Rams may franchise tag Jenkins not Johnson?
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Ah. Gotcha. Maybe they think he's being unreasonable. Who knows. There's also the chance that Jenkins tests the FA market and doesn't get any offers better than what the Rams are offering. The same thing happened with Atogwe years back, and he ended up coming back to the Rams after his fishing expedition was over.
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I don't believe its ever happened.
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Franchise tag fallout: Winners, losers and what's next for tagged players
March 1, 2016 4:49 pm ET
By Jason La Canfora
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...ners-losers-and-whats-next-for-tagged-players
The franchise tag period went largely as expected with no major surprises as to which players got tagged. There was always going to be a limited number of teams even considering using it -- roughly a quarter of the league -- and no one entered the fray out of nowhere.
Save for me possibly overestimating the ability of the Los Angeles Rams to get one of their corners signed prior to March 1 -- I figured they might be able to using a tag by anteing up big enough early -- everything essentially went as I said it would in my pre-franchise primer a few weeks back.
Now it's time to sort out what it all means, and what comes next for each of these situations. So here is a look at some of the big winners (Kirk Cousins) and losers (potentially the Dolphins) from the franchise/transition period, and what is to come. All tags are non-exclusive franchise tags unless otherwise noted:
Kirk Cousins , QB, Redskins: No one benefitted more from this process than Cousins did. He had all the leverage here and it showed to the tune of a $20 million contract tender for the 2016 season. He had one of the best quarterbacking seasons in franchise history. The two sides could not get close on a long-term deal and after playing out a rookie contract for peanuts, Cousins now has lifetime security. I'm not sure they'll be able to work out something long term.
Carrying Cousins at this big cap number is only $3 million more than what Robert Griffin III would've made on his fifth-year option next year anyway. So the Redskins can live with it for a quarterback they believe in, and believe Cousins can lead them to several more playoff appearances.
What's next: Sign the tender, Kirk. I'm not waiting around too much longer. They've been talking for months without any real progress. Sign, sign, sign. Quicker than you can scream, “You like that!?!?”
Von Miller, OLB, Broncos (exclusive tag): A complete no-brainer for the breakout star of the entire 2015 postseason. These sides were never going to get close to a long-term deal before the franchise tag expired -- despite whatever drivel was written or said to the contrary -- and this has all the looks of a situation that will play out for quite some time.
Miller wants to be the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL, and is well-positioned to do so. I've heard he's seeking from $65 million to $70 million guaranteed, which would shatter Ndamukong Suh's record from a year ago. Denver knows it has to shell out big time, and once they figure out what they are going to pay Brock Osweiler to stay and sort out free agency, they likely will.
What's next: Ain't no way I sign this tender until I absolutely have to, even if it means wiping out the entire offseason. Miller is poised for a once-in-a-generation deal and if it goes down to July 15, so be it.
Josh Norman, CB, Panthers: Another one we all knew was coming, and that the team acknowledged as much in the days leading to the deadline. However, given the fact Norman is a late-bloomer, a former late-round pick, a little older than some of these other guys (28), and with the Panthers in win-now mode, I'm far from certain this tag is a prelude to a mega-deal. In fact, the Panthers might be wise to let him play it out and see how crazy the free agent dollars get for other corners out there and then re-assess. But letting him walk after a breakthrough 2015 campaign would have been silly.
What's next: I would suspect Norman plays this all the way out until July. Unless you have an elite player with significant leverage, many top agents would say sign the tender before that, but Norman likely fits the bill to sit it out.
Muhammad Wilkerson, DL, Jets: The Jets like him a lot -- especially coach Todd Bowles -- and contrary to what some would have you believe, they like him more than Sheldon Richardson. But they just may not like him at $16 million a year on a long-term deal, which is what the market may bear. A trade has always been a possibility here, and if a team like the Raiders or Jaguars gets through free agency with a ton of cash and cap space remaining, then putting together a bunch of second-round picks might be more than worth it.
Would that be enough for the Jets? Things are complicated slightly by the star recovering from a broken bone in his leg, but trust me, teams will sniff around. The fact the sides have never been anywhere remotely close to a long-term deal, coupled with New York's other needs, tell me a mega-deal between these two this summer is far from likely.
