Top eight candidates to receive the franchise tag

[CGI_Ram]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2...ight-candidates-to-receive-the-franchise-tag/

The 2017 NFL free-agency period is less than a month away. There will be plenty of players that change teams this offseason, but not all of them will have their outright freedom to maximize their market potential. Some players that want long-term deals but are not able to come to an agreement with their teams before free agency starts will be subjected to the dreaded franchise tag, which will pay them the average salary of the five highest-paid players at their position. Below, we'll dig into some players that are candidates for the tag.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington
Cousins is one of three players on this list that played under the franchise tag during the 2016 season. If he's tagged again, he would receive 120 percent of that 2016 tag value (approximately $23.9 million) as his 2017 salary. He has made no secret of the fact that he wants a long-term deal, but it would not be a surprise if Washington used the tag as a fail-safe so that it could still negotiate with him on a long-term pact it finds agreeable but be protected in case he finds a suitable contract from another team. It would cost two first-round picks in addition to the money paid out on the actual contract for a non-Washington team to do that, though, so it seems pretty unlikely.

Kirk Cousins finds himself in a very similar situation this offseason. USATSI

Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell is arguably the best player in the league at his position and doesn't turn 25 until later this week. That makes him the perfect candidate for a long-term deal. However, his history of injuries and suspension (he's one more failed drug test away from being suspended for 10 games) might give Pittsburgh the slightest bit of pause in locking him up. The Steelers are reportedly planning to go the franchise route, per NFL.com, which would give Bell a 2017 salary of approximately $12.2 million. With Antonio Brown's expected new deal set to hit the books this offseason, the Steelers could push their decision on Bell down the line another year; if he stays healthy and clean, they can then lock him up heading into 2018.

The Steelers are expected to tag Le'Veon Bell. USATSI

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Cleveland Browns
Think of Pryor as this year's version of Cousins in 2016. The Browns found a player they want to keep but whose short track record means they can't yet be certain he justifies a long-term, big-money deal. The two sides will surely attempt to negotiate a long-term deal, but there is likely a fairly sizable gap between the deal Pryor is expected to seek and what Cleveland is willing to pay out. The franchise tag becomes a place-holder that allows the team to take one more season to see what it has. It also gives Pryor the security of a guaranteed contract that pays him like one of the best players in the league at his position.

Terrelle Pryor is unlikely to hit the open market. USATSI

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery, like Cousins, played last season on the franchise tag. Tagging him again would put the Bears on the hook for approximately $17.5 million for the 2017 season. That's a whole lot to pay for a player that has missed 11 of the team's past 32 games, but given his injury issues it doesn't seem like the Bears are thrilled about signing him long-term, either. They have plenty of space under the cap and can fit a deal like this if they want to, plus they would get draft pick compensation if someone else were to sign Jeffery to a long-term contract the Bears don't feel like matching.

Alshon Jeffery's injury woes will likely keep him from a long-term deal. USATSI

Kawann Short, DT, Carolina Panthers
Panthers coach Ron Rivera came out and said the team will "probably have to tag" Short. The tag will probably be a temporary fix while the two sides attempt to work out a long-term deal. Part of the reason the Panthers didn't want to give Josh Norman big-time money last offseason was that they wanted to save some space in order to keep Short around for a while. Short himself has stated -- like many others that expect to be subjected to the tag -- that he would prefer not to be tagged, but that still seems like the most likely result.

Kawann Short is a prime franchise tag candidate. USATSI

Chandler Jones, OLB, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals traded a second-round pick and former first-rounder Jonathan Cooper for Jones last offseason, and they want to keep him around for a long time. He's on this list because coach Bruce Arians said recently, "Chandler's not going anywhere because if we have to, we will franchise him," per the Cardinals' official website. Jones plays a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position in Arizona's scheme, so it'll be interesting to watch which tag he is subject to, if Arizona does elect to use it on him.

Chandler Jones isn't leaving the desert. USATSI

A.J. Bouye, CB, Houston Texans
Bouye broke out as one of the top cornerbacks in the AFC during his fourth season in Houston, starting the final 11 games and recording an interception in each of Houston's playoff contests. He doesn't really have any track record of high-level play beyond the 2016 season, though, and it seems likely that there will be a disconnect in the contract he seeks and the one Houston is willing to give. The franchise tag will get him paid and get the Texans another look at whether they want to invest big money over multiple years.

