Washington Football Team: Three bold predictions in free agency of 2021

No. 1 – Brandon Scherff tag and trade

At first glance, it seems rather preposterous that the Washington Football Team would consider trading their first AP first-team All-Pro since 1996. However, when you take a deeper look, it is not as outlandish as it may seem.

Scherff is already 29 years old, very close to that 30 mark where NFL players tend to decline. Scherff also is a guard, which is not the most premium position. Paying those players lucrative contracts, to some, can be seen as a misuse of resources.

To add another piece of evidence to the case against paying Brandon Scherff, there is his injury history. Paying a player to be the highest-paid guard in the NFL, that has missed some amount of time every year since 2016. Again, the question comes down to: Are the resources worth the subsequent risk with Brandon Scherff?

Both Scherff and the Washington Football Team have voiced that they want to come to a long-term agreement. I agree with the sentiment. The Washington Football Team should re-sign Brandon Scherff. You simply do not let All-Pro players walk, especially ones as crucial to their team as Scherff.

However, given that these are bold predictions, in this scenario, Brandon Scherff will be franchise tagged and then traded. To what team you ask? The Cincinnati Bengals. They saw first-hand against the Washington Football Team in 2020 what happens when you do not protect your franchise quarterback. It is safe to expect them to be very aggressive in acquiring protection for second-year quarterback Joe Burrow.

The trade goes as follows:

The Washington Football Team gets an extra second-round pick in this year’s draft and a mid-round pick in 2022. The Bengals acquire a premium guard to protect Joe Burrow. And unlike many other times, Washington gets fair value for leaving talent.