Dyami Brown's career resurrection down the stretch and into the playoffs was enough to get a big-time payday from elsewhere. And it was a number the Washington Commanders were never going to match.
According to Mike Garofolo from the NFL Network, Brown signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that could rise to $12 million with incentives. This is the same ballpark received by Tutu Atwell from the Los Angeles Rams and priced the Commanders out.
And rightfully so.
Commanders were right not to overpay for Dyami Brown
Adam Peters already has a significant amount tied up in Terry McLaurin. They also made a daring trade for Deebo Samuel Sr., which brings an extra $17.46 million into the equation. Allocating Brown double-digits given his overall body of work was a non-starter all things considered.
The former third-round pick was anonymous over his first three and a half years in Washington. Brown finally got extended targets once Noah Brown suffered a serious internal issue. Aside from his fumble in the NFC Championship game, his rise in production was pleasing.
It just wasn't enough for the Commanders to justify this sort of money.
Brown always flattered to deceive in Washington. He'd be an annual summer standout in training camp without this transitioning into a competitive setting. By the time the light finally came on, it was almost too late to warrant anything more coming his way.
The Commanders recognized this too. Peters played the market well by trading for Samuel. It took the pressure off re-signing Brown, knowing his postseason production would have drawn interest from elsewhere.
This was always the likely scenario, especially after Brown reacted to a Dante Fowler Jr. social media post about being disrespected. Either he didn't like the offer on the table or one didn't arrive at all. Jacksonville was only too happy to give him above the going rate.
The Jaguars haven't exactly been a beacon of stability in recent years. Brown will go from one high-end draft pick (Jayden Daniels) to another with Trevor Lawrence under center. Liam Coen is the head coach with an offensive background, so a prominent role is almost guaranteed.
If Brown avoids complacency after getting financially secure, this could be a longer-term arrangement. As for the Commanders? They feel confident Samuel can be an upgrade opposite McLaurin as the No. 2 option.
Looking at the production of Samuel and Brown, there's no comparison.