Seahawks acquire QB Sam Howell in trade with Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks acquired quarterback Sam Howell in a commerce with the Washington Commanders on Thursday.

Seattle obtained Howell, a fourth-round draft resolve (No. 102 common) and a sixth-rounder (No. 179) in alternate for picks inside the third (No. 78) and fifth (No. 152) rounds. The third-rounder the Seahawks are giving up is their very personal — they’ve a further resolve inside the spherical by way of a commerce with the Denver Broncos ultimate April.

The Howell commerce is pending a bodily.

All through his weekly radio current on Thursday, Seahawks primary supervisor John Schneider said “plenty of” completely different teams have been involved in most likely shopping for and promoting for Howell and that Seattle is shopping for him to be Geno Smith’s backup – to not compete with Smith for the start job.

“He had a incredible day in opposition to us this earlier fall,” Schneider instructed Seattle Sports activities actions 710-AM. “He’s a quarterback nevertheless he’s really a soccer participant. That’s what I actually like about him. Really highly effective, youthful. He’s 23 years earlier and has 18 begins inside the league already. He’s the equivalent age as like [Jayden] Daniels from LSU and [Spencer] Rattler and [Michael] Penix [Jr.], and he’s a 12 months youthful than Bo Nix.

“We now have been merely really excited to have the power to buy him. Everyone knows he’s a essential dude. He’s into it, he works his tail off. We obtained good opinions on him and we preferred him coming out of school. So yeah, we’re glad to get him inside the mix. Geno’s the person and Sam shall be backing him up.”

Howell, who started for Washington ultimate season, threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the Seahawks in November.

Howell solidifies the Seahawks’ quarterback depth after Drew Lock agreed to sign with the New York Giants in free firm. Smith and Howell are the one quarterbacks on Seattle’s roster.

Howell has two years and $2.085 million remaining on the rookie deal he signed with Washington as a fifth-round choose of North Carolina in 2022. The Seahawks do not private a second-round resolve this 12 months, limiting their selections for drafting a quarterback. After the commerce for Howell, they’ve one first-round resolve (No. 16 common), a third, two fourths, two sixths and a seventh.

Howell started all 17 video video games ultimate season, throwing an NFL-high 612 passes. He accomplished with the Twelfth-most yards inside the NFL at 3,946. He moreover threw 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions and was sacked an NFL-high 65 events.

After 10 video video games, Howell led the NFL in passing yards (2,783) and was fifth in touchdowns (17). Nonetheless in his ultimate seven video video games, he threw solely 4 touchdown passes and was intercepted 12 events, and the Commanders misplaced eight in a row to finish the season.

Howell started one recreation in 2022, principal Washington to a 26-6 season-finale win over the Dallas Cowboys. Shortly after the season ended, then-Washington coach Ron Rivera proclaimed him the starter coming into the offseason. Howell maintained the job ahead of veteran Jacoby Brissett.

The Commanders signed Marcus Mariota in free firm and are anticipated to select a quarterback with the No. 2 resolve inside the draft. The Commanders now have six picks inside the excessive 100 and seven inside the excessive 102.

Moreover on Thursday, the Seahawks launched they’ve signed former Buffalo Funds linebacker Tyrel Dodson. The deal is for one 12 months, a provide instructed ESPN.

Dodson, 25, rose from an undrafted free agent in 2019 to a starter in Buffalo, posting career-highs ultimate season with 74 tackles, 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. His addition helps fill considered one of many Seahawks’ largest remaining roster holes after Seattle let Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks sign elsewhere in free firm.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.