Brock & Salk: What Howell trade means for Seahawks and draft

Sam Howell is the newest Seattle Seahawks quarterback.

NFL analyst thinks Seattle Seahawks got ‘perfect developmental’ QB in Sam Howell

Howell, a 2022 fourth-round pick of the Washington Commanders, was traded to the Hawks on Thursday along with fourth- and sixth-round picks for third- and fourth-round picks.

Geno Smith is the team’s starter, and general manager John Schneider reiterated that while chatting with Wyman and Bob. But before this deal, the Hawks were a team many were keeping an eye on with the draft and finding Seattle’s quarterback of the future.

How does this trade for Howell impact the draft? And what about how the draft impacted this trade? Brock Huard and Mike Salk discussed that during Friday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports.

“Are you with me that this means the end for any of the first four quarterbacks in the draft? Salk asked Huard, who agreed with that sentiment.

“Do you think that those two things are connected?” Salk then said. “John’s like, ‘Hey, look, I’m not gonna get one of those guys, I don’t have the resources, everyone I talked to says (Michigan’s J.J.) McCarthy’s moving up the draft boards rather than down. This just isn’t the year. I don’t have everything I need to go get what I want.'”

Huard said he thinks those are details Schneider and the Seahawks learned and solidified over the last few weeks. He also thinks they weren’t considering drafting Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. with their first-round pick, which is 16th overall.

“You can’t do that. Not with what your roster needs are and everything else,” he said. “So yes, I think those things are connected. I think what else is connected is that he looked at (Tulane’s Michael) Pratt and (South Carolina’s Spencer) Rattler and the rest of the (prospects like Florida State’s) Jordan Travis, the rest of these guys and (compared them to Howell and) said, ‘What would I rather have?'”

Both Salk and Huard think this is a bit similar to back in 2010 when the Seahawks had an established starter in Matt Hasselbeck who was older and they traded for Charlie Whitehurst.

“It feels like churn,” Salk said. “Let’s keep churning until we get the right combo. And maybe there’s something to that. I think there is.”

“How seriously should we be taking this?” Salk later asked. “Like, is this a guy that you think could end up potentially being their long-term starter And he starts games here for the next five years and gets a second contract?”

Huard said that much is unclear, but that Howell provides some upside if he does become a starter.

“Wwhen and if he does start, there’s a lot of things to like, and in this system in particular with a little bit of his movement, a little bit of his gunslinger (mentality) a little bit of his pushing the ball down the field, I kinda like that,” Huard said.

Added Salk, “He’s good enough and has started enough games with enough upside that the moment Geno has a bad day, there are gonna be calls (for Howell to be the new starter) … He’s got more juice I think and more upside than what has been here the last few years in Drew Lock … I don’t think it’s going to take much for people to be clamoring for Sam Howell.”

Huard thinks Howell has some similarities to a former No. 1 overall pick who just got a big payday.

“There’s just kind of this over-aggressiveness at times, but just his stance, his posture, his body, just the way he looks and the way he moves, size, there’s a lot of Baker Mayfield,” he said.

Listen to the entire four hour of Friday’s Brock and Salk at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

Why did Seattle Seahawks trade for QB Sam Howell? GM Schneider explains

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