A.J. Bouye is set for a big pay day after a breakout season. USATSI

Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
Berry played last season under the tag and will be eligible for 120 percent of his 2016 salary for next season if he's tagged again. He has made back-to-back Pro Bowls and back-to-back All-Pro teams since returning from his bout with Hodgkin's lymphoma and wants to be paid like the star safety that he is, even stating that he is "definitely not going to play under the franchise tag" next season. It makes sense for the Chiefs to use the tag in the event they don't come to a long-term agreement by the start of free agency. Doing so would then extend their negotiating window into July.

Eric Berry has made it clear he wants a long-term deal. USATSI

 

[Merlin]

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Cleveland Browns
Think of Pryor as this year's version of Cousins in 2016. The Browns found a player they want to keep but whose short track record means they can't yet be certain he justifies a long-term, big-money deal. The two sides will surely attempt to negotiate a long-term deal, but there is likely a fairly sizable gap between the deal Pryor is expected to seek and what Cleveland is willing to pay out. The franchise tag becomes a place-holder that allows the team to take one more season to see what it has. It also gives Pryor the security of a guaranteed contract that pays him like one of the best players in the league at his position.

Yeah unfortunately Pryor will be off the market. Which is a shame, the dude is perfect for us and would be a great signing.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery, like Cousins, played last season on the franchise tag. Tagging him again would put the Bears on the hook for approximately $17.5 million for the 2017 season. That's a whole lot to pay for a player that has missed 11 of the team's past 32 games, but given his injury issues it doesn't seem like the Bears are thrilled about signing him long-term, either. They have plenty of space under the cap and can fit a deal like this if they want to, plus they would get draft pick compensation if someone else were to sign Jeffery to a long-term contract the Bears don't feel like matching.

Jeffery is going to hit the market. There is no way they want to pay him $17.5 per season, and with the injuries and suspension no team will want to need to trade for him on top of paying him what he's lookin for. He'd be my top target. Wine and dine his @$$ in LA right out the gate, send Stan's plane to go get him! Get er done!

 

[DaveFan'51]

Jeffery is going to hit the market. There is no way they want to pay him $17.5 per season, and with the injuries and suspension no team will want to need to trade for him on top of paying him what he's lookin for. He'd be my top target. Wine and dine his @$$ in LA right out the gate, send Stan's plane to go get him! Get er done!

What about his injury issues!?

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/...eed-to-know-about-the-nfls-2017-franchise-tag

Everything you need to know about the NFL's 2017 franchise tag
Kevin Seifert/NFL Nation

It's that time of year when the NFL reminds you its calendar rarely slows and never stops. Ten days after Super Bowl LI, the first window of player movement decisions has opened.

Beginning Wednesday and continuing through March 1, teams can place the franchise tag on one pending free agent, a decision that is expensive but also provides massive leverage against losing a big-time player.

Transition tags can also be applied in this window, but the franchise tag is far more important -- and popular -- because it ensures the team a hefty return if a player ultimately departs. (Transition tags are cheaper, but offer only the opportunity to match an offer.)

As we enter the NFL's 25th offseason with the tag -- it made its debut in 1993 as the salary-cap era took off -- let's run through the basics, some recent trends and projections for 2017.

Please remind me exactly what the franchise tag is.

The franchise tag is a labor designation that restricts a player's potential movement in exchange for a high one-year salary. It is governed by owners and players through the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and has two types.

Go on ...

The first is the "exclusive-rights" franchise tag. Any player with this tag is bound to the team for the upcoming season. His agent is prohibited from seeking offer sheets elsewhere. It is the average of the five-largest salaries at the player's position through the end of the current year's restricted free-agent signing period (April 21 this year), or 120 percent of the player's salary the previous year -- whichever is greater.

The second is the "non-exclusive" franchise tag. In this scenario, players can sign an offer sheet with another team. The original team has the opportunity to match that offer and retain the player under those exact terms, or it can allow the player to leave in exchange for two first-round draft picks from the new team. It is the average of the five-largest salaries at that position from the previous season, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary -- whichever is greater.

The intent and effect of the difference in calculation is to make the exclusive-rights tender more expensive.

What happens after the tag is applied?

It depends on the interest level between the sides.

The player can sign the tender at any time, a decision that fully guarantees the salary and immediately places all of it on the current year's cap charge. This can increase a player's leverage in a tight cap situation; the team will be motivated to negotiate a longer-term deal to lower the cap number.

The decision can also backfire if the team is comfortable with the high cap number; the leverage in this case would side with a player who remains unsigned as camp looms.

In either event, the sides have until July 15 to agree on a multi-year extension. After that point, the player can sign only a one-year contract. It cannot be extended until after the season.

Can a team rescind the tag?

Why, yes.

The Carolina Panthers did just that to cornerback Josh Norman last spring when they determined they wouldn't be able to sign him to a long-term extension. A rescinded tag is one of the risks players take when they don't immediately sign the tender. It can't be rescinded once it is signed.

