NFL teams expect Redskins to extend Brandon Scherff

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Brandon Scherff #75 of the Washington Redskins warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField on September 23, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Brandon Scherff #75 of the Washington Redskins warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField on September 23, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Brandon Scherff is set to be a free agent this offseason. But it looks like the initial indication is that the Washington Redskins want to bring him back.

One of the Redskins’ most unsettled positions this offseason is their offensive line. Three starters from last year are set to be free agents, as is backup center Tony Bergstrom. And Trent Williams‘ status with the team moving forward is still uncertain.

So, needless to say, the ‘Skins will have to make some big moves to retain the talent they have and also explore replacement options should any of their free agents walk.

That said, it does look like the team, and Ron Rivera, in particular, is looking to keep Brandon Scherff around. WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell is reporting that NFL staff with other teams expect the Redskins to find a way to extend Scherff this offseason.

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"This isn’t coming from sources with the Redskins, but staff at other teams believe one of the first orders of business for new head coach Ron Rivera will be to sign guard Brandon Scherff to an extension. After dealing with an inconsistent offensive line in his final season in Carolina, many believe Rivera will push Washington to get Scherff done and back in the fold."

Of course, as Campbell noted, this is not coming from the ‘Skins, but it’s still notable as offensive line-needy teams may be preparing for free agency and it doesn’t seem that they expect Scherff to be available. If that’s the case, then the Redskins are probably, in fact, looking to keep him.

It always seemed likely that Scherff would stick around. Even if the sides can’t agree on a long-term deal right now, Washington can always slap him with the franchise tag and work on a contract over the course of the summer. And that would be a worst-case scenario if they really want to keep Scherff.

If the ‘Skins do keep their former No. 5 overall pick, they would be in solid shape on the interior of their offensive line. Scherff would team up with Chase Roullier and potentially Wes Martin, if the team doesn’t re-sign Ereck Flowers, to form a solid interior group. The concern then would be the tackle positions considering the unknown statuses of Williams and Donald Penn coupled with the regression of Morgan Moses last season.

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We’ll soon see if the team does actually intend on keeping Scherff around. But there is a reason that he was the No. 1 target on our free agent guards list. It simply makes sense to keep him around even despite the health concerns that have plagued him in recent seasons.