What's next: I'd wait until the owners meetings at the end of March, when there is ample trade talk going down, and then re-analyze the market. If nothing materializes then, Wilkerson could wait until the draft to sign his tag, but given the fact he is recovering from surgery, I could also see his side signing that tag sooner, forcing the Jets to absorb that $16 million cap hit early in the offseason, and balling out again with the ability to hit the open market next year while still at just age 27.
Eric Berry, S, Chiefs: Like everyone on this list to this point, the team had no real choice here. They had to apply the tag. In this case, Berry's import to the franchise goes well beyond the norm, with the beloved figure overcoming cancer, coming back to top form and leading an improbable playoff charge. He wasn't getting away.
Once we see how safeties like Eric Weddle and Tashaun Gipson do in free agency, a deal could get done. The sides engaged in serious talks leading to the deadline and there is every desire among both parties to make this an arrangement well beyond 2016.
What's next: No need to rush and sign the tender right away, but I also don't see this playing all the way to the July 15th deadline as it did with the Chiefs and Justin Houston a year ago. Could see Berry having a new contract before we get all that deep into offseason workouts.
Cordy Glenn, T, Bills: Not sure many people would have had him on this list at the start of the season and not entirely sold he is a franchise tackle, but the Bills are in a bind right now. They are desperate to win in 2016 with jobs on the line, they have a cap crunch and other holes to fill. Oh, and the state of offensive line play stinks around the league so few other options to fill the holes. Glenn is a solid player, but not spectacular and this could be a boon for him. Few players like getting franchised, but he shouldn't be crying over $13.7 million, either.
What's next: The Bills will want to get that cap number down if they can, but if I'm Glenn I'm not getting cute with the waiting game. You never know what can happen -- just ask Jason Pierre-Paul -- and it's a very long offseason. And other teams are not going to be running through walls to get to him. I'd sign that thing by April.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Dolphins (transition): The Dolphins could easily end up being the big losers in this entire process. This one baffles me some. They save $3 million by using the transition tag, but now risk losing the player entirely for zero compensation. Nada.
After basically flexing their spending muscle now they take a stand over a few million bucks with an emerging pass rusher not even yet in his prime -- in a market salivating for pass-rushers and so few available options. Oh, and the Dolphins' heavy spending has them in cap purgatory and very vulnerable to front-loaded deals from any of the teams with massive cap space. Of course, they could re-do the Suh contract, but pushing that money further out would be the most foolish thing of all.
I'd have franchised him, tried to trade him or lived with him for another year in what had better be a year of improvement for perpetually moribund Miami.
What's next: Vernon's agent will be looking for offer sheets all over and trying to find one specifically designed to pray on the Dolphins' vulnerabilities. Shouldn't be all that hard to find. The Jaguars are desperate for a pass rush and have cap room to burn. They also signed a Dolphins defender a year ago and put together an offer sheet for a transitioned player (Cleveland matched their offer to Alex Mack). The Raiders would be another strong candidate. This could get very interesting.
Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams: As we got closer to the deadline, we reported the Rams made no progress with either corner and were going to tag someone. And as it got closer, odds were leaning to it being Johnson and not Janoris Jenkins.
Johnson has less off-field risk and the Rams -- and other teams -- love his size and ability and upside.
Neither player wanted the tag, because big money awaits in free agency, from the Raiders, among others. If you are Johnson, you hope the Rams see just how bonkers the market gets and then that the team responds with a long-term deal in that range.
What's next: In the end, playing one year for $14 million and hitting the market isn't horrible and it sets you up for the next deal, though there is always the risk of injury. With all the salary cap space the Rams have cleared out -- and all the pieces they could lose in the secondary -- one would expect progress on a long-term deal here.
Justin Tucker, K, Ravens: Another no-brainer. One of the best young kickers in the game and a big deal in the Baltimore community (trust me, I live here, this dude has more commercials than Joe Flacco).
Tucker isn't going anywhere and while Baltimore has big issues to sort out (getting close to a re-done Flacco contract, for one) and needs to fill in free agency, securing Tucker's rights was a priority. And it's a precursor to them doing a high-end kicker deal this offseason.
