Washington Football: 5 players who won’t be with WFT in 2022

1. Matt Ioannidis

This is the most difficult choice to make, but Matt Ioannidis could be spending his last season with the Washington Football Team. Before anyone thinks this is unrealistic, just consider several key points in this discussion.

First, Ioannidis will be in the final year of his contract in 2022 and with a trade, Washington would see a cap gain of $5.4M. His contract would be very affordable to nearly every team in the league and he could bring a 2023 third-round draft selection – possibly a second.

Secondly, the starting defensive tackle is Daron Payne and the Alabama product should be the focal point in any future plans at the position. Ioannidis turns 28 in January and Payne is nearly three and a half years younger. Youth is served at the position and Washington can add another solid draft choice for the future.

Third, Ioannidis comes with injury concerns and recently spent some time on the Covid list.  Missing any amount of time in training camp and the preseason is certainly not a positive, but the former Temple Owl should now be able to work his way back into the rotation.

It’s gut-wrenching to put Ioannidis on this list, but there are some positives that can come out of it during the 2022 offseason. There is no realistic way to guarantee that Ioannidis and Payne remain with the team. One must go and that is the unfortunate side of salary cap management.

Additional Thoughts

It’s never easy to say goodbye to older, cherished players. A few months ago, the Washington Football Team decided to move on from Ryan Kerrigan and while that brought some tears and sadness to fans, it was time to make that difficult decision.

Several players to watch following the 2021 season include Antonio Gandy-Golden, Wes Schweitzer, Peyton Barber, Landon Collins, Tim Settle, and Deshazor Everett.

The contracts for Settle and Barber expire after this season. Schweitzer and Everett will have one year remaining on their contracts and could be candidates for a trade or release. Collins was thought to be on his way out after this season, but he is having a great camp thus far.

The 2022 offseason is many months away and far from our thoughts, but everyone Riggo’s Rag will keep an extra eye out for any developments. Who is your list of players that could find a new home next year (or sooner)? Do you agree with the players listed today? The answers to these questions will become clearer as the 2021 season progresses.