DANGER: Washington Commanders' Free Agency Plan—Why Passing on Trey Hendrickson Is the SMART Move

The NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone. George Pickens, Breeze Hall, among

the names that will not be available for the commanders to go after and free

agency, but Trey Hendrickson on the market. Yet I'm still going to tell you the

commander should stay away.

You are locked on commanders. Your daily podcast on the Washington commanders. Part of

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the wash the commanders as a credential member of the media for WSA nine. Also

writing for commanders on SI here with you five days a week and coming up on

today's episode. The NFL franchise tag deadline was Tuesday, 4 p.m. Eastern

time. We're going to go over who was tagged, who was not tagged and why it matters

and why you should care as a Washington commanders fan all that coming up on

this episode of locked on commanders. Part of the locked on podcast network. Your

team every day. And let's start with the guys who are getting franchise tag or

transition tag. Interestingly enough, in one case, George Pickens,

wider seer for the Dallas Cowboys was already given the franchise tag

previously. So we've known he was not going to be on the market. Certainly

would have been a great ex receiver target in free agency for the wash

commanders. Should he hit the open market, but he was locked down by the Cowboys,

even before the NFL scouting com or I think right during the NFL scouting

combine, running back Breeze Hall was probably the biggest name as it relates

to the Washington commanders on Tuesday when the franchise tag deadline was

looming was was hit with the franchise tags. He'll make $14.3 million

guaranteed this year, unless, of course, he and the Jets agree to a new deal,

locking him in. Breeze Hall, I imagine probably not very happy with that

outcome and wash commanders fans who were hoping that the commanders might

target him in free agency to be their new primary back, also not happy

truthfully. And if you're in every day or even listening to this episode,

you probably already picked up on our thing. I'll flat out a couple of times.

I never expected Breeze Hall to get out of New Jersey. It's unfortunate for

him. I think that the Jets should have let him out because he's a prime

running back, who's in the prime of his career, short shelf life, all that

kind of stuff. Like the New York Jets, like, what are you doing, man?

You're just like, you're just holding this dude captive for no reason.

Maybe they're going to trade him. I don't know. But even if they're going to

trade him, the Washington commanders, you just, you can't go trade for a

guy like Breeze Hall and then also give him the type of contract that he

deserves. So whatever the outcome is, whether the Jets are going to do right

by him kind of by trading him or not, it's, I think it's off the table for

the Washington commanders. Kyle Pitts tied in out the Atlanta Falcons was also

franchise tag during the NFL's common combine, effectively taking him out

of the running to be the next tight end for the Washington commanders.

Daniel Jones, interestingly enough, was not franchise tagged by the Indian

apolis Colts. Instead, they used a transition tag on him. It's a little bit

cheaper, 37.8 million dollars. But what the difference here really is it's

cheaper for the team. One, also the transition tag allowed Daniel Jones to

go out there and negotiate with other teams. This is a bit more of an

educational thing. Not that the commanders were interested in Daniel Jones.

This is just more of a football operations thing. The transition tag Daniel

Jones can now go negotiate with other teams. He can also agree to a contract

with another team. When he agrees or if he agrees to another contract with

another football team, the Indianapolis Colts had the opportunity then to match

that contract. If they agree to match the contract, boom, Daniel Jones,

he's staying with the Indianapolis Colts. It's a done deal. If they choose not

to match the contract, however, Daniel Jones will then sign with that other

team and the Colts will get nothing. No draft picks back for the transition

tag. The franchise tag, if the Indianapolis Colts would have franchise tagged

him, then what that means is that Daniel Jones can't negotiate with anybody.

He's locked into a one year contract that's injury guaranteed, all that kind

of stuff. And that's good for one year of security, but players don't want one

year of security. They want multiple years of security. But it also gives them

timing that deadlines in June. They can then negotiate a new contract. And it

gives them more time to be able to do it. We expect that's what the Jets are

going to do at Breeze Hall. There's been rumors that the Cowboys are also going

to try to maybe trade George Pickens after franchise tagging him. I think

that would be a really terrible move. Just don't want to get too much on the

soapbox, but the franchise tag was created. So that NFL teams didn't

necessarily lose their star players against their will, right? Like gave them

the whole point to give you the opportunity to spend more time negotiating

with your star players on long term deals more and more. There has been a

rise in teams franchise tagging players that are going to leave just so they

can trade them and basically hold them hostage and then sell them off to the

highest bidder. I think that's an absolute gross misuse of the franchise tag.

