There’s been a lot of change throughout the entire Washington Commanders organization since Brandon Scherff was selected fifth overall back in the 2015 NFL Draft. From coaching changes to team names, jerseys and of course several different quarterbacks, there have been few constants in Washington.
One thing that has remained steady is the play of their right guard Brandon Scherff. While he’s only made it through two full seasons, having missed 24 games in the past five years, when he’s healthy, Scherff is an All-Pro road-grader.
But for Washington, who’s placed the franchise tag on Scherff each of the past two seasons, they might see the seven-year vet as expendable. Set to hit unrestricted free agency, Scherff isn’t expected to be retained by general manager Martin Mayhew.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, Scherff’s relationship with Washington may be coming to an end. He mentions there has been little progress made toward a long-term extension, which given their inability to do so each of the past two seasons, comes as no surprise.
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Retaining Brandon Scherff is not a top priority in Washington
As head coach Ron Rivera alluded to in a recent press conference, the team is focused on adding a quarterback capable of elevating the entire Washington Commanders roster. Having paid Brandon Scherff to be among the top earners at his position each of the past two seasons hasn’t helped matters.
They also highlighted the importance of extending younger members of their core, such as Terry McLaurin and Da’Ron Payne. Adding a quarterback, plus offering large extensions to keep their preferred talent around a few more seasons just might be what’s standing in the way of a Scherrf extension too.
This time around, the team seems prepared to let Scherff test the open waters, where he’s expected to have several suitors as the top-ranked guard hitting free agency.
Don’t be surprised to see a team like the Minnesota Vikings get involved. With a gaping hole at right guard, Scherff would be a plug-and-play fit. Not to mention, Scherff blocked for Kirk Cousins for three seasons from 2015-17 in Washington. And there’s also the Kevin O’Connell connection, who was also on Washington’s staff from 2017-19. It almost seems too good to be true, for the Vikings and Scherff anyway.
Meanwhile, there are several other ways Washington can still improve this offseason, but they might need to invest more on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary once they land a QB.
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