What typically happens in these situations?

Here's a look at franchise tag results during the past five years, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information researcher Evan Kaplan:

• 47 franchise tags extended
  
  
• 22 players played out the season under the tag
  
  
• 24 signed long-term extensions
  
  
• One (New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul) signed a modified contract after July 15.
  

I'm an amateur capologist. Where can I find the franchise values for each position?

The NFL hasn't calculated them yet, and one of the twists of the franchise tag window is that teams can extend them without knowing the exact figure. They're usually released during the annual scouting combine, in the days before free agency begins. In a few cases, deals that happen between now and then can impact the exact numbers. The exact per-team salary-cap total -- also not solidified yet -- can change them as well.

Generally speaking, though, teams can estimate the numbers via manual analysis. ESPN senior writer John Clayton provided his own projections in the chart. They are based on a salary cap of $168 million per team.

Really? No firm numbers?

OK, maybe a few.

We know, based on the CBA, that a team has only one option when it wants to apply the tag in consecutive years to the same player: 120 percent of the previous year's tag. That could apply to a number of players in 2017, including Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry.

Cousins played under a $19.95 million tag in 2016, meaning his 2017 tag would be worth $23.94 million. Berry's tag would be valued at $12.96 million after he played 2016 at $10.8 million. (He has vowed not to play for the Chiefs in 2017 under another tag, presumably via holdout until a long-term extension can be reached.)

Other than Cousins and Berry, who else are 2017 franchise-tag candidates?

Here are some names to watch for if productive negotiations on long-term deals don't materialize:

Pittsburgh Steelers tailback Le'Veon Bell

Cleveland Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr.

Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe (if not Berry)

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower

Panthers defensive lineman Kawann Short

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram

Buffalo Bills safety Stephon Gilmore

Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson

Is it always bad for the player to play under the franchise tag?

The franchise tag pays a player close to market value for one year, but provides no future guarantees. The tag becomes an advantage if a player remains healthy and valuable enough that the team feels compelled to use it multiple times. The second tag is slotted at 120 percent of the first, and the third at 144 percent of the second.

How rarely do teams use the tag on the same player in consecutive years?

It happens more often than you might think: 13 times since 1997, including twice since 2011 (Cleveland Browns place-kicker Phil Dawson and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer).

It is much less common for skill players, however, and Cousins would be the first quarterback ever franchised in consecutive years. There have been only three skill players who have been tagged twice at any point in their careers: quarterbacks Drew Brees (2005, 2012) and Peyton Manning (2004, 2011) and receiver Rob Moore (1995, 1999).

Are some positions more susceptible to the franchise tag than others?

Yes.

Per ESPN's Stats & Information research, 30 offensive linemen have been franchise tagged since 1993. And the tagged numbers are 26 for defensive ends and 24 for linebackers. On the other end, there have been four punters, nine quarterbacks and 10 running backs franchised.

Generally speaking, teams see a better economic value to leverage high-end linemen than skill position players.

Do some teams use the tag more than others?

Yes, but given the 25-year span of the tag's existence, the numbers are more a function of talent and cap management than a philosophical opposition or support of the tag itself.

The Indianapolis Colts have used it an NFL-high 11 times, followed by the Chiefs (10) and Seattle Seahawks (10). The Texans (one), Falcons (two) and Browns (three) have been the least likely teams to apply it.

 

[Merlin]

What about his injury issues!?

Two years ago his season was cut short by a hamstring injury. Last year it was cut short for a suspension due to performance-enhancing drug test result. I think that is enough for the Bears to not franchise him again, but if you're talking about a five year contract he is only 27, and during those last two years when he was on the field he averaged 14.9 and 15.8 ypc.

He is an impact player who comes with some risk. But the guy is undeniably an impact player for a passing game. He is going to be the best FA on the market if the Bears let him walk like I think they will.

 

[Corbin]

Two years ago his season was cut short by a hamstring injury. Last year it was cut short for a suspension due to performance-enhancing drug test result. I think that is enough for the Bears to not franchise him again, but if you're talking about a five year contract he is only 27, and during those last two years when he was on the field he averaged 14.9 and 15.8 ypc.

He is an impact player who comes with some risk. But the guy is undeniably an impact player for a passing game. He is going to be the best FA on the market if the Bears let him walk like I think they will.

I'd rather use that money to get Garcone and fix our o line tbh. Not to impressed with his injury and suspensions.

 

[Zodi]

Berry sure would be interesting...

 

[Loyal]

Maybe a package deal of Brian Quick and Kendricks to Atlanta for Julio Jones?

Wut....