Did Vita Vea’s monster extension just screw Washington with Daron Payne?

We feel confident in saying the Washington Football Team’s roster will look a lot different by the start of training camp.

In a perfect world, the club will have a new quarterback in place, maybe a proven No. 2 wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin and a capable middle linebacker to go along with some depth pieces at other positions.

On the other side of the coin, fans should be prepared to part ways with some players on expiring contracts. While we’re on the subject, it’s also possible players under contract through 2022 could leave the club this offseason.

Despite his surge after switching positions, Landon Collins’ albatross of a contract could make him a cap casualty. That’s just one example.

Another player’s future Washington will need to address is Daron Payne, who has just one year remaining on his rookie contract.

Unfortunately, fans who are in favor of extending Payne might not have their wishes granted after Vita Vea reset the defensive tackle market.

On Saturday, the Buccaneers and Vea agreed to a four-year extension worth $73 million, making him the fourth-highest paid DT in the NFL.

Vita Vea’s contract extension could screw the Washington Football Team with Daron Payne.

It feels like the Bucs could end up screwing Washington here…assuming they’re interested in extending Payne, obviously.

It’s just how the NFL market works. When big-time stars reset the market in terms of annual average value for a position, ascending players coming off their rookie deals will demand something in that ballpark, if not more.

Vea’s new deal is worth $18.25 million annually, pushing him just above Jonathan Allen’s $18-million average. Of course, Allen signed a four-year, $72 million contract last offseason and Vea was selected one spot before Payne in the 2018 draft.

In other words, it’s highly likely Vea just drove up Payne’s price tag. Assuming the former first-rounder isn’t in the business of taking a team-friendly deal, he could end up demanding a bigger contract than Allen.

If Washington acquiesced to those demands, that just wouldn’t be conducive to team success given how much is on their plate this offseason.

Speaking strictly in terms of the defensive line, it would be impossible to field a balanced team if you have three players (accounting for Chase Young’s eventual extension) making top-of-the-market money.

The way we see it, the best-case scenario would be to hit Payne with the franchise tag next season. Again, that’s assuming he’s willing to play out the fifth-year on his rookie deal without demanding an extension or a trade.

The tag for defensive tackles in 2023 is expected to be $18 million. That sum looks a lot better as a one-year rental than guaranteed over three or four years. If you can get six years out of a first-round pick without making a significant financial commitment to him, then you tip your cap to the front office.

There’s just so many factors to consider here. Most of it will hinge on Payne and whether he wants to be in Washington, and that’s open for interpretation after he removed all traces of the team from his Instagram account.

In a nutshell, though, it’s impossible to deny that Vea’s monster extension just complicated things for Washington. If league trends continue, expect Payne to use Vea’s deal as leverage over Washington when (or if) the front office gets the ball rolling on negotiations with the budding run-stuffer.