Commanders News: Sam Howell, Terry McLaurin, Mark Ein and Ron Rivera
By Dean Jones
Commanders QB Sam Howell's growth
Sam Howell is currently going through some significant learning curves about what it takes to succeed against elite-level defenses around the NFL. Things haven't been easy for the former fifth-round selection, but nobody expected it to be given how dominant the Washington Commanders' defense will undoubtedly become under Jack Del Rio's guidance in 2023.
This is a time for ironing out kinks, brushing up on the offensive demands of Eric Bieniemy, and seeing what does or doesn't work in a more relaxed setting. It's not been perfect from Howell, but wide receiver Terry McLaurin is seeing the growth needed for the signal-caller to potentially be productive based on his comments via John Keim of ESPN.
"He just has a really good feel of throwing the ball down the field. He's going to give guys a chance to make the play down the field and he throws a really nice deep ball. It's really cool to see a young guy who's not afraid to continue to give his guys catches or guys opportunities down the field."You really don't even see him get flustered even when he's had a few, maybe rough patches during practice. He doesn't hang his head. He's not yelling, cussing things like that. He said he's pretty even keel, which is really unique for a young guy like that."
- Terry McLaurin via ESPN
Howell isn't going to face many defenses better than Washington's when the regular season begins. Therefore, any indifferent performances at practice need a level of context attached - especially considering he's still learning with just one career start under his belt.
This is a massive journey into the unknown for Howell. And make no mistake, he has the weight of the franchise on his young shoulders.