The Denver Broncos must find another quarterback option unless they are confident that Jarrett Stidham or Ben DiNucci can do the job. Their depth chart behind center got thinner after Russell Wilson announced his intention to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers following his release.
To address this concern, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt predicted in his March 7 article that the Broncos would trade for the Washington Commanders’ Sam Howell. Rosenblatt wrote, “There was some buzz in Indianapolis that they are intrigued by the idea of adding a young quarterback via trade. Howell would be an interesting target, free of the mess in Washington.”
The Commanders’ fifth-round pick (No. 144 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft became their starter after beating Jacoby Brissett during their 2023 training camp.
Howell’s first season as a full-fledged starting quarterback had its highs and lows. YardBarker’s Clark Dalton noted in a March 11 article, “Despite the turnovers, Howell flashed some potential last season, finishing 12th in the league in passing yards (3,946) ahead of stars like Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (3,678 in 16 games) and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (3,858 in 17 games).”
Likewise, his 232.1 passing yards per game rank seventh among quarterbacks who played 17 regular-season games. Through his first ten games, he had 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
However, Howell’s game unraveled in the final seven games, finishing with a league-worst 21 interceptions. Howell absorbed 65 sacks, three more than second-place Bryce Young.
Pro Football Focus gave Howell an overall offensive grade of 68.4 and higher in six of his first ten games. Conversely, he went over 57 in one out of the final seven games.
The Broncos Have the Draft Capital to Trade for Sam Howell
GettyWashington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell
The Commanders could make the former North Carolina standout available if they consider taking a quarterback with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. An early selection could land them Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels.
While the Broncos have limited draft capital (8 picks, including the 2 from Jerry Jeudy’s trade to the Cleveland Browns), it’s enough to satisfy Washington’s demands for a potential trade for Howell.
“A third- or fourth-round pick should do the trick,” Rosenblatt wrote.
Denver has its third-round selection after finishing 8-9 last season. Meanwhile, it received its fourth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in the trade for Bradley Chubb.
The Athletic’s Ben Standig supported Rosenblatt’s projection when he wrote on March 6, “The upside explains an existing trade market for Howell, 23, should Washington be open for business. Two front-office executives told The Athletic they would consider trading at least a fourth-round pick for Howell.”
Allowing the trade will give the Commanders two fourth-round picks and ten total.
However, trading for Howell doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Broncos will still select a quarterback with the 12th overall pick. However, another school of thought suggests that Denver should select a defensive ace in Round 1.
Sam Howell’s Affordable Contract Makes Him an Interesting Option
GettySam Howell signed a four-year, $4,021,600 contract in 2022.
As Aric DiLalla mentioned during the January 19 episode of “The Neutral Zone” podcast, “There’s like five or six positions, I think, that you can look at and realistically say, ‘Broncos need to take a guy at this position.’”
However, building their roster gets tricky because they have $46.3 million of cap space left after agreeing to give safety Brandon Jones a three-year, $20-million contract.
They’ve also created additional cap space by restructuring Ben Powers and Zach Allen’s contracts.
The Broncos continue to clear significant cap space, restructuring the contracts of DL Zach Allen and G Ben Powers to clear just shy of $20M of 2024 space.
Despite the massive dead cap hit they’ll have with Russell Wilson, Denver is still in a position to spend this week.
With eight picks this year, the Broncos will need $6.36 million to sign their rookies, according to an estimate by Over the Cap.
The remaining $40 million in cap space allows them to spend on roster spots that need improvement, even at quarterback.
But instead of spending money on a quarterback, they can opt for Howell, who will count for only $1,190,400 against the cap and earn a $985,000 base salary for 2024.
With Howell in place, the Broncos have more money to address other pressing needs. Sportskeeda’s Mock Draft Simulator identifies these roster holes at edge rusher, defensive tackle, cornerback, and tight end.
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Former 5th-Round Pick QB Predicted to Join Broncos