Report: Washington Commanders expected to franchise tag DT Daron Payne

According to a report from The Athletic’s Ben Standig on Wednesday, the Washington Commanders are expected to franchise tag defensive tackle Daron Payne.

Payne was drafted by Washington with the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and had the best season of his professional career in the 2022. Payne ended the season with career highs in total tackles and sacks with 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks from his interior defensive line position.

He made his first Pro Bowl as well this past season and was a crucial part of the Commanders defensive front that ranked third best in yards allowed and seventh in points allowed per game. Franchise tags payouts are based positionally, and defensive tackles have franchise tenders worth $18.937 million.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.