Teams aren't using these tags as much as they have in past years. That might be partly due to better planning, better salary cap management. It's mostly due to the recent salary cap increases. Teams have more money to spend. Five teams are projected to have more than $50 million in cap space. Two are projected to have over $70 million. Teams have been able to keep their players off of the open market the old fashioned way. By signing them. The number of tags has decreased from a high of 21 in 2012 to six in each of the last two years.
Here's some players that could, or should, get tagged sometime in the next two weeks. If team and player can't come to an agreement on a giant new contract. The preferred method of keeping a player.
Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
The Broncos don't currently have the available cap room to cover the linebacker franchise tag but they have to get something done with Miller. They will. At some point.
Josh Norman, CB, Carolina Panthers
Norman is at the top of his game. He and Luke Kuechly are the most important players on a very good defense.
Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
Like Miller and Norman, Berry isn't going anywhere. All three players are critical to their team's defense. The fans would storm the Chiefs offices if Berry left town. The guess here is that he signs to a long-term contract before they have to use the tag.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery seemed to spend as much time on the sideline and in the trainer's room as he did on the field last year. Maybe if the Bears had gotten a chance to see what rookie receiver Kevin White could do they might be inclined to let Jeffery walk. White and Jeffery could form a devastating pair. Visions of that should be enough for the Bears to keep their big pass catcher and hope that both can stay on the field.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have a young, potentially terrific offense. Martin is a big part of that. The only thing that might keep a long-term contract from happening in the next two weeks is Martin's potential interest in a bidding war for his services. The Buccaneers can keep that from happening with the franchise tag.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami Dolphins
Vernon is one of the best defensive ends in the league. He might also be the least known. Perhaps that's due to lining up opposite Cameron Wake. The Dolphins would probably like to take some of the ridiculous money that they tossed at Ndamukong Suh and give it to Vernon. At least someone would then be earning their money.
Cordy Glenn, T, Buffalo Bills
Glenn isn't going anywhere. But the Bills have to do some maneuvering of the cap to afford him.
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There's eight. Here's a couple more that could be tagged
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
In my book, Cousins is in an odd spot. He's shown enough to be the Redskins unquestioned starter heading into 2016. But I'm not so sure that he's shown enough to get that long-term, franchise quarterback contract. The franchise tag for a quarterback is projected to be $19.6 million. That's pretty steep. My guess is a mostly incentive-based contract that pays Cousins as he goes. If he excels, he's well compensated. If he fails, the Redskins aren't locked to him.
Muhammed Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets
It's stunning that a player as talented as Wilkerson might get away from the team that drafted him but the Jets have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams at the position. That's an embarrassment of riches. And it might be enough for the Jets to see what they can get in a trade for Wilkerson. They might have to tag him now to see what they can get for him later.
Kickers and punters have been frequent tag targets in recent years. That's because the price is so reasonable for them. Here's some prospective free agent kickers and punters that could be tagged.
Kickers
Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams
Josh Brown, New York Giants
Punters
Marquette King, Oakland Raiders
Bryan Anger, Jacksonville Jaguars
About the tags. From NFL.com
Explaining the tag
» The exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player's team has all negotiating rights to the player.
» The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player can negotiate with other teams. The player's current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
» The transition tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season.
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