Should the Washington Football Team re-sign Brandon Scherff?

The argument for letting Brandon Scherff hit free agency

Let’s start off with the obvious; there is a chance Brandon Scherff could be deemed too expensive to keep for the Washington Football Team. Given that he is making $18M on the franchise tag, it is safe to assume he will want a contract that at least meets or exceeds this mark. Maybe, now that he has $34M in tow, he could take a hometown discount. Maybe.

It is also worth noting that Brandon Scherff has not had a season where he played in every game since his second season. And there have been three years where he has missed at least five games, including seven this year.

Now, given that he plays offensive line this can be explained away to a certain degree. But an offensive lineman that is a near shoo-in to miss multiple games in a season just may not be worth the value his contract demands will certainly entail.

Another side to the argument to consider is the offensive line coach John Matsko. He is one of Washington’s best assistant coaches and one of the most well-respected offensive line coaches in league circles. Since coming to Washington he has helped transform multiple players to another level of their games.

And in 2021, when at one point he was playing Keith Ismael, the fourth string center, Saahdiq Charles, third-string guard, and Cornelius Lucas, the backup left tackle all at once, he kept the offensive line stable enough. Sure it had its rough moments down the stretch, like against Philadelphia in Week 17.

But, quite frankly, there is not much one can expect can be done when a team gets to their fourth center.

So, the point is, if John Matsko can make players play better than they once thought they were capable of, then investing high dollars into the offensive may not be prudent. Especially when $23M AAV has been invested into Leno and Roullier.

Washington may find it more beneficial to go cheaper at Scherff’s spot, take a slight downgrade and trust John Matsko to make it work. Which, honestly, would be a good bet to make. Matsko has kept the line producing despite tough circumstances.