It was a pleasure to speak with LSU’s super athletic and high character defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo. Check out the interview below, I promise you’ll take an instant liking to this player. If you missed my previous interviews with Malik Mustapha and Jaylen Harrell, you’ll find them on my YouTube channel.
Welcome to Seahawks Draft Blog, providing daily analysis on the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft.
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We have a great community in the comments, we just ask you keep things on topic.
Rob Staton
Great content as always! Always love coming to see all you do. One little thing Rob that I would be curious if it could be added to your site to make the commenting part even that much better. Could you add a sort function on comments like on Field Gulls where you can sort the newest comments first? It makes it way easier to comment and interact with everyone beyond the content you write.
I can’t I’m afraid, you basically get what you’re given with WordPress. Apologies
https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/comments-in-wordpress/#comment-display
It looks like WordPress allows comments to be paginated, with newer comments listed first. May be worth a look.
Thanks for the great content Rob, these interviews really humanize the players and make me want to root for them. I don’t know if teams interview every player they sign, but I think it would go a long way. Weed out the Jamal Adams out there, so to speak.
It depends on the theme though
There are plugins that enhance features of wordpress’s native comment system. My two favorites are Thrive Comments ($49/yr) and wpDiscuz (free with $ add-ons). I prefer Thrive.
They are very much worth considering. Easy to install, set up and format. If you ever go back to the native WP system, you don’t lose any comment history.
https://thrivethemes.com/comments/
Great interview. How you can not like this guy and not get fired up about potentially seeing him in Seahawks colors?
I sure hope the price is right come draft day.
Seahawks RFA tender CB Michael Jackson (no shock) and LB John Rhattigan (small shock).
Did not tender Darrell Taylor or Jake Curhan.
The two tenders take about $6m of cap.
By applying for tender, does that mean teams were interested in the players?
Could be several reasons.
Mike Jackson got an original round tender which means if a team wants to sign him and the Seahawks decide not to match they get a 5th in 2024.
And the Taylor experiment has ended.
I will abstain from going anywhere near social media and the fallout from not tendering the greatest pass rusher in Seahawks history.
cha, how does only the two tenders affect cap, since many had all 4 in the calculations, just in case?
The DT experiment has just begun I’m afraid. LOL
The two tenders cost $6m against the cap. But they’re non-guaranteed.
According to PFT, the seahawks extended Taylor prior to the deadline
Does this mean Taylor and Curhan are now free agents and can sign with anyone?
If so, excited to sign or draft a Taylor replacement. Thought Curhan was serviceable for the cost so a little surprised there.
Curhan they probably want to bring back at a lower number (but might not exactly lose their minds if he leaves for more $).
They extended Taylor rather than tender him.
$ amount forthcoming.
Interesting.
3 years $24 mil for Darrell Taylor – too high? Trusting Mike D, he will be able to use him better.
It’s likely a one-year, cheap deal just to lower the hit from the RFA tag
No chance they give him that much money. That would be a crime.
Where did you get that number?
Someone on X – handle @DisslyTD – with reference of Bob Condotta . Now I hope it is fake account
That does not please me. Yikes. I hope it was MacDonald asking to keep him.
Please tell me you are guessing and that is not the actual contract. If so it would seem a healthy overpay and leave me scratching my head.
https://x.com/bradyhenderson/status/1768019094723592213?s=46&t=jJY5PzfRfqxlTnRLJklz5g
Dear Gods, why?
Gotta be MacDonald. Last season there were rumors they were shopping him around, then Nwosu got hurt.
Good vibes evaporated.
Quickly becoming my least favorite Seahawk of all time.
They actually had a really fun way of deciding whether or not to tender Taylor. With Geno and K9 behind him, they wrapped his tender around a football and had Olu snap it. It was a classic read-option play. If Taylor could diagnose the play correctly, he would receive the tender and luxurious 7-course meal served by John Schneider himself.
As legend has it, Taylor burst off the line and triumphantly slammed Geno to the turf, wildly punching the air in celebration as he got to his feet, only to discover several minutes later that K9 had run halfway to Tacoma with his contract in hand. Some things never change.
Taylor has an extension that’s why they didn’t tender him
Was hoping for this pickup. John and McD are doing an excellent job. Really satisfied with how things have gone so far, just getting the job done in a smart sensible way.
George Fant now signed by Hawks. Lucas is question mark.
George Fant & Rayshawn Jenkins are the types of signings they should be making this off-season
No commitment, fill needs
Bet the fans go nuts though and freak out
I love the Fant signing as a swing tackle that can fill in for Lucas if the knee continues to be problematic.
That fills the swing tackle need, fills the safety need…still a big ole need at linebacker, I wonder what JS has cooking for that. A signing surely will come at some point, but you have to imagine they have 1 of those 3rd round picks ear marked for hopefully someone you have rated in the 2nd or 3rd of your big board.
I wonder if we hear about more cap moves in the coming days?
“I WAS PROMISED $100 MILLION IN FREE AGENT SPENDING BY SEAHAWKS TWITTER! WHAT IS JOHN DOING??!?!?!?!?”
Yup… I just saw “We got rid of 2 Pro Bowlers in Adams & Diggs for Jenkins? Fire John now”
Are people that disconnected from real life?
Middle schoolers with no idea of context
2 Fant personnel incoming
I would love it if they had opposing jersey numbers. Like 86 and 68.
Correction: 2 TE Fant personnel
https://x.com/BlueDudeSports/status/1072432175566479360?s=20
Opposing MLB calls out for someone to cover Fant…they cover the wrong Fant.
Genius signing by Schneider.
The last 72 hours have been for me like what Draft Day is to Rob.
This is awesome.
And it’s so much fun to see the type of moves they’re making.
And not making!
bobby off to spend the year with dq
Dairy Queen?
Now back in the UK after being in the US for 3 x years.
Boy do I miss Dairy Queen! lol
Unreal.
I’m gonna vomit from happiness.
And sticker shock.
Good for Bobby and the Seahawks. Win-Win.
The Comp Police on social media can shut up now 😂
They won’t.
I’m just glad we can put to bed the suddenly growing ‘maybe they’ll bring Bobby back’ chatter that was happening online and on the radio
Time to move on from the old era. It’s a fresh start
I’m sure that group will be closely following Quinn’s performance in Washington and finger wagging any wins they put up
I remember Rob you called Bobby to Commander some time back.
Felt obvious with Quinn & Norton Jr in Washington
When “Queen and Brooks are gone, Bobby is a priority resign now” is your take, your view is wholly ignorant. But then, Bump is under the impression that Geno is going to be our stater for the next view years, so…. 🤦🏽♂️
🤦♂️
Richard Sherman was yelling on his podcast about Bobby being disrespected by the Seahawks earlier. “There’s no loyalty by teams or players anymore.”
