The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise tag on players with expiring contracts passed yesterday afternoon. Six players were slapped with the dreaded tag. Five pass rushers and Robbie Gould.
Dallas Cowboys: DE DeMarcus Lawrence Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans: LB Jadeveon Clowney
Seattle Seahawks: DE Frank Clark
Kansas City Chiefs: LB Dee Ford
Atlanta Falcons: DT Grady Jarrett
San Francisco 49ers: K Robbie Gould
-this is the second consecutive year that Lawrence has been franchise-tagged by the Cowboys
No player likes being slapped with the franchise tag. The pay is nice but it's only for one year. There's no security in the deal. More significantly, there's no signing bonus. Jadeveon Clowney and Dee Ford probably dislike the tag more than the rest. As pass-rushing linebackers they play more like defensive ends. Linebackers carry a $15.44 million franchise price tag while defensive ends rake in $17.13 million. Nomenclature costs them $1.69 million.
Unless any of the tagged pulls a Le'Veon Bell all will play for their current teams for at least one more season. The one question being whether they will remain with their teams with a lucrative, long-term contract or the hefty, one-year franchise tag.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided using the franchise tag by signing their likely candidate, offensive tackle Donovan Smith, to a three-year deal just before the deadline.
It turns out that the players that weren't tagged are getting more attention than those that did. Unless player and team agree to a long-term deal in the next week, the following will be free to find a new football-playing home:
Landon Collins, S, New York Giants
C.J. Mosley, LB, Baltimore Ravens
Trey Flowers, DE, New England Patriots
I have a hard time believing that the Ravens won't do all that they can retain Mosley. If all three make it to free agency they won't be free agents for long.
The (legal) tampering starts next Monday. Free agency, and the signings that come with it, starts next Wednesday.
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