Brandon Scherff was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Washington Football Team. Seven seasons, five Pro Bowls and two franchise tags later, Scherff will finally hit unrestricted free agency in March.
Multiple times over the past year, Scherff has insisted his goal is to finish his career in Washington and did so earlier this month on locker cleanout day.
Washington general manager Martin Mayhew spoke to the media the day after Scherff in his season-ending press conference and said Washington offered Scherff a contract that would’ve made him the highest-paid guard in NFL history. Mayhew wasn’t attempting to paint Scherff in a bad light but instead wanted fans to know Washington has made efforts to keep Scherff in town long-term.
Therefore, to many fans, Scherff appears disingenuous about his desire to remain in Washington.
Veteran Wes Schweitzer could replace Scherff in the starting lineup. Since coming over to Washington in 2020, Schweitzer has started several games on the interior of the WFT offensive line — and he’s played well. He could handle the role. Or, Washington could turn to 2020 fourth-round pick Saahdiq Charles, who played well in relief of Scherff late in 2021.
If Washington likes Schweitzer in a reserve role and isn’t certain Charles is ready to replace Scherff, perhaps his replacement comes via free agency.
In Sunday’s NFC divisional round playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a pair of soon-to-be free agent guards are in action — Tampa Bay’s Alex Cappa and LA’s Austin Corbett.
Interestingly enough, both also play right guard.
While Cappa and Corbett may remain with their current teams, neither team is in a great cap position. Would the Bucs and Rams prioritize re-signing a guard — even a good guard?
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Cappa, who will turn 27 this week, is in his fourth season out of Humboldt State. He was a third-round draft choice in 2018.
Corbett, 26, was originally a second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018. He was traded to the Rams before the 2019 trade deadline, where he’s been a standout.
Washington has the cap space to sign either player if it chooses the free-agent route in replacing Scherff. While neither player is Scherff, they would cost a lot less and offer a quality and reliable replacement.