I wish he’d just shut up about the Seahawks. Literally.
Seahawks have paid bobby wagner nearly 92 million dollars for a highly regarded MLB. By my math he made roughly 20+ as the tackles remained but the overall performance dwindled.
Most likely he goes to the ring of honor.
Feels very respectful.
Sherm talking absolute bollocks, as usual
Anything Sherm records after Happy Hour should come with a disclaimer:
“Richard is currently sauced. This video is meant for entertainment purposes only.”
You have to wait for that entire generation to retire before you can get a semblance of a balanced point of view from Sherm. Not that I can really blame him for sticking up for a friend but outside of looking at the box score I don’t know how you can pay above league minimum for a player in Bobby’s current state
DQ+KNJ
Bobby don’t want a fresh start LOL.
Could just be that that was his best deal money wise and he took it. Hes had an amazing career but hes gotta know he doesn’t have many years left, so hes probably purely focused on maximum cheddar earning.
Washington were probably the only team willing to give him that much money plus DQ is gonna make him a automatic starter playing 99% of the snaps.
To be fair, it’s impossible to get worse than worst defense in the NFL, I’m sure now they’ll improve to 31st or 30th.
Good God DQ has his work cut out for him.
Just think, we could’ve had all that instead of Macdonald.
Problem is you have clowns in the media and a large section of the fanbase that refuse/don’t want to move on.
This is fantastic news
I see what you did there
Woo hoo!
Thanks for everything, Bobby. (For good this time…)
So glad DQ is coach in WASH.
George Fant and Nick Harris are both excellent movers as O-lineman. Good insight into what type of OL Huff/Grubb are likely to look for. UW was pulling tackles, guards, centers etc. Look for those types when studying draft prospects.
Comp pick gluttons : What do you mean we actually have to have a functioning nfl team with 51 players signed???!! Screw the roster I want my late in the draft end of round picks!!!
Noice.
Yeah, but Jamal Adams allowed 0 TDs in every single game he missed. Why has no one signed him yet, anyway? I don’t get it.
Great one!!
Sure wish we could like posts!
Likewise. That was awesome geoff. You’ve been on a roll lately. 👏
Use technology ffs
It’s really poor, to be honest, just contacting one NFL scout and then putting out what could easily be bad info about a player that could hammer his career. Get a second source at least FFS
But that’s where we’re at these days
A team is seriously trying to make the player slide……
if you put eyeballs on the player, and got proper times, then you won’t fall for the rope a dope trick from an “anonymous” scout. But we smell a rat rumor!
Bobby signed with commanders 1 year 8.5MM! Good for him, Seahawks legend…and good news for us for the compensatory picks calculation (if we are still ahead)
yup puts as back at 4, but we still need details from lots of contracts to come out https://overthecap.com/compensatory-picks
Ahhhahahaha! If only he knew… 😂
https://twitter.com/TDLockett12/status/1767949432283152860
Maybe he does?
Hmmm… something tells me JS really was hoping to draft Noah Fant that year…
https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1768002298926846391
At this point, the glaring needs left seem to be a Middle Linebacker and a Backup QB/QBoTF.
Do the Seahawks try to sign a QB with a minimum salary before the draft? It sure seems that they are telegraphing that they are drafting a Quarterback.
Guard too
if they play a 3-4 defense, wouldn’t it be 2 middle linebackers as needs?
Two inside. One Mike and one Will.
I think there are some really exciting WLB’s in the draft. Not sure if there is anyone out there that can pull of the Roquan Smith role though.
Keep a watch on Tannehill.
Tannehill isn’t a fit for this offense
Geno isn’t a fit for this offense.
He is.
Geno is just not the future.
He can drive the ball downfield unlike Tannehill
Wonder if George Fant could play guard?
I don’t think he has ever played inside. They could be planning to move Lucas, or at least be flexible to that idea depending on how the draft plays out.
Durham still makes a lot of sense as a multiposition flex.
I think it’s probably just a swing tackle and a hedge against Lucas’s knee. Also, if Grubb wants to do some 6 OL sets, Fant can do that. Foresythe really doesn’t fit as the “mover” type of OL Huff seems to like.
It’s going to be interesting what the team ends up doing. UW ran both gap and wide zone schemes. Grubb has done both depending on the personnel.
More interesting stats that like Jenkins:
https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1768032647450952065
Great interview! Thanks Rob. What a likeable guy. I would love to see him in Seattle!
Nice job with these interviews. And a lot of great content on this site lately.
Bobby Joseph Wagner
Seahawks linebacker, Future 1st team HoFer, Future Ring of Honor member and Legend.
184 Games (regular and postseason) where he showed what a true professional was and helped Seattle hoist the Lombardi Trophy. 6x 1st Team All Pro and 4x 2nd Team All Pro…. 9x Pro Bowl selection. Member of the 2010s all decade team.
Coming from humble beginnings and bringing greatness to Seattle.
Celebrate what we got to witness as fans. Thank you for what you gave to the team.
Always <3
That’s a great post Charlie.
I wish Wags the best, but I’m glad it’s not Seattle paying him that contract.
Really miss Wagner when he still had speed. And it’s always sad to see a great player leave. But he got a good deal to go play for the guy who drafted him (KNJr), and Seattle needs to move on.
We may never see another Seahawk player like him. Brawns, Brains, speed, instincts, heart….he had it all.
Truly a privilege to watch his career. I’m so grateful.
Remember when he used to follow TEs downfield stride for stride? And the announcers would always rave about that performance. Been a long time since he was at that level, but he sure balled out for the Hawks.
And was a 2d round pick. Despite running the forty in 4.46 and a vert of 39.5.
If he isn’t a first ballot shoo-in, it’s a crime.
Thanks Bobby
The George Fant signing gives me a really bad vibe about Abe’s knee. Hope I am wrong and he is just insurance but something to keep an eye on for sure.
Abe is the one difference maker they have on the OL when healthy IMO.
Fant is a great hedge and provides depth with the ability to play multiple roles
I wouldn’t read too much into it
1. Incredible interview! Not sure it’s the most pressing need and doubt we will be in a good spot to get him but is just a guy that you want on your team. Could really see him being a special player.
2. Love the FA moves so far! Add a cheap LB and I think we are in a good place heading into the draft. You can either attack the QB position or go BPA, which will almost certainly be a trench player. Win-win
Because of all the concern for Abe Lucas’s health, I direct you to this response, from Idaho, Alaska, by Mark “Stink” Schlereth (who coined the term Underwear Olympics), to an internet Xittiot Troll.
BAM!!!
https://x.com/markschlereth/status/1767998744283201698?s=20
Enjoy listening to him every morning locally. He’s definitely a dude. Talked this morning about how is college knee surgery was the most significant moment of his life because it forced him to decide what level of commitment he wanted to the sport and to learning about life beyond football. Was concerned that transfer portal is creating a generation of kids who come into the league without having to embrace the suck. He’s pretty old school, but has salient points, and tends to be right about character judgements of players in the NFL. He also advises quite a few teams on run blocking schemes apparently and been offered coaching gigs in the past.
