Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat: I think Daron Payne is a really solid player, a great piece of the Washington Football Team, and - most likely - a very good guy. I have nothing negative to say about the quality of his play since he was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft. I’ve written articles describing how he’s been a good value for the team.
This piece is about the cold, hard business calculus of the NFL though, and while the WFT is in a good place salary cap-wise in 2021, we’re poised to be faced with some tough questions in the coming years as a result of a bounty of our own, young, drafted talent coming off their rookie contracts.