The 5 O’Clock Club: QB3

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…

The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.

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QB1

Following the draft, there’s no question about the Commanders QB1 and future at the position — it’s former LSU/Arizona State signal caller, Jayden Daniels.

QB2

There is also no question about the veteran presence at QB2. Back in March, the Commanders let Jacoby Brissett leave the fold, replacing him with former 2nd-overall pick (in the 2015 draft), Marcus Mariota.

QB3

There is a question, though, about the identity of QB3.

Jake Fromm

Last season, it was Jake Fromm, who had previously spent time with the Bills and Giants. Fromm appeared in 3 games for the Giants (with 2 starts) late in 2021, after a November signing when Daniel Jones suffered a late-season injury. Having spent very little time with the team, Fromm was the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option.

Fromm is 6’2” and 215 pounds. He completed 45% of his 60 attempts, with 1 TD and 3 INTs. The Giants finished 4-13 that season, but it wasn’t (solely) Fromm’s fault. The Giants sucked before he arrived; they were 4-10 before he ever stepped on the field to replace Mike Glennon. He just piloted the funeral barge through its final painful mile.

Fromm’s cap hit for 2024 is $985,000.

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Jeff Driskel

Driskel started his career as an undrafted college free agent with the 49ers in 2016, giving him some connection to Adam Peters. He ended up with the Bengals in 2016, and stayed there until 2018. Since then, it’s been stops of 2 year or less with the Lions (hello Lance Newmark), Broncos, Texans, Cardinals (too late to play for Kliff), and Browns.

Driskell has played in 24 games, with 12 starts, mostly with the Bengals in 2018. Pro Football Reference lists him as being 1-10 as a starter, which obviously does not add up to 12 starts. For no clear reason, they list him as being 0-1-0 in 2 starts in 2022.

Driskell has 391 career pass attempts, with a 58.6% completion rate, with 16 TDs and 10 INTs. He has also been sacked on 9.9% of his dropbacks. For comparison, Sam Howell was sacked on 9.6% of his dropbacks in 2023.

Incredibly, the 6’4”, 235-pound Driskell has 80 rushing attempts on 854 career snaps. He has rushed for 417 yards at 5.2 ypa.

Driskel’s cap hit for 2024 is $985,000 (though that is due to a specific CBA rule; his base salary is $1.125m)

Sam Hartman

Hartman is a rookie Undrafted Free agent out of Notre Dame. He is the smallest of the three quarterbacks at 6’1”, 211 pounds, making him slightly taller and slightly lighter than Sam Howell. Hartman may be better known for his magnificent hair and magazine-cover good looks than the beauty of his quarterbacking skills.

Here’s what Chad Reuter of NFL.com had to say about Hartman:

Solidly built but shorter, Hartman plays with a competitive temperament but a lack of consistency. He can play inside structure, but at heart, he’s an improv-oriented passer. He has big hands to pump and reset the football, and his Wake Forest tape showed a player capable of beating defenses on extended plays. He processes quickly and can go from read to throw in an instant, but the arm strength is average and could be exploited by ball-hawking defenders. There are flashes on tape that can be compelling, but his lack of physical traits and high turnover totals during his career could limit him into a role as an average backup.

Here is a longer profile summary with a similar bottom line from Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network:

Hartman grades out as a late Day 3 or PFA prospect. He could slip into the undrafted free agent pool, but it’s also just as likely he’s selected in the late rounds for his appeal as an NFL backup. His lack of elite traits and advanced age locks him out of early-round range, but he has some desired qualities in a safety blanket.

Hartman was a starting QB at the collegiate level for the better part of six years. His experience is something that distinguishes him, as is his production. His physical talent, however, is not. His arm is average at best, and while he’s an above-average creator, he’s not a dynamic rushing threat.

Additionally, there are some aspects of Hartman’s operational profile that could cause concern at the next level. While he has a degree of situational precision, his lower-body mechanics remain inconsistent on release, even after an extended starting career.

Additionally, some of his favorite throws — slow, lofted touch passes in the vertical plane — might not translate at the NFL level, where defenders are faster and have better eye discipline and ball skills. And his lacking velocity can hinder his ability to hit tight windows.

Nevertheless, Hartman does have coveted qualities as a potential backup. He’s mobile enough, with enough athleticism and arm elasticity to operate off-platform. He’s incredibly poised in the pocket, with the steely resolve to stand tall amidst pressure.

He processes and navigates fairly well, has some functional discretion as a decision-maker, and has a degree of accuracy and situational precision when he’s mechanically sound. And his competitive toughness in all phases serves as a bonus.

Hartman’s age and lack of high-end physical traits will limit his range as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect, and he doesn’t quite have the requisite operational profile to compensate. But in the late Day 3 range, he could field an investment as a passer with long-term quality backup potential.

When Hartman reached agreement with Washington post-draft, Tom Pelissero had this report:

The Commanders gave former Notre Dame QB Sam Harman one of the biggest guarantees among free agens: a $20,000 signing bonus and a $225,000 base salary guarantee. A sign Hartman is in Washington’s plans for 2024.