I will listen to Stink about these things. But Nick Saban? Go F’ yourself. You got stupid rich off of exploiting stupid kids in the second stupidest state in America.
Alabama’s unofficial motto is, “49th in everything because of Mississippi.” And they are too stupid to realize that the Department of Education includes territories like Puerto Rico on their list.
Yeah he called Saban a hypocrite for speaking out angainst NIL and has always been supportive of college players getting paid. He did defend him though citing the Muhsin Muhammad story of fighting to keep him in the program when boosters wanted him out saying he was a kid and made a mistake and went on to have a great career and be a standup citizen.
I live in Mississippi for the record we are 39th in education but with that said we’ve got issues.
Like clean water and Brett Favre.
The most underrated Seahawks move so far… bring swing tackle Fant back into the fold.
Some other moves had more sizzle, but this one is going to be the home run signing, shoring up the OL…. incase injuries are a problem at either tackle spot.
I wonder how they feel about Max Mitchell. I met his Dad with his agent Jim Denton in pouring rain at the Senior Bowl a couple years ago. His father was bragging and told me the Seahawks had interviewed his son twice, then his agent pulled him away like, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be talking to this guy’. I thought they had soured on Mitchell.
The Jets, who drafted him.
Mock with 2 trade backs…. the board had unrealistic players dropped, so took player I felt would be in the right range instead. Ended up with 9 picks. If the draft played out like this…. wow
29. Graham Barton / OG Duke
60. Ruke Orhorhoro / DT Clemson
73. Junior Colson / LB Michigan
78. Xavier Legette / WR South Carolina
81. Mekhi Wingo / DT LSU
118. Jaden Hicks / S Washington State
152. Tommy Eichenberg / LB Ohio State
192. Sataoa Laumea / OG Utah
235. A.J. Barner / TE Michigan
Tried to work a RB into the mix, but nothing felt like the right fit without over drafting the position.
Cha had three models in a previous article. Which one is this?
PFN website. I tried another one, but the projections for some of the players on that one was way off to my expectations… example JJ McCarthy lasting until 2nd round.
Updated cap math:
OTC with $38.8m after the RFA tenders of Jackson & Rhattigan
+$9.5m Lockett restructure (that’s my max number)
-$7.5m Fant signing (based on the Uchenna 2021 contract)
-$12m LW signing (based on the Dre Jones 2023 contract)
-$4m Jenkins signing (based on Julian Love 2023 contract)
-$3.2m Harris signing
-$3.9m Brown signing
That leaves $17.7m
And the Seahawks now have 51 players, which will mean they can cut the lowest salary off the books for every player they add above that number. ($1m guy bumps $800k guy, so net effect is only $200k cap hit).
Do not have any idea yet on:
D Taylor contract
A Burns contract
G Fant contract
(the NFL didn’t post any seahawks besides Curhan that did not get tendered so it appears all the ERFA’s were tendered….that’s probably about $500k-$1m on the cap)
They will need about $11m between the draft and covering the Practice Squad.
So that means they have about $6.7m to spread between those three players and the ERFAs.
I’m rapidly heading towards the conclusion that either they added some void years to LW’s/Fant’s contracts to get some relief and/or they plan to convert Metcalf & Geno salary to bonus and gain about $10m at some point.
Am I the only one who wants Cha to do my taxes?
Where the Hell is my 1095a form, anyway?
I’m having a hard time seeing how this offseason could be going any better so far honestly. We even got Fant back and a decent safety actually being paid what a safety should make and some other cheap OL guy today.
Crazy how you can get two starting safeties for half the price of a peacock in today’s market.
And you don’t have to Diggs yourself into a financial hole
They have certainly got themselves out of a Quandre……
Not saying I’m mad coz I’d literally never heard of Geno Stone before we hired MacDonald.
But it will be interesting to see how Jenkins compares to Geno over the course of the season with both teams likely to play a lot of shell coverage
Stone is imo over rated and will get exposed in Cincinatti. I said on a previous post I hope we don’t go anywhere near him.
Love is a fine, young player. Jenkins is old.
Really shocked he got paid that well by Seattle. Seems to me they overpaid, just like with Dissly a few years ago, because other teams wanted him.
Also seems Seattle wants two interchangable Safeties, rather than a traditional FS and a SS. More zone coverage? More deception? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Jenkins is 30 on a 2 year deal. This wasn’t about finding your safety of the future. No reason Jenkins can’t give you good play for a couple of years.
I’m ok with signing Jenkins, but the money is a bit high. There are other bigger name safeties who will likely get less.
He got more than Love, who is younger and has a higher ceiling. Timing is everything I guess.
It sure looks like McD had his sights set on Jenkins, so I’ll trust they know what they’re doing.
Still think our young safeties deserve a shot. I’m intrigued by Okada and Sutherland.
Younger and cheaper doesn’t always = better.
Jenkins is a fine player and we need to look at the bigger picture in how the new managment want to play.
That actually came up in Rob’s interview with Malik Mustapha. With the way offenses have evolved with 3 WR sets and athletic receiving TEs, defenses have moved away from the traditional “strong safety” and “free safety” roles. Box strong safeties like Kam are practically extinct. Nowadays I think both safeties have to be able to cover, play multiple alignments and concepts, cover different types of receivers and routes, etc. The lines have certainly blurred between the two positions.
Kam wasn’t just a box safety – he was good in coverage too. He’d be just as good in the modern game as he was in the LOB days.
To be clear, I wasn’t saying Kam couldn’t play coverage, I’m saying he typically lined up in the box. Those types of players are becoming a rarity.
How dare you call Kam a “in the box” safety!
Blasphemy!
I believe the technical term is “deathbacker.”
Nice.
Yes. Kam was to the SS position what Led Zeppelin is to Rock.
Your average peacock weighs about ten pounds, so that’s about $3.9 million a pound.
Broil.
Rob, Could you please do an updated FA signing recap video similar to what you did after day 1? Very curious your thoughts on this flurry of signings. Thanks, mate!
I will do another video soon
Hi Rob, How do you get these interviews? Do you striat up reach out to them direct, meet them at events and bring up idea? Thru contacts in the media-sport? Do many turn you down? Do some reach out to you? Id assume they want more exposure, if they are smart and would be willing to talk to popular podcasters, etc, Yet at the same time they dont want to talk with just any random fella on the internet. What is the vetting process like?
cheers
Contacts I’ve built up through the years
I was going to comment yesterday, but then the Darrell Taylor news broke and I had to light myself on fire.
Wingo is the exact sort of player I would have dreaded the Seahawks drafting in prior years. No faith in his usage or being creative with alignments.