I think it's something that when the players come together from the next

CBA collective bargaining agreement, I think there needs to be something a

change made there to where either when you franchise tag a player, you

can't trade them. So that locks the team into committing to coming to the

table to with you. Or if you trade a player with a franchise tag, maybe

like, you know, only like half the cap hit, like half the cap hit has to say,

I don't know, just something to prohibit the team doing it. I just I hate it.

I don't like it. I think it's manipulative. And you know, every contract has

a loophole. The owners have found that loophole with the the franchise tag and

they've been using it too much lately. So the biggest thing with Daniel Jones,

I'll get the transition tax out of the franchise tag is teams can only use one

tag. It doesn't matter if they use a franchise tag, they can't then use a

transition tag. If they use a transition tag, they can't then use a franchise

tag. It's one in nothing. And because the Indianapolis Colts had to use their

transition tag on on day Jones, that means that Colts, Writers, see where

Alec Pierce is going to hit the open market. Should the watchman go after him,

how much might he cost? And what else does it mean with the other players who

were not franchise tag, including Trey Hendrickson, all of that coming on

next on today's episode of Lockdown Commanders, part of the Lockdown podcast

network, your team every day.

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Continuing out today's episode of locked on commanders talking about

franchise tag player players who were franchise tag or transition

tag in the case of Daniel Jones and now players who were not tagged

either way, franchise tag or transition tag. And I'm going to start

with the guy that I think the Washington commanders should go after

and honestly have an opportunity to potentially bring back to the East

Coast. And that is Odefe Owe edge rusher from the Los Angeles

Charter's organization. You might remember the name because he started

off with the Baltimore Ravens organization, high upside past

rusher who's yet to turn 28 years old. He is now an unrestricted free

agent, free to negotiate, free to sign with whomever he wants. And I

think the Washington commanders need to go after this dude, Rante Jones,

aggressive defense, they Odefe Owe would fit in a great way. And if you

caught the last episode, our second and final mock off season of the of

the off season leading into next week's open negotiating period, all

the wise known as legal tampering period. Odefe Owe was one of the free

agents that I went ahead and put down on the list to sign with the

Washington commanders would absolutely love, love, love, that move.

And the way that he could potentially impact Rante Jones defense line up

opposite door and arm strong. Assuming he's healthy, things like

that. Let's stick to the edge position. Let's talk about a guy that I

don't think the Washington man should go after. Trayhendrickson. This

isn't a bangles. There were rumors that they were going to tag him and

try to trade him. I think they realized that if you tag him, that

dollar price, that dollar amount for Trayhendrickson who is well into

the start. He's now only played seven games last year because of

injury. And it's kind of, I mean, he's known, right? Like he's

other reputation than being a guy who's not exactly the easiest to

negotiate with. If you're an NFL franchise. I mean, if the bangles were

to tag him and try to trade him, like, I don't know, man, what do you

get in a fifth rounder? Maybe like to have to deal with all that? Like

not to like, so again, I just don't think it came as it came to be,

but you look at the free agent market, you got Odefe Owe, you got

some other players, too, even like I got like Malcolm Coons is about

28 years old. You just have these options in the free agent market for

me, for the Washington commanders, Trayhendrickson coming off the

injury, you already have Doran's Armstrong coming off the injury,

you already have Javante Jean-Baptiste coming off the injury, I just

don't necessarily see he's never been great against the run, either.

So like you don't have necessarily the versatility in there to use

him in any look. So for me, for the money that he's probably going to

want, again, just kind of giving his reputation, we're wanting to be

paid for what he's already done. Maybe that lessens up a little bit

because it's not since 90 bangles, but whatever it is, I just, I don't

think it's going to be an easy negotiation. I think he's going to

definitely try to play people against each other. And I just, ah, it

just doesn't fit for me. So I'm off the Trayhendrickson train. If

you're on it, I'm sorry that I can't agree. We'll see what happens.

