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

0:00The 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 the locked on podcast network. Your team every day. This is lots on commanders. Part of the lots on podcasts network. The number one sports podcast network. And I'm David Harrison your guy on the ground. Covered 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

1:01team 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,

2:02you 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

3:06cheaper 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

4:07timing 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

5:09table 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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8:18Continuing 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

9:18agents 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

10:19me, 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

11:21third 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

12:22sharpening. 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

13:23interesting 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

14:26to 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 Commanders, it's mail bag time. We will get all the questions we can from our all access everyday club members. So make sure you are subscribed and following along the Locked On Commanders. So you get all the latest episodes. And if you are a every day or if you're someone who comes through this show every day or even just off in the everyday club is built for you. And you can get one month of the every day or club for free with the code free agency. No spaces now through March 15th. Get at free episodes, get the conversation going and discord join the club locked on commanders dot supercast dot com or follow the link in the show notes below. It's already got the user code or the the the promo code free agency built in there. It's got a copy and

15:27paste into your browser and you're good to go to the every day. I see you every day. I appreciate you every day and I thank you for coming through yet again today and everybody out there. Thank you for making Locked On Commanders your first listen of the day every day and for and until next time stay safe. Be gone. We will talk again real soon right here on Locked On Commanders part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day.