Plot twists have been aplenty during the 2022 NFL free agency frenzy.
Pass rusher Randy Gregory, linebacker Za’Darius Smith and running back J.D. McKissic have each agreed to terms with clubs before reversing course and not signing.
Smith remains a free agent, Gregory elected not to return to the Dallas Cowboys but to sign with the Denver Broncos, and McKissic returned to the Washington Commanders after agreeing to terms with the Buffalo Bills.
McKissic's situation has unsurprisingly drawn the ire of Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who let his displeasure of Washington's handling of the situation be known when speaking to the media on Friday.
"That was tough. Obviously, he was a guy we targeted and, in this business, in general, when you have an agreement, it's good," Beane said, via ESPN's Alaina Getzenburg. "But until there's ink on the paper, and his agent did a great job. Doug Hendrickson and CJ LaBoy did a great job. There were some things that went down with the other organization, which is painful, but they chose to do what they did, and I couldn't stop it.
"I've had it before where the agent has agreed with you on something and then someone else calls and says, 'Hey, what if I add a million dollars? Or what if I do this? What if I guarantee this?' Once you have an agreement the agent's supposed to say it's over. And this agent did that. And this agent told the other club it's over. But the other club didn't back off."
On paper, the pass-catching McKissic looked to be a phenomenal fit for the Josh Allen-led Bills offense. Alas, it wasn't meant to be as McKissic never put pen to paper to go to Buffalo on a two-year, $7 million deal and, instead, re-signed with the Commanders for the same amount.
Before Beane went to Buffalo, he was in the Panthers organization with current Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and Washington executive vice president of football/player personnel Marty Hurney. So, perhaps that led to Beane being all the more miffed.
Nonetheless, it wasn't the only time this past week in which Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew's front office was called out.
Also on Tuesday, defensive lineman Matthew Ioannidis was released by Washington. His agent Alan Herman took umbrage with how the situation was handled.
"They looked us straight in the eye, (Commanders VP of football administration) Rob Rogers, and Rob basically said to Jared and myself: 'Absolutely not. We have no thoughts of releasing Matt Ioannidis,'" Herman told The Associated Press. "We don't particularly care to be lied to to our face. I don't like when someone lies to my face.
"They took him out of the free agent market now for two days. That puts us now at a disadvantage because other teams have paid other defensive linemen contracts, and (Ioannidis) hasn't been able to take advantage of that. That's not the way you conduct business in the National Football League."
Later Tuesday, Herman told the AP that Mayhew called him to apologize.
"This is the first time I've ever had a situation like this with him. Always professional," Herman said.
Ioannidis eventually signed a one-year deal with the Panthers.
The first week of free agency is always a wild one, and this one concluded with some ruffled feathers.
