Redskins RG Brandon Scherff: New contract, franchise tag, or trade?
The Washington Redskins have an elite offensive right guard in Brandon Scherff, but signing him to a long-term contract could prove to be difficult.
When the Washington Redskins drafted Brandon Scherff in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft (fifth overall), many fans thought the right guard position would be manned by the former Iowa Hawkeye for a decade or more. There was no other reason to believe otherwise, and it’s certainly possible if the prized right guard signs a new, lucrative contract in the offseason. However, that is not a guarantee, and it is time to take a look at the options the Redskins are facing with him.
Scherff is undoubtedly one of the best guards in the NFL today and if he is allowed to enter free agency in the coming months, it would likely ignite a bidding war for his services. Make no mistake, Scherff and his agent would love to hit the open market and make a lot of money through a generous salary that is coupled with a massive signing bonus.
That said, the Redskins front office has the advantage for now. They could sign Scherff to a new deal before this season is over, but that is unlikely to occur – even after making an attempt to do so earlier in the season. The front office will still have an advantage over other teams this coming winter as free agency will not begin until the middle of March. Will the Redskins make him an attractive offer before that timeframe? It’s possible, and Scherff has stated recently that he hopes to remain with the organization for the rest of his career.
There is a chance that both sides will not be able to agree on the financial terms before free agency opens. If that happens, it is very possible that the Redskins will place the dreaded (by both sides) franchise tag on Scherff; this would afford the team and Scherff’s agent the time to hammer out a new deal before the 2020 regular season. FanSided’s Sayre Bedinger believes a tag could happen under such a scenario. The Redskins are expected to have a substantial amount of cap space in 2020, and the pending release of several aging veterans could increase the numbers as well. Realistically, a franchise tag would not be a burden whatsoever, and this could be a definitive option when March rolls around.
The least likely scenario would be to franchise Scherff and trade him to another team. However, it can’t be fully ruled out, and it is a possibility that the front office may consider if the trade deal is more than palatable. What will it take to pry Scherff away from the Redskins? A first-round pick or more? There are many opinions out there, but no one knows what it could really take to consummate such a deal.
This is just one person’s opinion, but from my perspective, it would take at least a 2020 first-round selection obviously, and a 2021 third-round pick in addition to that. Would it be surprising to see a deal for the first and second-round picks in the same year or successive years? That seems a bit much, but all it takes is one team to make that trade happen.
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Brandon Scherff is a prized commodity. It is my belief that he will remain with the Redskins and have a new deal in place prior to the 2020 season opener. The franchise tag is a possibility and it can’t be ruled out. Also, a trade really doesn’t seem realistic, but crazier things have happened. The offseason will be here quickly.