most likely signals they are not drafting a QB high or are in play for Lamar…Jacoby is a solid bridge-type of QB but as stated above if Howell can’t beat him out than you know it is time to move on very quickly…Howell has a chance to be a sneaky score for those in SF or 2-QB as the return has a chance to really outweigh the investment it took to acquire him…I would also trade him right away if I owned him in either format to a QB needy team.
 

ESPN's John Keim reports the Commanders have made it clear they believe in second-year QB Sam Howell to take over the starting job in 2023.

"Many believe that taking a passer on Day 1 is off the table," according to Keim. It's possible a quarterback like Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker could be an option for Washington if he's available on Day 2, but the consensus is the Commanders are leaning toward building around Howell with their draft. ESPN's Jordan Reid believes Washington may be targeting Ohio State OT Dawand Jones in the first round.
SOURCE: ESPN
Apr 16, 2023 at 11:04 AM ET
 

Commanders HC Ron Rivera said the team feels "very comfortable" with their current quarterback situation.​

Sam Howell has been touted by Rivera all offseason as the QB1, with Jacoby Brissett, expected to serve as the backup. However, that hasn't stopped the team from speaking with Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, who has received a first-round grade from some scouts and analysts. Given Rivera's offseason comments about Howell, it'd be surprising to see the team pursue a quarterback early in the draft, but in what's expected to be a prove-it year for the veteran coach, anything remains possible.
SOURCE: USA Today
Apr 21, 2023, 11:16 AM ET
 
This is one of the more under the radar situations going into this season from a fantasy perspective IMO. Washington has a good skill position group and landed one of the better OCs in the game. Howell has the arm and legs to make plays and put up points. He was able to sit and learn for the majority of last year and looked better than expected in the season finale (Making some incredible throws and one awful pick). I do not think I would be as excited if EB was not hired, but I believe he will put Sam in positions to highlight what he does best. If Howell is able to show growth this offensive group could surprise. Put me down for McLaurin having the career year that many have been hoping for and Sam becoming fantasy relevant this coming season.
 
The fan in me wants Howell to have a great year. But there's no certainty he will even be the starter. EB was there when they brought in Brissett and EB was not there when Howell was drafted. EB didn't pick Brissett for no reason. And he's probably better than Heinicke or Wentz.

I think it's 50/50 who wins the starting job.
 
Howell lit it up as a freshman and sophomore and headed into his junior year was being touted as a 1st rounder and for a while was the Vegas favorite to go #1. He didn't live up to those lofty expectations his junior year, though he still threw for 3000 yds/24 TDs and ran for 828/11. I think this is a case of any time somebody gets put on a pedestal and they don't quite live up to it, they get knocked down really far in a way that is not commensurate with their "drop" in performance. It's recency bias and it carries over. The NFL said he wasn't worth more than a 5th rounder, but how much of that is based on the NFL knowing he was going to drop in price after a "drop" in performance?

I think Justin Jefferson is an example of this. I had him as my #1 WR coming out that year (ok I also had Terrace Marshall pretty high a couple years ago). His last year LSU had him concentrating more on slot routes than the outside stuff he had done previously. So the narrative on Jefferson coming out was that he was primarily a slot guy. But that was stupid because he had been lighting it up outside and they wanted to expand his skill set. But he fell in rookie draft because he was a slot guy.

I have no idea if Howell will be worth a dang but I do think he suffered from the lofty expectations >>> overcompensated downfall. And with Bienemy coming to town, I've been much higher this offseason on Dotson and Gibson. I still think Robinson is a bust and that Gibson will be the primary passing back regardless. He is cheaper than he has ever been and only turns 25 next month. McLaurin may be priced just right.
 
Jefferson went 22nd overall in round 1. Howell went 145th in round 5 despite playing the most important position on the field. Yes he suffered from college expectations. But that's a whole universe of different kind of drops. I hope that Howell is awesome. I'd like nothing more than our QB issue to be solved. Just saying we need to be cautious of thinking he's gonna have it figured out this season.
 

