Less Than 12 Hours After Carson Wentz Release, Commanders’ First Franchise Tag Announced at 3 AM- Who Will Wake Up to $18 Million Guaranteed?

The Washington Commanders have had an eventful week already. As it was being speculated for a long time, the Commanders have parted ways with quarterback Carson Wentz after just one year. Wentz still had two whole years left as a Commander but his time was cut short, saving Washington $26.176 million on the salary cap this offseason. And now the franchise has announced a new player for the franchise tag.

The Commanders have declared their franchise tag on the pro bowler and defensive tackle Daron Payne, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent. The franchise tag guarantees $18.937 million for Payne, who is still probably completely unaware of the situation. The tag will allow the Washington Commanders to retain Daron Payne’s services for at least another year. However, if Payne disagrees with the offer, he might find himself unable to sign with any other team for the rest of the season.

A defensive decision

The Washington Commanders had until the 7th of March to declare their franchise tag, but the franchise seems to be sure of their decision having declared it this early. Daron Payne’s amazing performances throughout the year helped with the Commanders’ decision, as the defense was one of their stronger suits.

Payne averaged a career-high of 11.5 sacks, finishing third in the league for sack totals, behind only Kansas City’s Chris Jones and the New York Jets ‘ Quinnen Williams. This defensive partnership with fellow teammate Jonathan Allen was another reason for their strong interior, as the duo established themselves as one of the best defensive tandems in the game. The team finished ninth in Football Outsider’s DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric.

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Having just Jonathan Allen to a four-year, $72 million extension in 2021 with $35.6 million guaranteed, the Commanders wanted to keep the pair intact. Breaking up this defensive duo could seriously hurt the team, and head coach Ron Rivera is more than aware of the scenario.

The Washington Commanders intend to sign Daron Payne to an extension, but the decision lies with Payne and all eyes are certainly focused on him.

Is the franchise tag good?

The franchise tag is extremely lob sided, favoring the teams more than the players. Several players have even spoken out on the matter. Teams use the franchise tag because it lets them keep the player for a lower cost than if the player hit the open market. That’s always good for the team, and always bad for the player.

To make matters worse, teams can place players on a  Did Not Report list if they do not sign, under which he will not occupy a roster spot, but the team will retain his exclusive rights for two seasons.

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