Seven franchise tags were handed out by NFL teams before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, preventing seven players from becoming unrestricted free agents when the new league year gets underway next week.
For those unfamiliar, the franchise tag is used as sort of a last resort for teams who don’t want to lose their key free agents. It’s a one-year deal based on either the average of the top five salaries at that player’s position or 120 percent of his salary for the previous season, depending on which number is higher. Most teams use the tag in hopes of giving themselves additional time to negotiate a long-term contract with that player. But in some cases, typically with quarterbacks and pass-rushers, that one-year salary can be exorbitant
Let’s break down which players were given the franchise tags by their current teams, and which players didn’t receive tags in surprise (or not surprising) decisions by their clubs.
Tagged players
RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Le’Veon Bell with an absolutely ridiculous touchdown run. pic.twitter.com/q2Nigi7eoJ
— Steel City Sports (@SteeICitySports) January 8, 2017
Approx. value: $12.4 million
On one hand… Bell was the most dominant offensive player in the league during the second half of 2016, averaging 182 yards from scrimmage per game and 5.2 yards per carry in the final six weeks of the regular season. He’s only 24, but he’s already got two kick-ass Pro Bowl seasons under his belt.
On the other hand… He’s missed 14 games due to injury or suspension the last two years and has played just one full season in his four-year career. He was finally healthy for a playoff run in 2016, but then he suffered a groin injury in the AFC championship game. Running backs have short shelf lives, and questions stills surround Bell when it comes to long-term contract possibilities. No other back in football is slated to make more than $6.3 million in 2017, so $12.4 million is a little ridiculous.
QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
The 80-yard touchdown from #Redskins Kirk Cousins to WR DeSean Jackson pic.twitter.com/xCEtyjHboe
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 11, 2016
Value: $23.9 million
On one hand… Cousins led the NFL with a 69.8 completion percentage in 2015 and made the Pro Bowl with the NFL’s third-highest yards-per-attempt average (8.1) in 2016. Only Drew Brees had more 20-plus-yard completions last year, and nobody completed more 50-plus-yard passes. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2015, he’s put together the sixth-highest qualified passer rating in the NFL.
On the other hand… He’s been extremely inconsistent and has failed in some rather big moments, which isn’t ideal considering he’s 28 and is now technically the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in terms of 2017 base salary.
LB Melvin Ingram, Los Angeles Chargers
Approx. value: $15.3 million
On one hand… Ingram hasn’t missed a start in the last two seasons, recording 18.5 sacks in that span. He was graded by Pro Football Focus as the best player on the team in 2015 and the second-best in 2016, behind only rookie sensation Joe Bosa.
On the other hand… Bosa is also a pass-rusher and is going to be the star on defense for Los Angeles in 2016, and the soon-to-be-28-year-old Ingram has never made a Pro Bowl. That’s a lot of money for a team with a lot of holes and almost no salary cap space.
CB Trumaine Johnson, Los Angeles Rams
Approx. value: $16.0 million
On one hand… Johnson’s been a productive and relatively reliable starter for much of his five-year career, and he ranked third in the league with seven interceptions in 2015.
On the other hand… He had a down year with just a single pick and low PFF grades in 2016, and that $16 price tag seems pretty steep for a team that isn’t flush with cap space. Despite having never made a Pro Bowl, Johnson is slated to be the second-highest-paid corner in the NFL next season.
LB Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals
#Cardinals Chandler Jones (2⭐️out of HS; #OrangeMEN) w/ a bull jerk on the TE. Finishes w/ rip for the sack/strip pic.twitter.com/rP9eKo0aMR
— DLineVids (@DLineVids) January 2, 2017
Approx. value: $15.3 million
On one hand… Jones had 11 sacks in 2016, earning the second-highest PFF rating on the team.
On the other hand… The Cardinals had just $18 million in cap space before hitting Jones with the tag, and the 27-year-old didn’t even lead the team in sacks (Markus Golden had 12.5).
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants
Approx. value: $17.0 million
On one hand… Pierre-Paul is a veteran Pro Bowler with 50 career sacks under his belt, and he was superb for much of the 2016 season. He also finished strong, recording 5.5 sacks in his final two full games of the season before going down with a core injury late in the year.
On the other hand… He’s been held to seven or fewer sacks in four of his last five seasons. Injuries and wear and tear are factors, but he really hasn’t been the same since recording 16.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2011. To boot, the Giants defense made do without JPP during the final four weeks of the 2016 campaign, recording eight sacks and nine takeaways while surrendering just 10 points per game. With that in mind, a projected tag price of close to $17 million seems a little silly for an aging, somewhat unreliable rusher — especially considering that the Giants are a little short on salary cap space.
DT Kawann Short, Carolina Panthers
Approx. value: $13.6 million
On one hand… Short was arguably the team’s most effective player in 2016, picking up 16 sacks and the best PFF rating on the roster in 16 starts. He was also a Pro Bowler with 11 sacks in 2015.
On the other hand… That sack total was cut nearly in half this season, and Carolina already has two extremely talented recent first-round picks in Star Lotulelei and Vernon Butler at that position. That’s also a lot of money for a team without an overwhelming amount of cap space.
Not tagged
topsportsplays: A.J. Bouye interception CBS NFL Playoff: Texans at Patriots https://t.co/FwEaGiBhoV pic.twitter.com/bB07ambsf0
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) January 15, 2017
CB A.J. Bouye, Houston Texans: The 25-year-old had a breakout 2016 season as a PFF darling down the stretch. But he has just 19 career starts under his belt and he hasn’t made a Pro Bowl.
LB Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots: He was the graded by PFF as the fifth-best inside linebacker in the game in 2016, earning a Pro Bowl nod before becoming a Super Bowl hero. Considering how much money the Patriots have to spend, as well as the fact Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are gone, I thought they’d consider using the tag here.
Alshon Jeffery machte letztes Jahr diesen Touchdown-Catch!@TheWorldof_AJ #CHIvsMIN #touchdownnews pic.twitter.com/OfBlqaxWeP
— JB Sport Nachrichten (@JBSportde) October 31, 2016
WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears: The extremely talented yet often unreliable receiver has just six touchdowns in 21 games the last two years, but he had 17 scores and 2,554 yards in the two seasons before that.
DT Dontari Poe, Kansas City Chiefs: There was a chance he’d get tagged when KC signed safety Eric Berry to a long-term deal earlier this week, but the truth is Poe isn’t a special player. He’ll likely be overpaid by someone else.
WR Terrelle Pryor, Cleveland Browns: The hell are the Browns thinking? They have like a billion dollars to spend and Pryor was a hit with 77 catches for over 1,000 yards on a terrible team in 2016. And it’s hard to imagine he won’t get better.
