Tag: 2022 NFL Offseason

Could Russell Wilson be an option for Washington in 2022?

Russell Wilson wants to “explore his options” this offseason. He’s under contract for two more seasons, but would Washington be a potential option if he demands a trade?

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On Saturday, news broke of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr potentially being on the move in 2022 if there is a coaching change. We speculated on if Carr was a possible fit for Washington.

On Sunday, Ian Rapoport reported another veteran quarterback wanted to “explore his options” this offseason. That quarterback is Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks.

So, if Washington should do everything in its power to go after Carr if he’s available, that statement also stands true for Wilson. Wilson should absolutely be Washington’s top priority in the 2022 offseason if both are somehow available.

Much like Carr, how attractive is Washington as a destination with a quarterback who will have plenty of options like Wilson?

There has already been smoke this offseason about a potential fit between the Saints and Wilson. That makes too much sense. Wilson playing for Sean Payton would be the perfect pairing and instantly make the Saints a contender again.

Wilson, 33, is from Richmond, Virginia, an eight-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion. He had a tough season in 2021, as he battled a finger injury that seemed to linger for him, impacting his accuracy at times.

I don’t see why Seattle would move him. But perhaps Wilson wants a change of scenery after 10 years with the Seahawks. It will cost a lot if he is moved — in trade compensation and salary. The salary isn’t an issue for Washington, as the team has plenty of cap room, and owner Dan Snyder would give up virtually anything to pay a top-flight passer such as Wilson.

I wouldn’t count on Wilson wanting to play in Washington if he does want out of Seattle. But that shouldn’t stop Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew from pursuing him. A quarterback such as Wilson also makes Washington an immediate threat in the NFC.

Seattle has Wilson under contract for two more years, so the Seahawks hold all of the cards here even if Wilson demands a trade.

 

Washington airs commercial promoting name reveal during Bucs-Eagles’ playoff game

Washington airs local commercial during NFC wild-card game promoting name reveal on 2/2/22.

If you were watching the NFC wild-card game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles Sunday on Fox 5 in the Washington, D.C. area, you likely saw the following commercial promoting the Washington Football Team’s upcoming name reveal.

Here’s the commercial, featuring a look at Washington’s past, present and future, courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

The commercial featured glimpses of Washington legends such as Joe Gibbs, Bobby Mitchell, John Riggins, Sean Taylor and others. It also featured fans and images of current players in the 30-second spot.

The commercial ends with the graphic of “2.2.22,” which, of course, is the date Washington unveils its new name on NBC’s Today Show.

Some will likely complain about Washington’s airing of the commercial during the local Fox 5 broadcast because, well, some complain about everything. However, it was wise of Washington to continue to promote its new brand.

Can Feb. 2 arrive fast enough?

Washington GM Martin Mayhew said team offered Brandon Scherff record contract

Martin Mayhew said Washington offered Brandon Scherff a contract that would’ve made him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.

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Washington Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff has played on two consecutive franchise tags and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. On Monday, Scherff reiterated his desire to remain in Washington for the remainder of his career.

Like Kirk Cousins before him, Scherff’s desire to remain in Washington is nothing more than lip service.

Washington general manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Ron Rivera met with the media Tuesday for their season-ending press conference and talked in-depth about the future of the WFT.

As expected, Scherff’s name came up.

Mayhew discussed how Scherff is an outstanding player and leader, and those types of players aren’t easy to replace. That’s why Washington did everything in its power, presumably last offseason, to keep Scherff in D.C. for the rest of his career.

“I think our fans should know; we’ve made every effort to get something done,” Mayhew said. “We’ve continued to work on that. Last year we made an offer to be the highest-paid offensive guard in the history of the National Football League. and we’ll keep that dialogue going on and see where things go.”

That certainly changes things.

Most fans presumed the front office lowballed Scherff much like Bruce Allen did when he told the media Washington made Cousins a “record” contract offer in 2017, when, in fact, Allen didn’t reveal the specifics of the proposal.

I tend to side with Mayhew here. Why would he lie? You can criticize Dan Snyder and some of the shenanigans of the Washington organization, but Mayhew doesn’t have a history of saying these types of things for them only to be proven otherwise.

It made sense for Scherff to play on the second franchise tag once it was applied. You can’t blame him. That was around $32 million guaranteed over two years for his position. And then he can sign a multi-year deal worth even more. That’s smart business. Coincidentally enough, Washington can thank Cousins for establishing that path.

Does this mean Scherff wants out of Washington? No, it doesn’t. We are about to find out how strong Scherff’s desire is to remain in Washington.

While Scherff made his fifth Pro Bowl in 2021, he missed six games and hasn’t played every game since 2016.

 

Brandon Scherff reiterates desire to finish career in Washington

Brandon Scherff reiterated his desire to remain in Washington.

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Washington selected Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff No. 5 overall back in 2015. Initially, then-Washington general manager Scot McCloughan envisioned Scherff as a right tackle, with the intention of giving the team outstanding bookend tackles. Trent Williams was the left tackle.

It didn’t take Washington’s coaching staff long to realize Scherff wouldn’t work at offensive tackle. Early in training camp, the team moved him to right guard, and the rest is history.

