Commanders GM Martin Mayhew regrets recent Brandon Scherff comments

The Washington Commanders don’t figure to undergo much roster turnover this offseason, but the few losses they do endure could be significant.

After all, by this time next month it wouldn’t be shocking if Brandon Scherff, Landon Collins and JD McKissic are all gone.

While Collins is a prime cut candidate, McKissic’s playmaking ability and prowess in pass protection could see him in high demand, and Scherff’s two consecutive franchise tags have placed him outside the team’s price range.

One of Washington’s longest-tenured players, Scherff made $18.036 million on the franchise tag this past season. Assuming that’s the baseline he sets for himself in free agency, it’s fair to assume he’ll find a new home this month.

While it was always expected that Scherff’s tenure would come to an end this offseason, general manager Martin Mayhew all but confirmed that during his end-of-season presser when he revealed Scherff turned down a contract offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid guard in league history.

On Wednesday, Mayhew addressed the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and expressed regret over making those comments.

Commanders GM Martin Mayhew regrets disclosing the team’s past negotiations with Brandon Scherff.

"“I probably went too far into that.” Mayhew told reporters at the Combine. “I don’t like to negotiate through the media, and I kind of felt like I might’ve crossed the line saying that, so I don’t plan on doing that again.”"

While the word “sorry” wasn’t uttered by Mayhew, this certainly feels like an apology, so credit where it’s due for admitting to a mistake. Those comments painted Scherff in a negative light, which is extremely unfair considering the second-year GM didn’t even share the official terms of Washington’s proposal.

So, what provoked Mayhew into disclosing that bombshell? Believe it or not, he felt pressured by the media and fans to change the narrative.

"“I feel like in that situation, that needed to be said, because what I sensed was — from the media, fans and things that I was reading — we weren’t doing enough to try and get the deal done,” Mayhew admitted. “That’s why I made the comment that I made, but I don’t plan on making any more comments about it.”"

On one hand, it doesn’t look great that Mayhew, a seasoned NFL executive, let the media and fans rattle his cage. Out of respect to Scherff, he probably should’ve shown more resistance and blocked out the noise.

On the other hand, Mayhew is human and criticism, especially of the unwarranted variety, was bound to catch up eventually. If you were in his shoes, you’d probably get annoyed if you were getting blamed for “not trying hard enough” to sign a player long-term when said player is rejecting lucrative offers behind the scenes.

With that said, that all comes with the territory of being an NFL general manager. Like head coaches, GMs take slings and arrows from fans and the media all the time. It’s almost part of the job description.

At the end of the day, we’re not going to let one moment of weakness influence our opinion of Mayhew. Was it a necessary comment? Probably not, but it did give fans and the media new perspective on Scherff’s future and why he ended up playing under the franchise tag the past two seasons.

There’s something to be said for that.