THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Take it from 'Seaside Joe' as well — Howell is the guy

The Seahawks are running through OTAs.

These workouts amuse me because NFL rules refer to many sessions as “voluntary.”

Right.

They’re voluntary if you have any desire to play professional football for a living.

If you really don’t care, and want to keep on fly fishing during some of these OTA weekends, then bless you, brother.

The Seahawks’ definition of “voluntary” will be carefully explained on your release documents.

Unless you’re actually a coach or hold some sort of admin position with an NFL team, it’s almost impossible to understand all the dates, cap rules, guaranteed money and hundreds more items in the fine print that agents memorize for a living.

The short version (which most of the 90-some players in camp never fully grasp) is actually pretty simple: Show up when told, learn the offense, defense and/or special teams, and fall asleep at night reading a massive book titled: “The Seahawk Universe.”

Misplace that bible, my man, and the CIA will come looking for you.

Players will say publicly that they’re thrilled to be back in camp, they’ve never been in better shape, that they ran an off-season 40-yard dash that would have blown away Deion Sanders (in his prime), and that they’re ready for the season of their lives, yada, yada.

YAWN.

For the general public, and even the rabid ran, most of what goes on during OTAs (and full-blown training camp itself) is pretty much a mystery.

What do we know about the left guard’s footwork?

Hah.

For some teams, though — and the Seahawks are one of them — there really is a drama that we can watch unfold, a plot we can track on those sunny days when fans are invited.

Instead of the non-stop thudding of 300-pounders, by comparison this is a ballet.

Quarterbacks. 

An honest-to-goodness scrap to be the starting quarterback is worth watching — even if the coaching staff is giving one of the contestants a head start.

That’s the situation with the Seahawks, where GM John Schneider and new coach Mike Macdonald have stood on their heads to protests that NO, there isn’t a battle at QB.

Geno Smith is No. 1.

He’s their guy.

Two seasons with nine wins apiece, despite limited weapons on both sides of the ball.

Fair enough.

Except, each time we hear the Geno speech, somebody’s nose grows longer.

Schneider is known for finding quarterbacks in school libraries and working at Dairy Queens, and he went out aggressively to make a deal for Washington starter Sam Howell during this past off season.

Howell threw 21 TD passes for a terrible Commanders team last year, but unfortunately, he matched that neatly with 21 interceptions.

“He’s a gunslinger, a big, strong, fast guy who wants to make thing happen,” Schneider said.

“Hey, Sam’s just 23 years old, which is younger than some of the big-name quarterbacks from this year’s draft — except that Sam has spent two seasons in the league, and one as a full-tine starter.”

Howell is 10 years younger than Geno, which works against the kid early.

But as time goes by, with the Seahawks presumably just treading water in the NFC West, there might be some serious grumbling to see what Howell looks like running the offense.

MEANTIME, all the hoopla about Geno being the top dog brings up an interesting wrinkle.

Might Howell have the best shot at taking the permanent QB job because he’s starting at No. 2?

Seriously?

Well, perhaps we should listen to Kenneth Arthur, a full-time Seahawks junkie who produces a combination newsletter/podcast — and has been doing the printed version every day since 2019.

Bottom line, he knows the team, right down to the pre-game emergency change to the taxi squad and how a $30 addition to the cap in the offensive line means that a long snapper’s deal must be fiddled to add cryptocurrency on the front end.

You get the drift.

Arthur’s news items and well-crafted opinions are delivered under the name “Seaside Joe,” and while I’m not claiming the guy was friends with Abner Doubleday, his thoughts CAN be worth consideration.

And Seaside Joe, yep, believes that Sam Howell has a hell of a shot to be the Hawks’ No. 1 quarterback.

Full-time.

Seaside’s theory, in general, is that the Seahawks are in a unique position, with owner Jody Allen changing direction after a blah season and pulling the trigger on Pete Carroll and plenty of his staff.

“Therefore, if I’m any player who was here last season (other than Leonard Williams) then I’m thinking that my place in Seattle is not nearly as secure as it used to be,” offered Seaside Joe. 

“This should apply to the quarterback more than any other position, so unless that player is a very recent investment of significance, then that player should expect to be under new evaluation and updated expectation — just like any of us fans would be if our company replaced the CEO and management positions.”

Those are solid overall views, to which I’m going to add two points that clinch the deal.

I believe Howell will prove to be a better player — perhaps a MUCH more of an impact athlete.

Finally, Sam is 10 years younger with years left on his rookie contact.

Sam Howell is your guy.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”