The Washington Commanders have yet to make a splash in free agency, and there’s reason to believe that will remain the case.
With little cap flexibility, it’s reasonable to expect the front office to prioritize re-signing and extending players. We’ve already seen special teamer Trop Apke and backup center Tyler Larsen ink new deals with the team.
We have no qualms with those specific moves, but they pale in comparison to the magnitude of the departures the Commanders have endured thus far.
The losses were two-fold, the first of which came in the form of Brandon Scherff “intending” to sign with the Jaguars. At the rate Jacksonville is spending money, it wouldn’t be surprising if his deal resets the market at the guard position.
The second came hours later when Tim Settle, a fan favorite whom many wanted back in Washington, signed a two-year deal with Buffalo.
As happy as we are for Settle to get meaningful snaps on a contender, his departure is a major hit to Washington’s defensive line and sparks burning question marks about some of his now-former Commanders teammates.
Tim Settle is going to play well in Buffalo. He was a success story for the #Commanders. They drafted him in the fifth-round and developed him into a strong contributor.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 14, 2022
But he deserves to play more and it wasn't happening here with Allen, Payne & Ioannidis in front of him.
2 Commanders roster question marks after Tim Settle’s departure
2. Is a Daron Payne extension in the works?
The Commanders would have liked to have Settle back, though his departure suggests they weren’t comfortable matching Buffalo’s offer. It’s a fantastic move for the Bills, who get an up-and-coming nose tackle who’s itching to get the on the field after playing 24% of the snaps over his first four seasons.
The first follow-up question we have is if Washington is working on a Daron Payne extension behind the scenes. Chances are they would have made a more concerted effort to retain Settle if they had any doubts/concerns about Payne wanting to extend his contract, or worse, demand a trade.
Maybe we have a poor read on the situation, but we’re more so giving the Commanders the benefit of the doubt here than anything else.
It felt like a Settle extension would have preluded a Payne trade. Now that it’s essentially the other way around, logic says they would pivot to opening contract negotiations with Payne, if they haven’t already.
After all, Ron Rivera revealed few weeks ago that the team planned to negotiate a deal with Payne’s agent during the NFL Combine. If there was ever a time for a deal to get done, it’s after Settle’s departure.
Stay tuned. Knowing how NFL offseason predictions go, watch the Commanders give us all the slip and trade Payne.
1. Is Matt Ioannidis’ 2022 roster spot now secure?
By absorbing Carson Wentz’s full contract, which, despite having an out after next season, comes with a $28 million cap hit for 2022, the Commanders will have to jump through hoops to create the necessary wiggle room to make signings.
Just to be clear, Washington can sign players in free agency before clearing up the requisite cap space. Expect maybe a few more cuts and contract restructures in the coming weeks, but the front office is open for business.
The first player to bite the bullet is Landon Collins, who’s expected release will save Washington $6.9 million in cap space.
That move was obvious, but Settle’s departure now begs the question of what further moves the team can make to save money. A popular thought amongst fans? Re-sign Settle at a bargain and release Matt Ioannidis, who’s $8.38 million cap hit for next season is pretty sizable for a “backup” defensive lineman.
The Commanders would salvage $6.88 million by cutting Ioannidis, their former fifth-round selection back in 2016. With Settle no longer in the fold, though, can Washington’s front seven afford to lose Ioannidis’ steadying presence?
One quick look at the team’s depth behind Ioannidis will leave you with one conclusion: Absolutely not. Unless the front office has a trick up its sleeve, we like to think Settle’s departure secures Ioannidis’ roster spot for 2022.
Anything can happen, obviously, but we tend to believe Washington will resort to restructuring contracts — whether it be converting salaries into roster bonuses or extending players — over releasing key depth pieces.