The Minnesota Vikings have sat passively by as the free-agent quarterback market has dried up. Two more prospective Vikings quarterback candidates became unavailable on Friday, April 12. Joe Flacco signed with the Cleveland Browns, while Drew Lock joined the Seattle Seahawks. That leaves few choices for finding a quarterback capable of keeping the Vikings’ season alive if J.J. McCarthy goes down. However, Locks’ arrival in Seattle has placed doubt on another quarterback who may become available through a trade.
If the Vikings pursue him, he may go through the same quarterback rehab that Sam Darnold did before signing a lucrative contract with Seattle. Gregg Bell, a Seahawks beat reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune, stated that Lock’s acquisition has called fourth-year quarterback Sam Howell’s future into question. Last season, the former Washington Commanders fifth-round pick struggled in Geno Smith’s absence, being sacked four times and completing only five passes on 19 dropbacks after being rushed into action against the Green Bay Packers.
The year before, Howell was treated poorly by a Commanders organization in the midst of an ownership transfer, and the following year, Jayden Daniels was picked second overall. Unlike seventh-round pick Brock Purdy, who was placed into a winning San Francisco 49ers team, Howell lacked the backing that a Day 3 quarterback would require to succeed. The Commanders offensive became one-dimensional, typically playing from behind, as they were backed up by the league’s worst defense. Howell attempted the most passes (612), and he led the NFL in sacks (65) and interceptions (21).
There’s plenty of work to be done. However, the former North Carolina quarterback, who is tied with Drake Maye for the most passing touchdowns thrown in a single season, has a gunslinger mentality that Kevin O’Connell relished with former backup Nick Mullens. Some draft pundits saw him as a second-round talent, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Howell’s footwork and timing have been the bane of his career so far. But in a system as complementary to quarterbacks as the Vikings, Howell, who will be just 25 years old entering the 2025 season, could undergo a similar career reboot as Sam Darnold, who battled with the same issues earlier in his career.
The Seahawks traded third- and sixth-round picks for Howell, as well as fourth- and sixth-round picks, thus acquiring Howell in exchange for sliding back 24 spots to the tail end of round three. It appears to be a terrible bargain, leaving a bad taste in Seattle.
The Lock signing indicates that they may be ready to get rid of themselves and recuperate whatever they can for Howell. The Vikings’ options are limited as they search for their QB2, but Howell would be an ideal candidate for O’Connell’s quarterback school. Howell may develop in the background, with the goal of returning to action with improved mechanics and confidence.
Darnold was more physically endowed coming out of college, but if the Vikings could raise Howell to the level of Darnold and Mullens, they would have a perfect backup to McCarthy who could run if necessary.
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