The Washington Commanders will keep Daron Payne in 2023
The Washington Commanders were expected to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Daron Payne this offseason. Payne is coming off a career-high season where he recorded 11.5 sacks. The Commanders’ defensive line is stacked with talent, and the move would give the team time to figure out a long-term plan for signings.
According to a statement by the Commanders, the team officially announced they would use the tag on Payne for the 2023 season.
https://twitter.com/Commanders/status/1630553485526663170
The announcement’s timing came a day after the Commanders released a few players to open up cap space for next season. The team cut quarterback Carson Wentz and defensive back Bobby McCain. Those two moves gave the Commanders about $30 million in extra cap space.
The franchise tag will cost the Commanders $18.937 for a defensive tackle. According to Over The Cap, the team still has $17 million in cap space after applying the franchise tag to Payne.
