Cross one potential offensive lineman addition off the board for the Jets.
The Washington Redskins have placed their franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff.
SNY's Ralph Vacchiano notes that Scherff would have been high on the Jets' shopping list, but they never really thought he was going to hit the open market.
As with any non-exclusive franchise tag, the Jets could still try to negotiate with Scherff, but Washington would be able to match any offer, or the Jets would have to give up two first-round picks if the Redskins didn't match.
Originally the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Scherff has become one of the best interior linemen in the league, earning three Pro Bowl invites in his five seasons. He's committed just 19 accepted penalties over those five seasons and has never been called for holding more than five times in a single year.
Overhauling the offensive line is priority number one for Joe Douglas and the Jets this offseason, and while there will still be some solid names on the market in the coming days, Scherff would have been the best guard of the bunch.
In 2019, Alex Lewis played 75 percent of the team's offensive snaps, while Brian Winters played close to 52 percent. Prized trade acquisition Kelechi Osemele, who the Jets hoped would lock down one of their guard spots for years to come, played just 18 percent of the team's total offensive snaps, as he was released in late October following a lengthy back-and-forth with the team over a shoulder issue.
Lewis is set to hit the open market when the league's new year begins on Monday, and while Winters has one year left on his deal, he could likely be a cap casualty, as the Jets could save just over $7 million with no dead money if they were to cut him.