That is an encouraging thought about the Mac era, that a player like Wingo becomes an intriguing one.
I was curious if there was a game that you’d recommend as a watch for everyone? I rewatched a couple videos available on YouTube after this just to reconfirm my eye test on the player.
Im fine w the DT deal if its cheap. 21.5 sacks in 3 yrs isn’t nothing and hes still young. You can never have enough pass rushers in the stable, well worth it given hes still just 26. Pass rushers can come of age at any point and turn into beasts. Totally fine with it!
Jenkins is a solid add too, we went from paying Adams/Diggs 40+ mln to be really bad to Love/Jenkins 12mln to be competent to good. Jenkins has been a solid starter for years, if not for a bad contract number he wouldn’t have been available. I like the signing. Need some adults in a room full of kids too…
I am very discouraged by the Taylor signing along with not cutting Eskridge. How many years of mediocre play do you need to see before realizing that someone is not a good player?
Most of these signings are whelming; they need to have a filled out roster.
The fact that they cut so many others who needed to be cut gives me reason to believe that that Schneider and Mac have a different, more informed perspective on Taylor.
His sack production is impressive, especially considering his relatively low snap counts. He can’t contain to save himself, but he knows how to find the QB.
I’m actually a little excited to see if he can become something under the new coaching.
Imagine that, coaching players up. Saw a lot of it at UW the past two years under DeBoer and I hope to see it soon with the Seahawks.
Not sure if Taylor will take off, but I think there will be several youngsters who will noticeably pop with decent coaching and schemes.
Eskridge, at this point in time, is the Seahawks only returner. And it’s not like he’s a huge amount of money on the books if they find someone better.
Eskridge is back on a minimum deal and could easily be cut. I’m fine with Taylor because if the new staff sees something there, there’s the possibility they can turn him into something great like they did with castoff players in Baltimore. I think ya’ll are discounting the new staff a bit too much on this one.
For the moment, I’m fine with keeping Taylor. I’d like to think that Macdonald has a better idea of how to use him. He is a pure edge rusher and should be used as such. He has shown repeatedly that he cannot contain the edge or really play against the run at all. Part of the issue is that Pete and his DCs insisted on fitting a square peg into a round hole and Mac seems like he schemes to player’s strength rather than shoehorning a player into a scheme.
Arkansas
LSU held Auburn to 18 points. I would start there.
Hey Cha, wondering if you’ve got an idea of what the cap space is going to look like next year after all these moves. (Or could look like)
For 2025?
We don’t have full info of the contracts signed yet, so it’s hazy.
But OTC has them at $63m (on a $260m cap number which is too low). I’d put another $15m on that. So $78m.
But accounting for the draft classes, the contracts they’ve signed we don’t know about, the extra expense created by the Lockett new deal, I’d guess they have about $15-20m of free room.
Of course that is before Geno, Dre, Lockett are dealt with and DK is signed to an extension to lower his hit.
Mock at PFN, with plenty of trade downs and using Rob’s last big board:
37. Michael Penix Jr.
QB Washington
64.Ben Sinnott
TE Kansas State
78.Marshawn Kneeland
EDGE Western Michigan
81. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
OC Georgia
85.Zak Zinter
OG Michigan
95. Mekhi Wingo
DT LSU
96.Malik Mustapha
S Wake Forest
115.Ty’Ron Hopper
LB Missouri
118.Brandon Coleman
OG TCU
152. Kitan Oladapo
S Oregon State
181.Nathaniel Watson
LB Mississippi State
Mine is probably a bit unrealistic, but I got this on SportSkeeda this morning thinking what if John doesn’t have a QB he likes in range.
Trade 16 to Texans for 23 and 59
23. Trou Fautanu
OG/OT Washington
59. Zak Zitner
OG Michigan
78. Payton Wilson
LB NC State
81. Tyler Nubin
S Minnesota
118. Cade Stover
TE Ohio State
152. Fabien Lovett
DT Florida State
192. Ryan Watts
CB Texas
235. Tyrice Knight
LB UTEP
Equally unrealistic, but I did a couple of fun ones this morning, one with no trades and one where I tried to trade back a few times to accrue picks.
NO TRADES:
16. Chop Robinson
78. Edgerrin Cooper
81. Theo Johnson
118. Mehki Wingo
152. Tanor Bortolini
192. Luke McCaffrey
235. Dominique Hampton
TRADE BACK:
20. Michael Penix Jr.
57. Ruke Orhorhoro
78. Cedric Gray
92. Cade Stover
118. Malik Mustapha
192. Christian Mahogany
235. Brennan Jackson
A different take with Maye slipping and JS trading up to 10 with the Jets, giving up a 3rd this year and a 3rd next year.
10. Drake Maye
QB North Carolina
78. Braden Fiske
DT Florida State
118. Jeremiah Trotter Jr
LB Clemson
152. Trevor Keegan
OG Michigan
192. Dominique Hampton
S Washington
235. AJ Barner
TE Michigan
Trading down twice from #16 (Fuaga, Verse and Chop already gone) to get three 2nd round picks and balance BPA vs. needs:
35. Junior Colson – LB Michigan
42. Ladd McConkey – WR Georgia
47. Michael Penix Jr. – QB Washington
78. Payton Wilson – LB NC State
108. Mehki Wingo – DT LSU
116. Malik Mustapha – S Wake Forest
152. Sedrick Van Pran – OC Georgia
162. Tip Reiman – TE Illinois
192. Jarrett Kingston – OG USC
thats a tasty draft. id swap penix for rattler (think penix will be gone by then, also don’t trust his health), but man what upside in this draft.
I did one for Atlanta a couple days ago where I took J.J. McCarthy with the #1 and Ladd McConkey with the #2.
The next day they signed a quarterback and a wide receiver.
Fant wasn’t cheap. Makes me think Lucas isn’t solid anymore.
Wooow that was something that I didn’t see coming.
Indeed – this is a serious red flag to me. He has played well and is a known quantity to this team, but that’s a hefty pay for a swing tackle. This smells like a legit hedge.
Or, maybe they’ve already decided to move Adam inside. Maybe Adam — and Nick Harris — are the new IOL additions. At least enough so that they can take the draft as it comes rather than chase needs.
Either way, Fant signed for starter RT money.
They did lose that guy from Band of Brothers and Homeland. What was his name?
F. Murray Abraham?
LOL. Damian Lewis.
Great comments below. I do not know if it was mentioned already, but RT could be an essential position going forward if Schneider has his eyes on Penix (blind side protection).
It’s not exactly expensive either. It’s only 3.7 million guaranteed. I’m willing to bet the first year is fairly low, and the second year jumps up a bit, and he’ll be kept if Lucas cannot come back from this knee issue, so you keep continuity on the line.
