This is getting a tad strange.
The deadline for the application of 2015 NFL Franchise tags is Monday at 4 p.m. Eastern time and as of press time, there has been no action on this front. Yes that’s correct, not one player has been tagged. In a year loaded with premium quality free agents at most positions, not a single team has made the move to retain a player. While there is still plenty of time for this to happen (and in many cases likely will), the situation is still quite curious.
Perhaps this is symptomatic of a developing trend in the modern NFL. In recent years teams have tended to avoid the tag. In 2013 only eight players received it, and in 2014 a miniscule four players were tagged (although two other players received the less exclusive transition tag). Perhaps the franchise tag is becoming something of an antiquated concept in modern football but with approximately two days left until the window expires, I’d still expect a flurry of activity before Monday’s deadline. Looking at the current landscape, there could still be in the neighborhood of four to six taggings in the coming days.
It’s a virtual lock that the Dallas Cowboys will tag All-Pro wideout Dez Bryant before the deadline, even if that means having to part with 2014 leading rusher DeMarco Murray. A long-term deal doesn’t appear to be looming in the immediate future but he is too valuable to the organization to allow him to hit the open market.
A recent report indicated that the Kansas City Chiefs are just about ready to tag Justin Houston in the wake of a 22 sack season, keeping him in the fold for 2015.
In Foxborough, it seems likely that the reigning Super Bowl Champion Patriots will tag star safety Devin McCourty after another stellar season as well.
And of course, barring a breakthrough in the next two days, the Denver Broncos will apply the tag to superstar wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
While nothing is certain in the National Football League, those four players can be viewed as near locks to be without new deals. After that, things get a little bit murky.
Ndamukong Suh is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, but his contract situation makes tagging him a risky proposition for the Detroit Lions. Suh’s cap hit in 2014 was so high that applying the tag would result in a 2015 salary of $26.87 million, an exorbitant number to say the least. The Lions certainly want to keep him around, but tagging him might be impossible.
Randall Cobb emerged as one of the better wide receivers in football least year, but can the Packers really justify applying the $12.8 million tag to him when they are already paying Jordy Nelson like a number one receiver?
Jason Pierre-Paul has at times looked like one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but injuries have derailed the last two years of his career. The defensive end tag in 2015 is projected to be $14.78 million, and it remains to be seen if the Giants would be willing to devote that much cash to him for one year. The enormity of the defensive end cap number also makes it less likely that the Bills apply the tag to breakout player Jerry Hughes.
Wideout Jeremy Maclin certainly looked worthy of the tag in his breakout campaign but the Eagles might have some questions regarding his injury history before setting aside $12.8 million.
The list of tag-worthy players goes on and on and by Monday at 4 pm, many of these aforementioned stars will receive their tenders. The sheer depth of this year’s free agent class leads me to believe we’ll witness an uptick on last year’s four taggings, but the slow movement could be an indicator that I’m quite wrong. Either way, we will have the answers to all of these question by late Monday afternoon and the next step toward free agency will be taken. The next two weeks will be the most exciting part of the off-season prior to the 2015 draft. Check back next week to watch these storylines unfold.
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ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 21: Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown reception against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