What's next: Kickers don't skip offseason activities and once Baltimore gets through free agency, there should be a long-term deal that makes sense that might lower his cap hit. If not, you can take him year to year as well. Regardless, I don't see him getting out of town anytime soon.
March 1, 2016 4:49 pm ET
By Jason La Canfora
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...ners-losers-and-whats-next-for-tagged-players
The franchise tag period went largely as expected with no major surprises as to which players got tagged. There was always going to be a limited number of teams even considering using it -- roughly a quarter of the league -- and no one entered the fray out of nowhere.
Save for me possibly overestimating the ability of the Los Angeles Rams to get one of their corners signed prior to March 1 -- I figured they might be able to using a tag by anteing up big enough early -- everything essentially went as I said it would in my pre-franchise primer a few weeks back.
Now it's time to sort out what it all means, and what comes next for each of these situations. So here is a look at some of the big winners (Kirk Cousins) and losers (potentially the Dolphins) from the franchise/transition period, and what is to come. All tags are non-exclusive franchise tags unless otherwise noted:
Kirk Cousins , QB, Redskins: No one benefitted more from this process than Cousins did. He had all the leverage here and it showed to the tune of a $20 million contract tender for the 2016 season. He had one of the best quarterbacking seasons in franchise history. The two sides could not get close on a long-term deal and after playing out a rookie contract for peanuts, Cousins now has lifetime security. I'm not sure they'll be able to work out something long term.
Carrying Cousins at this big cap number is only $3 million more than what Robert Griffin III would've made on his fifth-year option next year anyway. So the Redskins can live with it for a quarterback they believe in, and believe Cousins can lead them to several more playoff appearances.
What's next: Sign the tender, Kirk. I'm not waiting around too much longer. They've been talking for months without any real progress. Sign, sign, sign. Quicker than you can scream, “You like that!?!?”
Von Miller, OLB, Broncos (exclusive tag): A complete no-brainer for the breakout star of the entire 2015 postseason. These sides were never going to get close to a long-term deal before the franchise tag expired -- despite whatever drivel was written or said to the contrary -- and this has all the looks of a situation that will play out for quite some time.
Miller wants to be the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL, and is well-positioned to do so. I've heard he's seeking from $65 million to $70 million guaranteed, which would shatter Ndamukong Suh's record from a year ago. Denver knows it has to shell out big time, and once they figure out what they are going to pay Brock Osweiler to stay and sort out free agency, they likely will.
What's next: Ain't no way I sign this tender until I absolutely have to, even if it means wiping out the entire offseason. Miller is poised for a once-in-a-generation deal and if it goes down to July 15, so be it.
Josh Norman, CB, Panthers: Another one we all knew was coming, and that the team acknowledged as much in the days leading to the deadline. However, given the fact Norman is a late-bloomer, a former late-round pick, a little older than some of these other guys (28), and with the Panthers in win-now mode, I'm far from certain this tag is a prelude to a mega-deal. In fact, the Panthers might be wise to let him play it out and see how crazy the free agent dollars get for other corners out there and then re-assess. But letting him walk after a breakthrough 2015 campaign would have been silly.
What's next: I would suspect Norman plays this all the way out until July. Unless you have an elite player with significant leverage, many top agents would say sign the tender before that, but Norman likely fits the bill to sit it out.
Muhammad Wilkerson, DL, Jets: The Jets like him a lot -- especially coach Todd Bowles -- and contrary to what some would have you believe, they like him more than Sheldon Richardson. But they just may not like him at $16 million a year on a long-term deal, which is what the market may bear. A trade has always been a possibility here, and if a team like the Raiders or Jaguars gets through free agency with a ton of cash and cap space remaining, then putting together a bunch of second-round picks might be more than worth it.
Would that be enough for the Jets? Things are complicated slightly by the star recovering from a broken bone in his leg, but trust me, teams will sniff around. The fact the sides have never been anywhere remotely close to a long-term deal, coupled with New York's other needs, tell me a mega-deal between these two this summer is far from likely.
