Redskins would be foolish to let Brandon Scherff get away

Brandon Scherff is entering the final year of his contract. The Washington Redskins can’t let one of their best offensive linemen get away.

The Redskins’ offensive line has been a relative strength of theirs when healthy over the course of the past few seasons. Of course, staying healthy has been a problem, but the team still has a good mix of talent on the offensive line. And one of their best players on that front is Brandon Scherff.

Scherff, the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has been a starter for the Redskins since his first day with the team. He solidified the right guard position and has already established himself as one of the league’s best guards. At just 27, the two-time Pro Bowler still has a lot left to give during his career.

That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that Scherff and the Redskins are reportedly still far apart on a potential contract extension.

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Scherff will be playing on the fifth-year option that is given to first-round picks in what is the final year of his contract. But at the moment, it doesn’t seem that an extension is imminent. And this is bad news for the Redskins.

Offensive line play is becoming increasingly important in the NFL. In fact, 8-of-12 playoff teams last season ranked in the top 10 for fewest sacks allowed. So clearly, keeping a clean pocket is important. That’s especially true when developing a rookie quarterback which is exactly what the Redskins are going to be doing for the next few years with Dwayne Haskins. And given Haskins’ lack of mobility, quality blocking will be even more important.

Despite the offensive line looking like a strength for the Redskins over the past few years, they are now facing uncertainty. Scherff is still with the team, but he may not be beyond this season if the team elects not to pay him. So that’s a major question mark.

Trent Williams is still arguably the best left tackle in the league, but he is set to turn 31 on Friday. He is also reportedly holding out from the team in hopes of either getting more money or due to a qualm with the medical staff, depending on who you listen to. If he chooses not to play to start the season or forces his way out of Washington, that would leave a massive hole at the tackle position.

Essentially, the Redskins are looking at the possibility of having an offensive line in 2020 that features Geron Christian, Wes Martin, Chase Roullier, someone at right guard, and Morgan Moses if they can’t appease Williams and re-sign Scherff. That’s certainly a major downgrade from what they are staring at with Williams and Scherff on the team, especially at the guard position.

Given how long it took the Redskins to try to fix the left guard position (roughly five years), the idea of letting Scherff go and replacing him isn’t exactly encouraging. Scherff has been rock solid for the team when on the field and has established himself as one of the league’s best, and replacing him would certainly be difficult.

Now, I can see an argument for waiting to see if Scherff is healthy this season. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle that cost him half of last season, so if that has a negative impact on him, it would be best to see that on the field before offering him a lucrative extension. And they could always slap him with the franchise tag next offseason if they want to retain him. So, there may be merit to that strategy.

Still, failing to keep the offensive line in working order would be a massive mistake for the Redskins. And if they are lowballing Scherff coming off an injury, that would also qualify as a mistake, as that could sew seeds of mistrust in the negotiation process.

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The Redskins can’t afford to lose both Williams and Scherff, and they will have to retain at least one. They would be foolish not to retain the still-young Scherff, as it would guarantee that at least the right side of the offensive line would be in good shape as Haskins develops. Even if it costs roughly $13 million annually as many are expecting, keeping Scherff around would be worth it.

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