It all fell apart so quickly for the Washington Football Team.
At 6-6 and winners of four straight, Washington entered Week 14 against the Cowboys with a prime chance to boost their playoff odds. Thanks to a slow start and an off day from the offense, they lost by a touchdown.
After that, Washington entered free-fall mode, dropping their next three contests to fall out of playoff contention.
While a crushing number of injuries and a widespread COVID-19 outbreak made their late season collapse, for lack of a better term, not seem as ugly, the bottom line is the club’s season was defined by a pair of four-game losing streaks.
Could those skids go down as a blessing in disguise? No doubt, but only if the front office hits a home run in the offseason.
Nailing free agency will be paramount, but that goes beyond signing the right players. Washington learned that the hard way last offseason, as all but one of their high-profile additions haven’t lived up to expectations.
Ron Rivera and the front office will also have to be cautious in regard to which free agents they choose to bring back. With that in mind, let’s highlight some players who have in all likelihood played their last snap for Washington.
Washington Football Team: 3 players unlikely to return
3. Jon Bostic
Figured we get the obvious one out of the way first.
Jon Bostic is very much a polarizing figure amongst Washington fans, and understandably so. While they can appreciate his leadership insticts and willingness to play every snap of every game, his on-field play has left A LOT to be desired over his three years in Ashburn.
If you just looked at Bostic’s stats, you could be convinced that he’s been a serviceable linebacker. That’s…not the case. Anybody who’s watched his attempt to mop up the middle of the field knows the majority of them are empty.
Following his season-ending pec injury this year, Bostic has tallied 245 tackles (129 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, four sacks, five pass breakups, two interceptions across 36 games for the Burgundy and Gold.
Not bad, but let’s remember the position he played, too. If you’re a middle linebacker and not pushing the century mark for tackles every season, you’re probably doing something wrong.
The 30-year-old received plenty (probably too much) vitriol from fans before he got injured, so we’ll leave you with this. In just four games this season, he finished with a 30.2 player grade from Pro Football Focus.
That would be the third-lowest amongst all LBs. His 29.4 coverage grade is the second-worst at the position and his 47.8 run defense grade is what you would expect from a middle-round rookie.
We wish Bostic nothing but the best in his future NFL endeavors, but he shouldn’t play another down for Washington.
2. Ricky Seals-Jones
The NFL is a business first and foremost, and Ricky Seals-Jones, who likely deserves a contract renewal based on how he performed in Logan Thomas’ absence this year, will experience this first-hand this offseason.
As much as we’d love to see Seals-Jones back in Landover, Washington currently has a logjam at tight end. Thomas, whom we just mentioned, inked a three-year, $24 million extension last offseason, so he isn’t going anywhere.
Behind him you have John Bates, who’s undoubtedly been the best pick from Washington’s 2021 draft class. The fourth-round standout is already a dominant run-blocker and adept at finding pockets of space in the second level of the defense. And for everything he lacks in speed and lateral quickness he more than makes up for in brute strength and a willingness to bulldoze defenders.
Thomas and Bates will form an elite TE duo in 2022, but you also have to consider the return of Sammis Reyes, a mountain of a man who will likely have a roster spot after another offseason spent adjusting to the ins and outs of the sport.
Taking all of that into account, you’d be hard-pressed to list a scenario that sees Seals-Jones return to Washington. All in all, 30 catches for 271 yards and two TDs, the first of which came in the fourth quarter of Week 2 and will go down as one of the most exciting moments of the year, is solid output for a TE2/3.
Unfortunately for Seals-Jones, his last moment in the Burgundy and Gold saw him stretchered off in Week 17 vs the Eagles after he crashed into a cameraman and then the sideline padding trying to catch an end zone pass from Taylor Heinicke.
Hopefully, RSJ finds a new home and consistent role in 2022.
1. Brandon Scherff
Brandon Scherff is currently the second-longest tenured player on the roster, trailing only punter Tress Way, who joined the year before him in 2014.
For as much of a pillar as Schefff has been on Washington’s offensive line, it might be time for this marriage to end. Despite persistent efforts from the organization to get a long-term deal done, he’s played under the franchise tag in each of the last two seasons.
Assuming the 29-year-old gets through the remaining games with a clean bill of health, he’ll demand to be made one of the wealthiest guards in the league. Based on the value of the franchise tag ($18.036 million), Scherff holds that title this season.
However, do you really think he deserves to bank more than guys like Joel Bitonio, Zach Martin, Joe Thuney and Wyatt Teller?
If you asked us two or three years ago, we’d probably say yes. Now, though, we’d tell you that Washington shouldn’t splurge on a player who hasn’t played a full season since 2016, his second year in the league.
Additionally, Scherff’s production as a blocker is down across the board following his All-Pro 2020 campaign. Here’s a quick comparison:
- 2020 (13 games): 84.1 player grade, 81.1 pass-blocking grade, 80.1 run-blocking grade, two penalties and 21 pressures allowed
- 2021 (10 games): 74.1 player grade, 73.5 pass-blocking grade, 74.4 run-blocking grade, six penalties and 16 pressures allowed
Remember, he’s making more than any RG this season. Is Scherff one of the those players that will improve after signing a life-changing contract, like Jonathan Allen, or will he get complacent once he has financial security?
We’d rather not find out the answer to that question.