Very affordable when you consider he’s also a receiver.
Lucas injury is labeled “chronic”….That is recurring, so they don’t even know if he’ll play so yeah Fant is probably going to start and to me thats a very fair contract for a guy that can come in and play well.
That stinks of early onset arthritis in the near future for him. Been there, done that.
I think the Fant signing is the surest sign yet that the Hawks want to take a QB early.
If they are really worried about Lucas knee there are great options that will be avaible in this draft to find an OT (Mimms, Fautanu, Fuaga, Latham, Guyton) at least a couple of these guys will be there at 16.
If you plan to take a QB early though you definitely need to hedge the OT spot in free agency and that’s what they have done.
Was also wondering if it was a slight signal they haven’t ruled out Penix. As a lefty the team might want a bit more of an agile pass prot type at RT rather than a bruiser to watch his blind side.
Watch Rattler. He’s not been linked with JS. He may be available after a trade down and a R2 pickup. R1 can be BAP
Anyone else see that tweet by @KarlBrooksSeattle saying that Isaiah Simmons and Devin White are supposed to do a joint visit to Seattle tomorrow? I tried to find other sources to confirm it but haven’t see anything, so I feel like it’s a troll report. Someone said that he’s an independent writer for The Athletic but I don’t have twitter so haven’t been able to verify.
Seems mostly legit, he writes for Bleacher, not the Athletic, but his twitter seems legit. Seems to be under the same banner as Corbin Smith.
Corbin smith says its a fake account. No one by that name works with him
Yeah, I just saw that now, I just saw a lot of names out of LockedonSports. My bad.
Anyone hearing Devin White and Isaiah Simmons are both meeting with Seattle today?
A buddy sent a twitter pic from some guy named Karl Brooks, but I have never heard of him and don’t see it anywhere else.
https://twitter.com/kbrooksseattle/status/1768305028392247767
I think they meet tomorrow iirc.
Cardinals trading Rondale Moore to Atlanta for Desmond Ridder. That’s a weird little surprise.
It could mean the Falcons want to draft a quarterback. Maybe Rattler?
Didn’t they just sign cousins?
Yep. And fully guaranteed his 2024 and 2025 salaries. $100m total guaranteed.
How long do you think Cousins is going to last?
Based on his contract breakdown, Cousins isn’t going anywhere for at least 2 years. With a 36 year old QB making that kind of money, I fully expect them to go all-in on drafting players who will contribute the most now.
Probably. It’s also a way to get cheap wide receiver. If you’re going for broke with Cousins, might as well try to get as many weapons as you can. If Cousins goes down the season is over anyway.
Ladd McConkey makes too much sense for the Falcons.
Wow super low current year cap hit for Leo Williams.
Only $1.25m base salary for 2024. Fully guaranteed.
Should leave some room for a LB signing (ahem Devin White).
How do the per game roster bonuses apply to the cap??? 🤔
Doesn’t the per game bonus factor in? So it’s more like 10.4 for the per game and 1.25 base?
Henderson clarified it’s $850k per year, or $50k per game roster bonus. So not much. The biggest portion will be the one-third of his signing bonus.
Taylor’s contract is essentially the same as the tender amount. 1 year, $3.136 mil.
Don’t get it, but must be some nuance.
$3.116 non-guaranteed base salary. Bonus is tied to sacks.
Looks like a very team friendly deal that they can get out of at any time.
The original round tender is 4.8 mil, right of refusal is almost the same as what he got
It prevents other teams from being able to offer him a contract. If that happened under a right-of-first-refusal tender, we wouldn’t receive any draft pick compensation if we declined to match. Taylor gets a little bit more money than he would have under the tender, with some extra performance incentives, and the team maintains exclusive rights over him but can still cut or trade him for basically nothing.
Well, I’d sure take a R2 pick for him…
cha?
…we need you!!
Seriously! I wish I could delete my posts! Should have just waited for Cha!
Wing gives me M. Bennet vibes… great interview, would be a fantastic pick!
Quick note
I figure they have about $11m of cap room left
Draft & practice squad will take that much
They have easy levers to borrow $10m from 2025 if they need more
Sam Howell to the Seahawks.
I don’t know how to feel!!!!!
Source?
Schefter https://x.com/adamschefter/status/1768368337606651972?s=46
Rather have him then Justin Fields
Let the QB churn begin. Weird though, could’ve used that 3rd to trade up for a QB somewhere.
Also weird Washington didn’t want to keep him as a backup for Daniels rather than signing Mariota for 6 mil.
I feel like we didn’t get the best end of this deal.
We just traded for Sam Howell? Hmmm…
https://bleacherreport.com/post/seattle-seahawks/ae445db4-facb-4fa9-bd85-4f8c9619f20c
https://sports.yahoo.com/live/nfl-2024-free-agency-sam-howell-reportedly-being-traded-to-seahawks-and-more-news-updates-200513438.html
We are getting a 4th and they are getting a 3 and a 5 per Shefty.
And we get a 6.
We are also getting their 6th rounder.
Seahawks receive:
Sam Howell
4th (102)
6th (179)
Commies get:
3rd (79)
5th (152)
That’s a pretty expensive for howell
I am not thrilled by this trade. It feels too much and I think we for sure could have gotten any of the available backup QBs cheaper except for maybe Fields. Ridder went for a player. All of this feel extremely excessive.
When you use the Rich Hill model, the pick swap is essentially a late 3rd/early 4th for Howell. I feel like a 5th would be fair Howell so it’s a bit of an overpay but not terrible. Still hope they draft a QB in this draft and then Howell allows them to get out of paying Geno in 25.
Looking at the trade value chart, where, essentially getting Sam Howell for a late third round pick. He was a starting NFL quarterback, and he has three years of rookie roster control on the cheap. I don’t hate the deal.
Me either. I don’t know enough about the prospects to have an opinion different than Schneider’s.
It sets us up to let the draft come to us. As Chase Cash said below, we drafted Wilson in R3 after signing Matt Flynn with Tarvaris Jackson on the roster. If someone falls to the right spot, they could still spend a pick. Ain’t nothing to it.
Or we could have just kept Drew Lock and saved the picks?
Looks like the two pick swaps net to a low third rounder for Howell…
Not sure how I feel on that valuation, but it’s a bit nice not to feel forced into a draft QB if the board falls wrong.
I don’t love moving down from 78 where there will be some really good players on the board, but I guess it’s not bad to basically get a new Drew Lock but younger and 80% cheaper? Curious if they actually view him as a developmental guy or if they just really hated the backup QB market (which is fair considering Joe Flacco just got $4M+ guaranteed).
I’d rather have any one of the draft-eligible QBs than Howell.
But apparently the guys who coached them, don’t.
The board explodes in 5…4…3…
So this tells me that Seattle’s not in the drafting QB business this year.
