John Schneider: Sam Howell 'Huge Part' of Seattle Seahawks Long-Term QB Plans

RENTON, Wash. - Moments after "Mr. Irrelevant" had been crowned with the final pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn't seem interested in taking a deep dive into the team's decision not to draft a quarterback for a second straight year.

After discussing everything from how things went conducting his first draft with new coach Mike Macdonald to how the scouting department found sixth-round pick Michael Jerrell out of Findlay, a Division II program, Schneider fielded a question about not choosing a quarterback. Initially, he didn't seem irked, simply saying a signal caller "didn't fit" as the draft unfolded after six were selected in the first 12 picks on Thursday night.

But when a follow up question shifted the focus towards future plans under center, Schneider's tone quickly changed, with him asking why the question had been asked in the first place.

"That's a serious question? What's your long-term plan?" Schneider smiled. "We just traded for Sam Howell. He's got two years left on his contract. He's, what? Two years younger than a lot of these guys. Geno [Smith]'s here. We have a really cool room right now. We're trying to add a couple guys right now and we'll continue to work it, so we'll see where it goes. We're always looking at that position. I can't tell you what our long-term plan is because I honestly don't know, but Sam is a huge part of it because we made a major trade to get Sam before we got here."

While Schneider obviously was engaged in a bit of playful banter with a veteran reporter and the question wasn't a bad one at all, the decision not to draft a quarterback this weekend shouldn't be viewed as a surprise and his response was predictable. Without a top-10 pick and limited capital to move up in the first round, including not having a second-round pick after trading for Leonard Williams last October, drafting one seemed unlikely due to more pressing needs on the roster and resources already poured into the position.

Though there was some speculation about his future after Macdonald replaced Pete Carroll in late January, the Seahawks still had Smith under contract for the next two years and restructured his contract in March, ensuring he would be on the roster as the undisputed starter for at least 2024. Having made the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons as the successor to Russell Wilson, several teams in the league have far worse situations atop the depth chart.

But as Schneider reiterated emphatically on Saturday, the move to acquire Howell from Washington in a pick swap shortly after the start of free agency served as Seattle's pseudo-draft pick at the position looking towards 2025 and beyond.

Compared to a draft class headlined by multiple quarterback prospects such as Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix who had at least five years of college experience under their belt, at 23 years of age, Howell is significantly younger than most of the incoming rookie signal callers. In addition to being younger, he already has 18 NFL starts on his resume, making him a known commodity who still possesses plenty of untapped upside.

Skeptics will point to Howell's issues turning over the football for the Commanders last season, as he led the NFL with 21 interceptions, as well as his trouble holding onto the football too long that resulted in taking more than 60 sacks.

But while those issues shouldn't be ignored analyzing Howell's performance, circumstances put him in a difficult position. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy asked him to drop back and throw a league-high 612 pass attempts, failing to develop a quality run game to complement the first-time starter and putting too much burden on his shoulders.

Even considering the lack of offensive balance needed to help take the heat off a young quarterback, Howell still nearly hit 4,000 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and posted a respectable 63.4 percent completion rate. He also orchestrated two game-winning drives in his first year as a full-time starter and rushed for 263 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his ability to perform in the clutch and create both as a passer and runner.

Given his promising production in what amounted to his rookie season on the field and the fact he has two years left on his rookie contract, trading for Howell sent a signal that Schneider considered him a potential long-term answer at quarterback. If Macdonald had any reservations, though his staff has only worked with him for three weeks so far in the offseason program, "very positive" returns so far further squelched the possibility Seattle would draft a signal caller.

"I'm impressed with Sam, how he operates," Macdonald said on Saturday. "We're building it slow offensively. The whole playbook is not in, but command of the huddle, I'm impressed with. He can spin it out there, that's easy to see. Just getting used to his personality, I think he's starting to blossom a little bit more, that personality's starting to come out, but really excited about him. Like John said, it's a cool combination of guys and I think we've got some great coaches working with them every day."

With OTAs just around the corner, Schneider, Macdonald, and the rest of Seattle's coaching staff will continue ongoing evaluation of the quarterback position, including taking a look at a pair of undrafted rookies in this week's minicamp. Shortly after the draft, the team agreed to terms with San Jose State standout Chevan Cordiero and ex-Maryland starter Taulia Tagovailoa reportedly has accepted an invite to participate in the camp on a tryout basis.

Operating under the same mindset as he does at every position, if Schneider sees a chance to improve the quarterback room that fits into roster plans, he won't leave a stone unturned. He and the scouting department will continue to scour for intriguing arms to take a look at this spring.

But as things currently stand, Schneider and Macdonald have the utmost confidence in the quarterback group as constructed. If Seattle really had concerns, under the assumption the resources weren't available to move up for a quarterback even if Schneider wanted to, the team had several opportunities to draft a second-tier prospect such as Spencer Rattler or Michael Pratt and chose to pass multiple times.

At least in the present, if not for the next few years, Smith offers a better stop gap option than many NFL teams currently have under center. Even with his numbers regressing a bit from a breakout 2022 season, he still led a league-high five game-winning drives and over the past two seasons, he ranks in the top six among passers in touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating. There are plenty of teams who would love to have such production.

Behind him, Howell's youth, physical tools, and room for development provide optimism that, at minimum, he can be a quality backup to Smith for two years. Based on Schneider's comments, including his agitated response on Saturday, and the fact they skipped out on selecting a signal caller for the 13th time in his 15 drafts calling the shots, however, the Seahawks clearly have him etched in their plans as a potential successor with hopes he can still become a franchise quarterback.