4 Brandon Scherff replacements Washington can sign in free agency

3. James Daniels

It was so refreshing to see the Bears identify one position for James Daniels this past season. While the 2018 second-round pick flashed potential across the OL in his first two years, he delivered the goods at RG in 2021.

If you can believe it, Daniels just wrapped up his fourth season in the league and won’t turn 25 years old until September. In his first year as a full-time starter at right guard, Daniels graded out well by Pro Football Focus, earning a 71.5 player grade, 68.3 pass-blocking grade and a 72.4 run-blocking grade.

Those numbers won’t wow anybody, but it’s important to remember this would be an upside signing for Washington. At 24 years old and 54 games (48) starts under his belt, Daniels still has plenty of room for development.

For example, he struggles at times against power rushers and has largely played in a zone-oriented scheme dating back to his days at Iowa. Of course, that shouldn’t dissuade Washington from signing him. Almost every FA has a red flag, and this one is more dark yellow/orange than red.

At the end of the day, Daniels has experience at both guard positions and can even play center when called upon. After all the injuries Washington’s line dealt with in 2021, that versatility could end up being invaluable.

If the WFT can get him at $9-10 million annually, they should do it.