Of Washington’s pending veteran free agents, only one is a legitimate candidate for the franchise tag: Daron Payne. In 2022, Payne’s cap hit was $8.53m.
Payne had an impressive 2022 season, finishing with career highs in tackles (64), tackles for loss (18), QB hits (20), sacks (11.5), and safeties (1).
A quick look at the top-12 DL contracts indicates that the 26-year-old Payne compares favorably to a number of older players who are currently earning between $16m and $21m per year, but with a sharply rising salary cap, many observers project his value on a multi-year contract to be in the range of $20m to $22m per year.