Washington Redskins pick up G Brandon Scherff’s fifth-year option

It’s 2018. But that doesn’t mean the Washington Redskins shouldn’t start thinking ahead to 2019.

The Washington Redskins have several players from the 2015 NFL Draft that will soon be demanding new contracts, including edge rusher Preston Smith, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, and most notably, two-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Brandon Scherff.

The Washington Redskins may need to see more from Smith before shelling out the big bucks, and after Jarvis Landry’s recent resetting of the slot receiver market, signing Jamison Crowder could prove to be more costly than the Washington Redskins would like. Those two players will go into 2018 without long-term financial security. But according to NFL Trade Rumors, who received the information from Albert Breer, the Washington Redskins are exercising Brandon Scherff’s fifth-year option, locking him down for both 2018 and 2019.

The move is a win-win for the Washington Redskins; they lock down one of their best offensive linemen for the foreseeable future, while also buying themselves time to get a possible long-term deal done.

Per Albert Breer, the money in the fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, and Scherff will remain on his base rookie salary in 2018. And according to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times, the option will be worth approximately $12.5 million. The payment of that value could help the team settle into a longer agreement with Scherff, provided he continues to provide elite offensive lineman play. However, it could also affect who the Redskins decide to keep, and who they decide to cut, moving forward.

An offensive lineman like Scherff is worth keeping around. Drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in 2015, Scherff quickly earned the starting job at right guard and ran away with it. He provided solid play in 2015, and proceeded to make the Pro Bowl in both 2016 and 2017. His play slipped a bit in 2017, due to the mass amount of turnover around him, but in 2018, with a healthy unit to play with, he shouldn’t skip a beat protecting quarterback Alex Smith and blocking for whoever lines up behind him to run the ball.

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Scherff will stay in D.C. for the time being, but the other pending 2015 draft picks, such as Jamison Crowder and Preston Smith, remain waiting for an update on their fate. That update could come later this offseason. It might not come until free agency of next year. Be sure to stay with us here at Riggo’s Rag. If any such update comes, we’ll be the first to let you know.