The franchise tag window opened Tuesday, and teams around the NFL have two weeks to place the tag on an upcoming free agent. As with every year, some of the top free agents will be taken off the market due to the tag.
The Washington Commanders have a big decision regarding defensive tackle Daron Payne. It’s expected that Washington will place the franchise tag on Payne and attempt to work out a long-term deal before the July deadline.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the franchise tag for Payne is a near certainty.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s 99.9 likely that the Commanders will tag the 2018 first-round draft pick from Alabama.
In addition, Ben Standig of The Athletic, who is more plugged-in than Florio, confirmed the Commanders are expected to use the franchise tag on Payne.
The Commanders, under Rivera, have been aggressive at times, locking up key players. Jonathan Allen and Terry McLaurin agreed to long-term extensions in each of the last two seasons. If the Commanders tag Payne, they must aggressively pursue a deal. And if there is no deal to be had, the best bet is trading him for the best possible value instead of waiting for a future third-round compensatory selection.
