LOS ANGELES — It’s franchise tag season in the NFL. The window for teams in the NFL to place a franchise tag on their free agents started on Feb. 22 and the deadline is March 8.
The franchise tag in the NFL allows a team to “tag” a player deemed valuable to the franchise, who is about to become an unrestricted free agent, for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team only has one franchise tag. Teams will often use the tag to buy more time to reach a long-term contract with said player.
Players aren’t as keen to pursue a franchise tag as it offers limited long-term security, only being a one-year deal. But, the lucrative one-year deal can lead to a long-term deal being worked out. Teams will often shy away from using a franchise tag because of the salary cap hit it generates on the upcoming year.
There are a lot of key players out there that will be considered possible franchise-tag options around the league.
On the Locked On NFL podcast, Thursday hosts Tyler Rowland and Alex Clancy bring up 10 high-profile players that are on track to become unrestricted free agents, but could be franchise tagged by their clubs if a long-term deal is not reached before the franchise tag deadline.
Clancy and Rowland discuss the 10 players and whether teams should tag them or let them walk.
Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
Clancy: “For Green Bay, you want to give him as much money for as many years possible. With Aaron Rodgers’ up in the air, I don’t know if he’s going to want that…If you’re Green Bay and you’re not getting a long term deal, would you trade him instead of franchise tagging him? If you know you’re only going to get him for one year, you could get a 1st and a 2nd and a player for Davante Adams. Would that be more beneficial for their future? I think it would be.”
Rowland: “The best move for Green Bay is to extend him long term. If they get inclination that Rodgers isn’t coming back, I would consider using the tag just to give you time to work out a deal, or to work out a trade…Even if Rodgers leaves or retires or wants a trade, you still need to make your offense suitable for your second-year quarterback Jordan Love.”
Jessie Bates III, Safety, Cincinnati Bengals
Rowland: “If I’m the Bengals, I have cap space, I’m franchise tagging him no matter what, especially with the down year he had in 2021. You’d love to knock out a long term deal, but if I’m deciding between letting him walk or using a franchise tag, I’m franchise tagging him, making sure we keep him around one more season and seeing what happens from there.”
Clancy: “Jessie Bates has only made around $5 million since coming into the league…So when you have the option of $10 million for a year, that’s something where he’s not going to be pissed off, he’s going to get paid and if he puts up 80% or 90% of what he did last season, you want to keep as many pieces of that puzzle together. They’re young, they’re exciting and the best thing for a good offense is a good defense.”
Harold Landry III, EDGE, Tennessee Titans
Rowland: “He’s coming off his most productive season, he had 12 sacks, one of the best edge rushers in the league last year…I think the Titans should try to keep him around and tag him if they can’t get a long term deal done sooner.”
Clancy: “This is very early in his journey, but hopefully he has 7, 8, 9 years left, I think you keep him at all cost. Franchise tag him if you need to or extend him now.”
JC Jackson, CB, New England Patriots
Rowland: “If I’m the Patriots, I’m giving him the franchise tag…For the Patriots, their secondary si the strength of the team, I don’t think they should disrupt that…When you get a big ball production year, it’s hard to replicate that. Turnovers can be fickle. So if he does it again, you give him a huge contract, he’s proved it, he’s ready to go. But I don’t think you dip your toes in that water already.”
Clancy: “If I’m the Patriots I’m looking at bringing Stephon Gilmore back. I’m looking at keeping JC Jackson.”
Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Rowland: “I don’t think the Chargers should give Mike Williams a long term deal because of his injury history. He had his best season of his career last year but still dealt with injuries. I would only tag him and see if he does it for you again.”
Clancy: “I would not give him a long term deal. They use him as the chunk play guy and not necessarily as the possession receiver guy…Franchise tagging him would be expensive. It’s a hard one, but I would let him walk.”
Orlando Brown, OT, Chiefs
Rowland: “This is easy. Tag him, work out a long term deal. You can’t remake the offensive line again, they traded a first round pick for him and he turned into a Pro Bowl guy.”
Clancy: “100 percent.”
Carlton Davis, CB, Tampa Bay Bucs
Rowland: “He deserves money. But Tampa might be one season away from a full rebuild, from blowing it up. And I don’t think you want to be paying a guy a ton of money in the secondary hwen you’re in a rebuild phases after Tom Brady has left you…I would simply tag him, see how the season plays out and then deide whether you want to give him a long term deal.”
Clancy: “If I’m him, I don’t know if I want a long term deal there if it’s going to be a sinking ship…If you want him to be the cornerstone of your secondary, pay him now. It’s going to be cheaper now than in the long run if he replicates what he did this year. I would probably extend him, even though you’ve only seen a glimpse at this point, I think it’s enough.”
Let them walk:
Dalton Schultz (TE, Dallas Cowboys), Mike Gesicki (TE, Miami Dolphins), Marcus Williams (Safety, New Orleans Saints)
Clancy: “They’re going to be way too expensive to keep after the franchise tag, so you may as well let them walk. Tight ends especially.”
Rowland: “The Saints have terrible cap issues and can’t afford a long term extension or even the number on the franchise tag. Dalton Schultz I think they have too many weapons in Dallas and they’re going to have to use that money elsewhere. And Mike Gesicki doesn’t fit Mike McDaniel’s new system in Miami because he doesn’t block, he’s basically just a wide receiver.”