ESPN's John Keim reports second-year QB Sam Howell has shown enough to convince the Commanders he's their starter.​

Howell was one of the winners of the draft with Washington passing on a quarterback. Coach Ron Rivera said the team is "very comfortable" with Howell and the second-year quarterback looks to have the support of the Commanders' locker room. Teammates who practiced against Howell felt he "was ready to start" last year. With elite WRs Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin and a pass-heavy OC Eric Bieniemy calling plays, Howell has the makings for a Year 2 breakout in what should be a more balanced offense in 2023.
SOURCE: ESPN
May 6, 2023, 10:59 AM ET
 
Howell lit it up as a freshman and sophomore and headed into his junior year was being touted as a 1st rounder and for a while was the Vegas favorite to go #1. He didn't live up to those lofty expectations his junior year, though he still threw for 3000 yds/24 TDs and ran for 828/11. I think this is a case of any time somebody gets put on a pedestal and they don't quite live up to it, they get knocked down really far in a way that is not commensurate with their "drop" in performance. It's recency bias and it carries over. The NFL said he wasn't worth more than a 5th rounder, but how much of that is based on the NFL knowing he was going to drop in price after a "drop" in performance?

I think this is way off. The NFL doesn't care about the "pedestal." They care about what a player puts on film, his measurables, his interviews, etc. If teams thought he was a higher round talent, some team would have drafted him higher. There were a lot of flaws in his passing ability and mechanics, and who knows how he tested (referring to the S2 test, not the combine) and interviewed.

None of that means he can't exceed expectations at the NFL level. We'll have to see about that.
 
Howell lit it up as a freshman and sophomore and headed into his junior year was being touted as a 1st rounder and for a while was the Vegas favorite to go #1. He didn't live up to those lofty expectations his junior year, though he still threw for 3000 yds/24 TDs and ran for 828/11. I think this is a case of any time somebody gets put on a pedestal and they don't quite live up to it, they get knocked down really far in a way that is not commensurate with their "drop" in performance. It's recency bias and it carries over. The NFL said he wasn't worth more than a 5th rounder, but how much of that is based on the NFL knowing he was going to drop in price after a "drop" in performance?

I think this is way off. The NFL doesn't care about the "pedestal." They care about what a player puts on film, his measurables, his interviews, etc. If teams thought he was a higher round talent, some team would have drafted him higher. There were a lot of flaws in his passing ability and mechanics, and who knows how he tested (referring to the S2 test, not the combine) and interviewed.

None of that means he can't exceed expectations at the NFL level. We'll have to see about that.
They care about the market value of a player and where they think they can get him. I'm not saying the NFL was wrong I'm just saying the drop seemed to have a degree of recency bias in it. My question is/was to what degree. I'm saying it is a skosh and may end up mattering. Well we're not gonna know but if he has success then we can look back and say ok there was probably something there. If he doesn't then I can look back and say ok guess not.

I agree with comment above he's not rosterable in 1QB unless it's some deep hoarding format. But in SF he is a guy I got off waivers for free last season and now looks like he is going to get a solid chance with some playmakers around him. Could do worse as dart throws go.
 
He's the perfect backup to Mahomes in my 1QB league where I'm rebuilding and aiming to compete in 2024.

Zero investment from me other than a roster spot, will hopefully only need to play 1 game next season.
 
Barely roster-able in start 1qb leagues
Not true unless you have tiny rosters. There is not one starting QB available on waivers in my start 1QB leagues (30 player rosters). Howell has a pretty decent supporting cast and can get points on the ground as he's a talented runner.
Given the price, nothing wrong with putting him on the back of the roster to see how the first month goes.
 
He's the perfect backup to Mahomes in my 1QB league where I'm rebuilding and aiming to compete in 2024.

Zero investment from me other than a roster spot, will hopefully only need to play 1 game next season.
Howell is a weak 2nd QB in start 1QB leagues.
Yes he is. But when you literally don't need to think about who your 2nd QB is what does it matter?

Why invest anything in that position above Howell when it's for little more than a 1 week fill in.
 
He's the perfect backup to Mahomes in my 1QB league where I'm rebuilding and aiming to compete in 2024.

Zero investment from me other than a roster spot, will hopefully only need to play 1 game next season.
Howell is a weak 2nd QB in start 1QB leagues.
Yes he is. But when you literally don't need to think about who your 2nd QB is what does it matter?

Why invest anything in that position above Howell when it's for little more than a 1 week fill in.
injury?
 
He's the perfect backup to Mahomes in my 1QB league where I'm rebuilding and aiming to compete in 2024.

Zero investment from me other than a roster spot, will hopefully only need to play 1 game next season.
Howell is a weak 2nd QB in start 1QB leagues.
Yes he is. But when you literally don't need to think about who your 2nd QB is what does it matter?

Why invest anything in that position above Howell when it's for little more than a 1 week fill in.
injury?
If Mahomes goes down its over anyway.
 
He's the perfect backup to Mahomes in my 1QB league where I'm rebuilding and aiming to compete in 2024.