What's next: I'd wait until the owners meetings at the end of March, when there is ample trade talk going down, and then re-analyze the market. If nothing materializes then, Wilkerson could wait until the draft to sign his tag, but given the fact he is recovering from surgery, I could also see his side signing that tag sooner, forcing the Jets to absorb that $16 million cap hit early in the offseason, and balling out again with the ability to hit the open market next year while still at just age 27.
Eric Berry, S, Chiefs: Like everyone on this list to this point, the team had no real choice here. They had to apply the tag. In this case, Berry's import to the franchise goes well beyond the norm, with the beloved figure overcoming cancer, coming back to top form and leading an improbable playoff charge. He wasn't getting away.
Once we see how safeties like Eric Weddle and Tashaun Gipson do in free agency, a deal could get done. The sides engaged in serious talks leading to the deadline and there is every desire among both parties to make this an arrangement well beyond 2016.
What's next: No need to rush and sign the tender right away, but I also don't see this playing all the way to the July 15th deadline as it did with the Chiefs and Justin Houston a year ago. Could see Berry having a new contract before we get all that deep into offseason workouts.
Cordy Glenn, T, Bills: Not sure many people would have had him on this list at the start of the season and not entirely sold he is a franchise tackle, but the Bills are in a bind right now. They are desperate to win in 2016 with jobs on the line, they have a cap crunch and other holes to fill. Oh, and the state of offensive line play stinks around the league so few other options to fill the holes. Glenn is a solid player, but not spectacular and this could be a boon for him. Few players like getting franchised, but he shouldn't be crying over $13.7 million, either.
What's next: The Bills will want to get that cap number down if they can, but if I'm Glenn I'm not getting cute with the waiting game. You never know what can happen -- just ask Jason Pierre-Paul -- and it's a very long offseason. And other teams are not going to be running through walls to get to him. I'd sign that thing by April.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Dolphins (transition): The Dolphins could easily end up being the big losers in this entire process. This one baffles me some. They save $3 million by using the transition tag, but now risk losing the player entirely for zero compensation. Nada.
After basically flexing their spending muscle now they take a stand over a few million bucks with an emerging pass rusher not even yet in his prime -- in a market salivating for pass-rushers and so few available options. Oh, and the Dolphins' heavy spending has them in cap purgatory and very vulnerable to front-loaded deals from any of the teams with massive cap space. Of course, they could re-do the Suh contract, but pushing that money further out would be the most foolish thing of all.
I'd have franchised him, tried to trade him or lived with him for another year in what had better be a year of improvement for perpetually moribund Miami.
What's next: Vernon's agent will be looking for offer sheets all over and trying to find one specifically designed to pray on the Dolphins' vulnerabilities. Shouldn't be all that hard to find. The Jaguars are desperate for a pass rush and have cap room to burn. They also signed a Dolphins defender a year ago and put together an offer sheet for a transitioned player (Cleveland matched their offer to Alex Mack). The Raiders would be another strong candidate. This could get very interesting.
Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams: As we got closer to the deadline, we reported the Rams made no progress with either corner and were going to tag someone. And as it got closer, odds were leaning to it being Johnson and not Janoris Jenkins.
Johnson has less off-field risk and the Rams -- and other teams -- love his size and ability and upside.
Neither player wanted the tag, because big money awaits in free agency, from the Raiders, among others. If you are Johnson, you hope the Rams see just how bonkers the market gets and then that the team responds with a long-term deal in that range.
What's next: In the end, playing one year for $14 million and hitting the market isn't horrible and it sets you up for the next deal, though there is always the risk of injury. With all the salary cap space the Rams have cleared out -- and all the pieces they could lose in the secondary -- one would expect progress on a long-term deal here.
Justin Tucker, K, Ravens: Another no-brainer. One of the best young kickers in the game and a big deal in the Baltimore community (trust me, I live here, this dude has more commercials than Joe Flacco).
Tucker isn't going anywhere and while Baltimore has big issues to sort out (getting close to a re-done Flacco contract, for one) and needs to fill in free agency, securing Tucker's rights was a priority. And it's a precursor to them doing a high-end kicker deal this offseason.
What's next: Kickers don't skip offseason activities and once Baltimore gets through free agency, there should be a long-term deal that makes sense that might lower his cap hit. If not, you can take him year to year as well. Regardless, I don't see him getting out of town anytime soon.
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