Well, remember they signed Flynn when they had Tarvaris Jackson and still drafted Russ.
hmmmm… so the math works out to a low 3rd, or a 4th rounder in terms of value once the picks are factored in?
I mean – I have to say, there were times watching him last year when I thought – ‘that’s an NFL quarterback’ — for sure he’s a gunslinger who threw way too many picks, but he’s not the first rookie to do that. He’s also only 23 yrs old.
I’m pretty surprised they made this move, but I also don’t mind it…..
And behind an awful O line
Maybe Geno gets moved or Schneider’s guy is expected to be gone before #16 and trade up options are too rich. My thoughts.
I agree. I think doesn’t completely rule out qb w first pick. If qb at 16, trade Geno
I still doubt that any other team actually wants Geno…
Yes, I think the trade market for Geno is between very limited and zero. The Seahawks are forced to keep him on the roster because of his salary. Howell is here now because Lock left.
WASH was a lousy place to be a QB. Let’s hope Seattle can up his game.
That is exactly what I was thinking as well. He showed some decent play, but when you’re running for your life, that could be difficult. Not to say with our current line, he wouldn’t be running for his life, but I do think that Howell could have some upside.
No QB this draft, unless someone falls into our Day 2/3 laps.
Almost certainly a trade down from 16 now, hopefully for the native range R2 we lost.
Not super excited about the Howell trade, but I guess 78 is about where value falls off for most positions. Perhaps they figured the likelihood of getting someone they really wanted was low.
Perhaps they’ll trade Geno now…
I was thinking about the same, but probably after the draft. Sam Howell was not bad, he is 23 so might be a good backup if we end up with Penix (24).
My apologies yesterday for posting Taylor’s contract – got the brunt 2nd time from a fake X account.
24 in September. He is only 4 months younger than Penix with less team control.
With the pick swaps, the value equates to trading a mid 4th round pick (115 to be exact) for Sam Howell
that feels just fine to me.
he showed something last year – had some terrible games – but some pretty good ones too – and on a worse team, w fewer weapons.
If he is the starter instead of Geno, the season is more interesting, b/c at least there is a chance he develops into a future QB for us.
Watch the Jets game. And then go to Youtube and listen to the reactions from Wash blogs. Even Rob called him a poor mans Baker on more than one occasion. He isn’t it.
With respect this is lazy. You have to look at what a QB can be and the tools he has are impressive. I would like to know more about why Howell and the entire team just crumbled the 2nd half, but he is an interesting player.
If you want to cherry pick games go watch the Eagles game.
I’m not sure a poor man’s Baker is such an insult anymore, especially for a 23 year old on a cheap contract. And he can run better better Baker.
Exactly. You aren’t forced to draft a rookie backup but you can still take a shot at a QBOTF if the pick and player match up. Worst case scenario you have a backup for the next 3 years with a negligible cap hit and starting experience. I’ll buy that for a 3rd round comp pick.
Reply fail – this was meant to reply to Qoolio
2 years
fair point, I thought he was a rookie. Forgot he got a cup of coffee year before last. Makes this less value than I thought. I still don’t hate it given our cap situation and how much backup QB are getting (see Drew Locke, Joe Flacco’s corpse)
I wouldn’t be surprised if this trade started out with Schneider asking Peters what it would take to move up from 16 to 2.
Boy did that call take a wrong turn then 😆
I imaging Scheider hanging up in a daze, “Wait, what the hell just happened?”
No I meant Howell was plan b.
Schneider calls to find out if they can move up. What he finds out is no. Washington is staying. Meaning they’re taking a QB. Meaning Howell might be available. So he asks about Howell and a trade is born.
Based on? Yeah I already know. Smh lol
Sam Howell led the NFL last year in attempts, interceptions, and sacks*
*he did play for the Washington going Commandos
Curley led The Three Stooges in Nyuk Nyuks and pies to the face.
I love this trade. Squint when you watch Howell and you will see a gunslinger version of Bo Nix. He has the ability to make every throw and extend plays with his legs/run for first downs. The sacks are obviously an issue and some of that is him, but this is at worst a low cost backup and at best a shot at developing an interesting QB.
Oh, and he is younger then Nix and Penix. Great move. Let the draft come to you and continue taking BPA.
I really really like this pickup
I believe he’s had to learn 2 offenses and the complaint in the current oc is that the routes(plays) take too long to develop.
Yep. And he seems highly competitive.
Mike I agree! He can play. I watched him live take apart Denver in Denver last Fall. He managed the game (and won) with few weapons. Sure Denver was bad but they play tough at home and it was early season.
I thought the kid could play. He’s young. Now club controlled.
What I like best is that it means we don’t HAVE to draft a qb early. I personally want one of the stud guards at 16 or from a slight trade back. Then if a qb drops that JS likes, we can pounce.
Rob called him a poor mans Baker on more than one occasion. He isn’t it.
6-22 vs Jets haha please watch it
Jets 30 – Texans 6. Apparently CJ Stroud isn’t it either.
Anyone else pondered whether John will end up including Geno Smith in a draft day trade up with New England? Not paying Geno the 38 Million has to be a priority
Yes I agree
Not necessarily to NE, but someone
I don’t think they’re trading up for a QB anymore. They might still take one if the board falls the right way.
I do think they’re open to trade offers for Geno though. They’d probably move him for a R2.
+1
They’d have to include a 2025 first and much more for them to pull that off, even with Geno.
If they have a QB they really want, I’m fine with that. It shows they have a plan and are going for it. Complete opposite of the previous man in charge.
Yeah cause it was all Pete. Saint John is absolved. Smh
One thing I like about John Schneider is that he’s a very generous man. Just look at the contracts. LOL
By the way = Geno Smith will be with this team for two more years. The contact writing is on the wall.
I hate it. I’m sure someone will help me rationalize it, but my initial reaction is yuck.
I do t think it limits them from drafting another QB and maybe they still end up trading Geno, but does seem to set them up to roll with these two next year.
Howell will cost them under $1 million for 2024, and just over $1 million for 2025.
His stat line is 3946 yards, 63.4% 21 TD, 21 INT
I’m guessing the picks are from a young guy trying to make up for a really, really shitty team and trying to make magic happen.
Definitely something for Grubb to work with.
Ultimate pocket gunslinger.
Is it not even cheaper? Washington is on the hook for the signing bonuses right?
Taking a shot on 23 year QB with low draft value, and a good rookie contract worst case he is good cheap backup. This does not stop the Hawks from drafting a QB and trade Geno. I love it.
Yeah, I get that, but why not do the same in the draft?
My best guess here is they aren’t prioritizing QB early in the draft and getting Howell for a 4th (or whatever) is a better QB option than any players they think would be left on the board by that point.
He’s younger than most in the draft, and has starter experience. I’m not sure why you would rather have a low level drafted QB than him. I love this move.