Zero investment from me other than a roster spot, will hopefully only need to play 1 game next season.
Howell is a weak 2nd QB in start 1QB leagues.
Yes he is. But when you literally don't need to think about who your 2nd QB is what does it matter?

Why invest anything in that position above Howell when it's for little more than a 1 week fill in.
injury?
If Mahomes goes down its over anyway.
It doesn't have to be.
 
I took the plunge on Howell today in a 16-team SF dynasty start-up at the 6.01, roughly at his exact ADP (81).

I’ve been reading a lot about his college career & why he fell in the draft. Combined with recent updates, the addition of Eric Bieniemy as OC, and a cheap backup in Brissett (who’s now a priority for me to draft in the later rounds) I’m kind of excited about him as my QB2 with Mahomes at QB1.

Howell’s rushing prowess is impressive, and the late college career implosion sure seems like it coincided with the team losing a ton of talent around him.

Could be a bargain. Or I could have just burned a 6.01 for a 1-year scrub. Time will tell. I’m certainly hoping for the former. I didn’t want JimmyG or Ridder, the last 2 viable QB before the Baker Mayfield level.

Reports out of 1st day of OTA’s are certainly encouraging.
 
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I get the SF appeal, but isn't he a roster clogger in start 1qb leagues?

Didn't you literally just say this same thing 10 posts back (actually two other times on this same page)?

Since you love to repeat yourself, I'll just copy and paste my same response:

There is not one starting QB available on waivers in any of my start 1QB leagues (30 player rosters). Howell has a pretty decent supporting cast and can get points on the ground as he's a talented runner.

Additionally, Howell was considered to be a first round talent after the 2020 college season but struggled with injuries and losing most of his weapons during his final season. He seems like a cheap guy (drafted him in the 4th round of two rookie drafts this past month) with some potential upside - especially with a new OC and his ability to run.
 
I think people tend to seriously over-downplay QB values in 1QB leagues. I fell victim to it last season myself. I thought I could get by going "cheap" at QB in multiple leagues. It was a mistake.
 
I get the SF appeal, but isn't he a roster clogger in start 1qb leagues?

Didn't you literally just say this same thing 10 posts back (actually two other times on this same page)?

Since you love to repeat yourself, I'll just copy and paste my same response:

There is not one starting QB available on waivers in any of my start 1QB leagues (30 player rosters). Howell has a pretty decent supporting cast and can get points on the ground as he's a talented runner.

Additionally, Howell was considered to be a first round talent after the 2020 college season but struggled with injuries and losing most of his weapons during his final season. He seems like a cheap guy (drafted him in the 4th round of two rookie drafts this past month) with some potential upside - especially with a new OC and his ability to run.
He's the type of QB I like to sell for future picks in start 1QB leagues, because I would never play him. Also, you don't have to be rude.
 
Also, you don't have to be rude.
You seem to love to play the victim. The "rudest" thing I said was "since you love to repeat yourself" when you literally made the same statement 3 times on ONE PAGE.

I'm actually pretty respectful around here until the other person isn't. Simply correcting mis-information isn't being rude. Actually asking a question and then ignoring the responses and asking the same question again and again could be considered rude.
 
Ron Rivera was on the radio today and was very clear in the fact that Howell is and will be their starting QB going forth. He had extremely high praise for him.
 
Also, you don't have to be rude.
You seem to love to play the victim. The "rudest" thing I said was "since you love to repeat yourself" when you literally made the same statement 3 times on ONE PAGE.

I'm actually pretty respectful around here until the other person isn't. Simply correcting mis-information isn't being rude. Actually asking a question and then ignoring the responses and asking the same question again and again could be considered rude.
:rolleyes:
 
I like him a lot in best ball for where he's being drafted. I took him as a QB3 recently. QB #27. Probably even reached for him there as I've seen him go lower.

The Washington QBs had 5 weeks in the top 10 of scoring last year, with 2 of those being #3 and #4 finishes. Not bad for the way average Wentz/Heineke combo. Willing to gamble that Howell is better than those two and that the offense as a whole will be better under Bieniemy. Having a healthy Dotson should help too.
 
I liked Howell as a prospect (I thought he should have been a 2nd round pick) and he had an ok 1 game sample size, but he's also a day 3 pick with 1 career start, regardless of what Rivera says, his job (both Howell and Rivera) is on the line, and if he starts slow at all, I think Brissett sees the field. I was very impressed with Brissett last year, as he played the best ball of his career.

I do agree that Howell is better than Wentz/Heinicke (low bar) but Brissett is a cut above those guys, I'm not confident Howell can hold him off.

I think QB30 or so is a pretty fair spot for Howell.
 

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