The Washington Commanders kicked off the new league year with a bang by announcing they re-signed defensive tackle Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million deal one day before the legal tampering began.
Payne was scheduled to play the 2023 season on the franchise tag at around $19 million. Under his new long-term deal, Payne’s 2023 salary would be slashed in half, allowing Washington to make some moves in free agency.
Washington didn’t waste any time, quickly agreeing to terms with offensive linemen Nick Gates [New York Giants] and Andrew Wylie [Kansas City Chiefs]. Both players are expected to start for Washington in 2023 after signing modest deals in free agency.
Washington’s other significant move was signing quarterback Jacoby Brissett to replace Taylor Heinicke. Brissett will compete with Sam Howell to start at quarterback in 2023. The Commanders made some other moves, mostly depth signings, including re-signing some of their own free agents.
Mike Sando of The Athletic recently reviewed every NFL team’s free-agency moves by speaking to different NFL executives from around the league.
What did those executives think about Washington’s free-agency moves?
“It looks like a group that was trying to do the best they could to compete a little bit, but knew they didn’t have the resources or the backing to do much more,” one executive said.
This is accurate. Head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew spoke of the budget after the season, and it was clear the Commanders were operating on a budget. But many believed that the budget would never allow the team to sign Payne to a long-term deal until the team was sold. Therefore, that was a surprise.
Rivera has made it clear he wanted to fill holes this offseason, specifically along the offensive line.
Then there is the quarterback position. What did the execs think about Washington’s lack of involvement with players such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr?
“It was like they said, ‘Derek Carr, Jimmy G … our owner wasn’t going to give us the budget, and none of those guys were maybe worth it anyway,’” the exec said per Sando. “Sam Howell gives them some excitement around the team, an unknown, but beyond re-signing Payne, it looks like the rest is treading water, waiting for a new owner.”
Another good point. Carr or Garopplo would not have been a good investment for the Commanders. Brissett is very similar to both players, and if Howell doesn’t win the job, he can give you similar production for a lot cheaper.
