With Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell and, more recently, Cowboys guard Zack Martin cashing in, another established interior offensive lineman remains in line for a new deal of his own: Washington guard Brandon Scherff.
As explained by Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post, Scherff is the next guard to get paid big money. The only question is when.
Currently eligible for a second contract, Scherff will make $705,000 this year. His salary will spike to $12.5 million next year, the fifth-year option.
Washington presumably could get Scherff under contract more cheaply by doing it now, and it will undoubtedly get more expensive the longer the team waits. At some point, they could find themselves back in another year-to-year franchise-tag dance, like the one that just ended with quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving as a free agent.
It could make the most sense to pay him after 2018, but for a top-10 pick who has thrived through three seasons, it seems at least a little unfair to keep him south of seven figures for his fourth NFL season.