Sets up just like 2012, with a vet QB competing with a young but somewhat experienced QB, and a second-tier drafted QB. History repeats itself ….
It feels like a very, very strong hedge. And that makes me uneasy.
They get a back up quarterback with considerable NFL experience.
There’s very little cap commitment and they didn’t lose any pics.
He will get to apply his craft with a real offensive coordinator now.
And the Seahawks now have options if there is a taker for Gino Smith, or if they want to get a quarterback in the draft.
Thanks- this makes me feel a little better. I’m going with the cheaper, younger and more experienced than Drew Lock line.
They didn’t lose picks but did give up good draft value.
I’m more or less dealing with it. It’s a safe move even if I don’t like giving up a third when we are already behind in higher picks.
Didn’t like him much in college, thought he did better than expected this last year, but his ending stat line felt more on par. We now have a young backup with experience where we did not have that yesterday. Not counting on too much more.
I think it means we trade back (maybe more than once) and once again…punt in a qb for another year. I think John might have had a few guys in mind who went back to school.
Feels like we got Drake Maye-Lite lol
Drake Nix or Bo Maye
Drake PeNix JJr
He’s more like Baker Mayfield – lite… ish
This…feels like a good talent assessment haha.
Fitzgerald chart puts it at a late 7th which I’m more then happy to part with for Howell
I think Howell’s a good fit for the Drew Lock role and he’s about $4M cheaper with an extra contract year. Battle tested. Not quite a “ham sandwich”, but pretty close.
Honestly…I’d rather have the 3rd back than have Howell. I get their point, they are trying to get a backup with something, rather than needing to just FIND a backup.
Almost feels like a case of “next year.” I’m too on the fence with Schneider and his qb’s to think that this is any more than a back up, back up plan. I like the qb’s next year more, but the last thing John Schneider needs is to put more ammo into the “gun shy” bucket.
Howell himself is very ho hum. I’d rather have Drew Lock, but that was probably out of our hands. He isn’t a long-term factor or plan/ nor should he be.
Another retread….
Aside from interceptions, Howell had a mostly better stat line that Geno, on the 2nd worst team in the NFL.
If anything, this screams “draft hedge” and goodbye, for sure, to Geno in 2025. If they can’t get their guy, Howell is the starter for 2025, for just over $1 million.
So, do I have this right?
(1) 16
(4) 102, 118
(6) 179, 192
(7) 235
Add
(3) 81
Almost guarantees at least one trade back, doesn’t it?
Trading down about five spots with net you a 3.
No, we should still have R3P81.
I forgot we had two 3.
I believe we end up with:
(1) 16
(3) 81
(4) 102, 118
(6) 179, 192
(7) 235
We had two third round pick prior. 78 and 81.
So two things JS won’t like, 2 huge gaps in drafting, one from 16 to 81, then next from 118 to 179. He’s probably most worried about gap from 16-81, you have to figure we somehow get more bullets in that range, whether via trade down or trading current players on the team.
Potentially move down to late in the first, and then again to late in the second and snag Penix or Rattler plus a pick or two.
They should still have pick 81? I thought they just gave up 78 for Howell
Howell is younger than Penix and Nix and I trust JS player evaluation
They are also more talented than him. They are only a few months older than him.
If you want to be an optimist, you can say that he is only a couple months younger than those two, but already has two more years of NFL experience, so if he has to start, theoretically he won’t have quite the same rookie growing pains. I am not sure how I feel about him one way or the other, but at least if he has to play next season, I don’t fear him getting broken like I do with Penix.
(I’m ok running with him than I am with Penix).
As you said, Howell has tape and has cut his teeth. Penix has a lot of large, worrying factors for me that could prevent a long career, let alone alow him to be effective.
If you could tell me right now that they draft someone early next year, then I am 100% behind this move.
They will draft someone early next year. Feel better? Now if only I could make it be true…
Wow, I’m not sure what to feel. I’ve liked every move of the off-season so far. I guess if JS sees something in him, gotta keep throwing darts at the QB position until one sticks.
Homerun. Geno… the clock is ticking sir
I’ve got a feeling that Geno feels less threatened today with Howell than he did a few weeks ago than Lock.
BK…here are Lock’s stats from the year he started the most (13 games):
57.3% completion percentage
2,933 yards
16 TDs
15 INT
Howell is legitimate threat to Geno and could be our starter this year.
Talentwise, they aren’t close.
Howell is very “fine.” He isn’t going to push Geno. He’s starting only if Geno gets hurt.
Bingo. They don’t get their QB in the draft, Howell starts in 2025 and they save a ton of money.
Now Washington should do the Sportskeeds offer I get all the time. 36, 40 and 2025 1st for 16. Cmon Washington, you know you want too.
It’s be hilarious if we traded Geno to them on draft day.
Well, I haven’t cared much for their signings so far, but this should help a bit if they can hit on a few of these:
The Commanders now have six picks in the top 100 and seven in the top 102.
Remember when Howell almost beat the Hawks last season?
Schefter writing that “Seattle has long liked QB Sam Howell” intrigues me. Really?
Yeah this is a weird one to me as well. I mean he was drafted in 2022, just after the Russell trade, in which we had plenty of opportunities to pick him. If we were interested I’m surprised we wouldn’t have just drafted him then? Surely the timing would have worked really well following the trade.
Apparently it was Schneider who was interested. Maybe Pete said no and they moved on. Remember how Pete said they already had two #1’s in Geno and Drew?
Feels like a good time to remind everyone that JS and MM have refused to name Geno Smith the starter all offseason.
What team could still be desperate enough to offer anything for him, though…?
Yeah, but Bleacher Report said that he would be with the team this year. So by reading between the lines, that means that he will be the starter 😐😐😐
Still haven’t heard anyone else say anything besides BR. Only positive statement for Geno and no one might have even said it….
Howell pickup just speaks to a way to a have an extra cheap backup qb and a guy who if you draft a qb won’t could’nt really complain about being third on the bench.
I think the price was pretty steep for a player Washington clearly had no interest in keeping giving a 3rd and 5th and taking 4th and 6th in return kind of sucks.
absolute worst case, we got a a backup QB for the next few years for a fraction of what Lock cost.
Absolute best case, there’s actually something there and Howell has a legit shot at becoming a starter here at some point.
What’s not to like? Where else are you going to find a backup QB with starting experience on a rookie deal?
Damn solid move IMO.
The only part I don’t like is giving up a third when they already don’t have a second. It just feels like rounds 2-3 is the best part of the draft this year. If they trade back a little in the first to pick up another pick in the second or third, I’d feel better about it. BUT, if he turns out to be a good get, then it was a fantastic trade. I guess that’s what makes this a really interesting time of the year.
A backup QB… who threw as many picks as TDs last season… and cost us a R3 pick in a year when we don’t have a R2.