Seven years later, Scherff has been selected to five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020. So, the move to guard paid off big time for Washington.

Scherff is finally a free agent, and there are no franchise tags this time around. Scherff will test free agency and, more than likely, depart the only franchise he’s ever known.

If Scherff had his way, he’d re-sign with Washington and finish his career in D.C.

“I’d love to be here, and I hope I can end my career here,” Scherff told reporters Monday. “I said that the last couple of times, and that’s always the goal for me, is to kind of finish where you started.”

Scherff was asked why the two sides could never get close to a deal, leading to two franchise tags:

“I couldn’t tell you,” Scherff answered. “That’s between my agent and here.”

Scherff has said repeatedly he’d prefer to remain in Washington. Many fans are skeptical as there was no real movement toward a long-term contract. Keep in mind that may not be due to Scherff. Perhaps Washington wanted to keep it year-to-year with Scherff, knowing it had plenty of cap room the last two years.

Scherff will hit free agency in March. Maybe Washington will make one more attempt to work out a long-term deal with Scherff between now and then, but it appears unlikely after two franchise tags.

Scherff had another outstanding season in 2021, and his value is apparent. Washington was winless without him in the lineup this season. But Scherff made $18 million in 2021; Washington cannot sign him to a deal using that number as a starting point. He’ll be 31 in 2022 and missed six games this season. He hasn’t played 16 games since 2016.

It would be massive for Washington to work out a long-term deal with Scherff. It’s just unlikely to happen. Expect Scherff to be elsewhere in 2022.

Washington signs 8 players to reserve/future contacts

Washington signs eight players to reserve/future contracts Monday.

The offseason is finally here. One day after the Washington Football Team completed the 2021 NFL season, they began looking ahead to 2022.

Washington signed eight players to reserve/future contracts Tuesday, including a pair of former draft picks who’ve spent considerable time on the main roster. Here is the complete list:

  • G Zack Bailey
  • ​C/G Beau Benzschawel
  • ​G Deion Calhoun
  • ​ DT Tyler Clark
  • ​WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
  • ​WR Kelvin Harmon
  • ​G Nolan Laufenberg
  • ​WR Marken Michel

The most notable names from the list are Harmon and Gandy-Golden. Harmon was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He spent the 2019 season on Washington’s roster, catching 30 passes for 365 yards. He missed all of 2020 with a knee injury. Harmon was released over the summer before re-signing with Washington’s practice squad.

Gandy-Golden was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and appeared in six games. In 2021, Gandy-Golden spent the entire season between Washington’s practice squad and active roster.

Benzschawel spent all of 2021 on Washington’s practice squad.

We’ll keep you posted on any future signings.

2022 NFL offseason: Important dates for the Eagles

2022 #NFL offseason: Important dates for the #Philadelphia #Eagles

The NFL is currently racing towards the playoffs, but it’s never too early for the league to start looking towards 2022.

Whether it be free agency, the draft, or offseason practice schedules, the NFL keeps a running schedule on a year-to-year basis, and the 2022 schedule was just released.

Here are some of the most important dates.

Major dates set in 2022 NFL offseason calendar

Here are the important dates to know for the 2022 NFL offseason.

We haven’t even reached training camp this offseason, but the key dates for the 2022 offseason have already been set. According to a memo sent to players that was leaked by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFLPA has agreed on these dates with the league.

The league year is set to begin at 4 p.m. on March 16, with teams able to franchise and transition tag players from Feb. 22 to March 8. Offseason workouts will begin April 4 for teams with new head coaches and on April 18 for everyone else.

As far as restricted free agency goes, the restricted free agent signing period ends on April 22, with the last day to match offer sheets for those players coming five days later on April 27. Finally, the 2022 NFL Draft will take place from April 28 to 30.

Between now and then, Jacksonville will help for a bounce-back season in Year 1 under coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

NFL Exec on Eagles being in ‘driver seat’ to land Russell Wilson if Seahawks look to move on

One NFL executive believes the Philadelphia Eagles would be in the driver’s seat for Russell Wilson if the Seahawks part ways.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded down in the draft, accumulated picks, and are sitting pretty with assets over the next two years.

The Athletic recently broke down the NFL landscape for all 32 NFL teams post-free agency and entering the stretch-run towards the draft.

One league executive told The Athletic that Philadelphia’s loading up on assets to either build around Jalen Hurts or make one final run at Russell Wilson in 2022 if Seattle looks to move on.

“All they’re doing is stockpiling picks for next year, so they can get weapons for Jalen Hurts or acquire one of the top two overall picks to draft a quarterback,” an exec said. “And I would put Philly in the driver’s seat for Russell Wilson next year if Seattle moves him. That would have Howie Roseman written all over it.”

Wilson will be 33 heading into the 2022 offseason and the Eagles would have to hope that a quarterback leaving his prime, will still have something left in the tank.

A loaded roster from 22 picks over the next two years could benefit more from rolling with the younger Hurts, who’ll still be on his rookie deal and even with an extension, would cost millions less than Wilson, who could be looking for money at some point.

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