We'll see what happens. If they bring them in, then we're

especially right away. Like if on March 9th, we finally agreed to a

deal. All right, like he did not come out there. He didn't try to play

games, didn't try to pit teams against each other. It doesn't seem like

so, okay, cool. Like I can get on board that. But if he goes into

this thing, trying to pit each other, pit teams against each other, I

just don't necessarily see it. I'll start my kind of walker, the

third running back from the Seattle Seahawks, not franchise stack by

the Seattle Seahawks, despite his postseason run, despite the Super Bowl

MVP, he is going to hit for the agency. And a lot of teams are

definitely going to come calling. I don't think the Washington

Commander should come calling because you already got two running

backs. That from what we can tell, the Washington mayors don't

believe they use on third-dunch Cory Croskey Merit. Nice one cut.

Gashing type of back. They don't like him on third down. Chris

Rodriguez Jr. Powerful fall forward type of between the guards

between the tackle side runner. They don't seem to like him on third

down. I think both guys can do better on third down than maybe we

give them credit for. But regardless, neither of them has a reputation

for being a third down back kind of walker. The third, not a third

down back, even when their third down back in Seattle, his name is

escaped me. It's from UCLA. I apologize. But they have a third down

back that they paired him with. He got injured in the playoffs.

They even when he got injured, they didn't just give the range

of walks. Okay, now you're going to be our every down back for the

most important part of the season. No, they brought another guy

up that until the playoffs and until that injury, Zach

sharpening. That's his name. So Zach sharpening got injured. Nobody

really heard of this other back with Seattle Seahawks that we're

not going to use kind of walker as a third down back. We're going

to bring in this other guy anyway. Kind of Walker doesn't fit the

mold. He moves the needle, all those things, but he doesn't fit

the mold of a third down back. So I just don't see the fit

happening there. Plus, we know the Washington commanders are the

preferred choice for Rashad whites, soon to be former Tampa Bay

Buccaneers running back former Arizona State teammate of Jane

Daniels. I would imagine Jane wants them. They remain tight to

this day. We've heard Adam Peters, Dan Quinn talk about over

and over again, the every decision we make, you know, Jane

Daniels is in mind. I mean, look, if Rashad wants to play a

J and J wants to play Rashad, probably going to see Rashad White

join in the Washington commanders here, this free agent period.

And you're definitely not bringing Rashad White and Kenneth

Walker, that just doesn't make any sense. Alec Pierce, Alec Pierce,

why do you see her from the Minneapolis Colts? Like we said,

Daniel Jones getting the transition tag means Alec Pierce is a

free man. He's going to be free to now. There's something

interesting here, because Alec Pierce apparently reportedly

really, really, really, really, really likes Daniel Jones. So

the Minneapolis Colts, keeping Daniel Jones in house, with that

transition tag, at least opening the door to do so now they kind

of go to Alec Pierce, but look, dude, you resign. And we've got

more reason to jump to whatever contract Daniel Jones gets out

there in the open market. You don't resign. Now we've got less

of a reason. So it's kind of like not like holding him hostage,

but it's kind of like, you know, let's make you a package deal.

Let's keep you and Daniel Jones together. Of course, the

Colts also have to understand, like, mostly Daniel Jones goes

out there and signs with, I don't know, the Miami Dolphins.

Alec Pierce can go to the Dolphins. Hey, look, we're a package

deal. You know, I mean, so they can do that kind of anywhere, to

be honest with you, Alec Pierce certainly is the number one

Z receiver. You should get terrible coin, your ex zero receiver

on the opposite side. Undoubtedly, I'm not going to argue that

with anybody on here. But I expect a bidding war for Alec Pierce

and I don't think Adam Peters is going to get into a bidding

war for anybody. So that's the reason I don't think it's going

to happen. Believe me, this is not a once. I would love Alec Pierce

to come to the wash commanders. I thought he was great coming

at Cincinnati. I thought he's been great. Every several of the

way really developing nicely with the Indianapolis Colts, I

would not hate that for one minute. I just am telling you, if

there's a bidding war here for Alec Pierce, I don't know that

Adam Peters gets in the middle of that would love to be wrong.

It's just the feeling that I get and that's going to do it for

today's episode of Locked On Commanders. Next time on Locked On

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