I’ll give JS the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what other trades he might have up his sleeve.
And hopefully we get the Howell from the first half of last season and not the second half!
Perfect! Now we have two QBs with half a season of good football in them, guaranteeing perfect QB play for a whole year. Indisputable logic!
Dude balled out for half a season. Yes, second half was terrible. But the upside is there. There is talent to work with. Pretty decent for a fourth rounder and saves some cap space compared to Lock.
I’m choosing to opt on the hopeful side. Howell had his ups and downs, but he was playing on a truly awful team with no running attack and a bad O-line. Maybe he felt like he had to play hero ball and do it all himself. Hopefully it was a great learning experience and he is a better QB for it.
For me the worst case scenario is we lose out on two draft picks that might have helped our team going forward on full length cheap rookie contracts.
We’re not ending up with any fewer draft picks, just moving down 25 spots in 2 rounds
We came Net even on picks. Out was 3rd/5th. In is Howell/4th/6th. We dropped 24 picks in the 3rd, essentially. Or traded equivalent of a 4th for Howell.
so based on Drafttek trade value chart
Was 4th 102 (92 pts) and 6th 179 (19.8)
112 pts + Howell
Seattle 3rd 78 (200 pts) and 5th 152 (30.6)
231 pts
basically leaving 119 pts for Howell which is a 3rd round 95th spot
I like the move. Hate paying for backup qbs. Super Cheap. Lottery shot. And there is a chance he just plays a bit looks good and ropes someone into a decent sized contract when he leaves and you get a good comp pick back or comp pick/writeoff.
Does the Howell trade mean we won’t draft a QB for this year or next year?
i still have hope that JS drafts a QB with a trade down from 16
it may not be the top tier QBs in top 6 but maybe a flier day 2 day 3 type like Rattler Pratt
They do still have their first rounders in 2025 and 2026. So I doubt this does anything to quell Schneiders need for a QB, if he plans to trade up.
This trade just frees up more cash for them to do more this year in FA, if need be, and next year. Just over $2 million for two years is a freaking bargain.
just listening to JS on 710 he mentioned Howells age similar to Rattler Penix and younger than Bo Nix. Howell is the backup according to JS
not optimistic JS drafts a QB
also JS mentioned it sounded like other teams were interested in Howell besides Seattle 🤔
if JS rebuilds the trenches and gets 3 to 4 starters in this draft i would be ok. buy it seems like they punt the QB down the road again …
It grates on me a little that John always says that other teams were interested in a player.
Who cares.
I get needing a backup. Really. I don’t outright hate the move. Some real JAG level energy and maybe you can argue that it’s basically the same as drafting a backup this year in the third round.
I don’t think it changes anything with regards to whether they take a QB or not. I think they will still pick one (Penix)
Hope JS trades Geno and does not pull a buy high sell low type deal. makes no sense committing to Geno with this trade draft or not.
Also kind of lost in the Howell frenzy:
Saw a few Washington fans complaining how they got more for Howell than for a “generational” DE.
Football is weird sometimes.
Based on my calculations we should have around 13,8M left in the tank (draft picks included):
OTC has the Seahawks with 32,9M Cap Space. Top51 Cutoff is 0,8M.
Based on contract structures from last years: 1-year caps of 0,7xAVG for 2 year contracts, 0,6xAVG for 3 years.
First year caps (against the cap)
George Fant: 4,9 (4,1)
Howell: 1,075 (0,275)
Noah Fant: 4,2 (3,4)
Jenkins: 4,2 (3,4)
Brown: 3,2 (2,4)
Taylor 3,14 (2,34)
Total: 15,9M against the cap -> 17M left
Draft picks – Cutoff is around 3,2M
– Nick Harris 3,26 (2,46)
11,5M left
Reserve 8 mil for IR/Practice Squad
As I recall, Howell would’ve likely been a first round pick if it weren’t for his medicals. Word was he had a degenerative knee or something which is why he fell to the third. A full season of getting whacked around in the NFL hasn’t cooked him so it seems he’s no more an injury risk than most other QBs.
Considering the pick swap equated to a mid 4th rounder in value, I think this is a lotto ticket worth scratching. If he turns out to be nothing else than a serviceable backup, the money is absolutley right and settles that issue for at least another 2 seasons.
I initially grimaced, then took a closer look. Now, I think it’s a shrewd move.
Howell was picked in the 5th round, pick 144
Rob had him graded in the 4th round on the 2022 Horz board. Will look forward to hear his thoughts on that!
I stand corrected. Point is he fell in the draft due to his lack of ideal size and medical questions about his knee but he has obviously passed physicals and doesn’t seem any worse for wear after a season of running around and having NFL D-lineman pound on him. I didn’t watch much Commanders football this past year, but a friend of mine did and says he was a gamer. Says he is far better than Drew Lock and has more upside. Granted, he is completely convinced Drew Lock will never be a legit NFL starter.
Howell comps to Baker Mayfield in a lot of ways (not just cuz he looks like him) and could have a similar ceiling. It’s not a big investment to see what he can do with better weapons and coaching.
This feels like Schneider making up for his admitted lack of taking QB shots in years past and hedging that the guy (or guys) he’d jump at this year are simply not going to be within reach. That’s fine. Maybe some QB falls to the right range and we grab him, but at least we’re not forced to reach this year or mortgage a couple years worth of first rounders to move up and bet the house.
Is Sam Howell a Homeless Man’s Josh Allen?
I won’t complain about picking up a cheap Quarterback, I was surprised that they used draft capital on a non-rookie Quarterback.
Basically same age as Jayden, nix, penix
Howelll stature size reminds me more like Baker Mayfield
And there went what remained of my good vibes.
Howell, woof.
He was a seventh round pick.
5th
Welp, thank you.
We got a gunslinger on board.
And I like it!
As PJ said above – its a lottery card worth scratching and I don’t see any downside to this.
I have mixed feelings. I watched him play a few times. He has a tendency to play hero ball and does hold onto the ball too long but he’s overall a solid option when not having to win the game. He feels like a cheaper Drew Lock (and to an extent Quinn Ewers) and gives us an out next year with Geno’s contract.
It’s about damn time. After missing out on Mahomes, Allen, Richardson, etc. that they apparently loved, they finally got Howell who they also loved apparently.
Apparently. Oddly enough we haven’t heard that bit of info before today.
Even odder, we had *cough* a few chances to draft him and passed
looks like they’re hoping Howell shows up so he can be the starter next year after letting Geno and his monster 2025 cap hit depart
I really hope this isn’t a panic buy after John lost out on Lock who he obviously loved. Howell looks like a more erratic Russ or a Mayfield clone. I guess he’s cheap for a few years but a 3rd rounder isn’t cheap. Not sure how to feel about this move, it really hinges on who we end up drafting or if some move is made with Geno