Washington Football Team: 3 most intriguing trade chips on roster

1. Daron Payne

Daron Payne is undoubtedly the biggest name of the three, and Washington would be nuts not to listen to trade offers for him.

That isn’t to say we want Payne off the team. Despite being just 24 years old, he’s one of the pillars of the locker room. He’s a gym rat and always puts the team first. Generally, teams wouldn’t want to lose players like that.

However, let’s be realistic about this. The fact Payne has another year left on his rookie contract should make him more appealing on open market than rest-of-season rentals who are on expiring deals.

Speaking of his contract, Payne will be due for an extension soon, and Washington might not have the financial wherewithal to pay him what he’s owed. Chase Young and Montez Sweat will likely command top-of-the-market money. That would give Washington four DL consuming a large portion of their salary cap.

That isn’t conducive to team success.

Even if Payne was traded, the club would still have Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle, similarly-effective players, to start in his wake.

We’re not saying Washington should unload Payne the second they get an offer for him, but the 2018 first-rounder is the most enticing trade chip on the roster and there should be a market for run-stuffing linemen.