Byrd and a CB like Talib would go a long way towards solidifying our secondary. Talib is 27, soon to be 28, so still young enough. He would bring some size to our CB's at 6-2, 205. He got worked over pretty good by Gordon this year, but then again, who didn't? I think he's a solid cover guy that can tackle. Incidently, how many knew he was born in Cleveland? He grew up in Texas, but maybe he has family here?
General reply. Though I haven't looked at the list, I've said since the seasons end, it would be nice if this team could add a legitimate Tight end, And Wide Receiver, And pass catching runningback, Before Draft day.
They haven't had a "good" pass catching, small in stature, running back in quite a while.
Alex Mack, though given a lot of love on here, is someone I've not considered to be that much better than the next center in the NFL.
( Dear Subway, that crunch and munch is really annoying.)
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
if it ended up going your way, our defense would be straight up Nasty. Byrd and Ward at safety, Talib and Haden out the outside and Skrine and mcFadden in the nickel.
besides some depth guys, i would spend a 2nd or 3rd in the draft getting a nasty ILB to replace robertson.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Quote: General reply. Though I haven't looked at the list, I've said since the seasons end, it would be nice if this team could add a legitimate Tight end, And Wide Receiver, And pass catching runningback, Before Draft day.
They haven't had a "good" pass catching, small in stature, running back in quite a while.
Alex Mack, though given a lot of love on here, is someone I've not considered to be that much better than the next center in the NFL.
( Dear Subway, that crunch and munch is really annoying.)
The more I think about it, the more intrigued I get about getting someone like Jairus Byrd on our roster. And I think it is a real possibility with Pettine and some former Buffalo defensive staff here in Cleveland. When healthy (the key factor w/ Bryd), he is a beast. I think he could certainly elevate our performance in the red zone and on third downs. However, it will probably require s paying him as THE top FS in the NFL.
Did he play alongside TJ Ward at Oregon too?
Yeah they played alongside each other. Drafted one year apart. I think we have a lot of factors that could very well bring him here. I dont care who the ILB is if we have Byrd at FS.
Byrd would be a significant upgrade over Gipson. Do it...
Gipson would probably be in the mix to replace Ward. I see no way we pay franchise level contracts at both FS and SS. The math just wouldn;t work long term.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Quote: Alex Mack, though given a lot of love on here, is someone I've not considered to be that much better than the next center in the NFL.
But would we be able to replace him with the "next center in the NFL," whoever that is? Who would we replace him with, and at what cost? It's about creating another hole on the roster that needs addressed.
Yeah I agree with you. If we want a ball hawk FS we need to find a cheaper free agent or draft one. I wonder if the Browns would pursue Malcolm Jenkins from the Saints as a free agent. He would be much more cost effective than Byrd but is still a good player.
Byrd would be a significant upgrade over Gipson. Do it...
Gipson would probably be in the mix to replace Ward. I see no way we pay franchise level contracts at both FS and SS. The math just wouldn;t work long term.
Seattle, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor might disagree with you.
At DT, context and meaning are a scarecrow kicking at moving goalposts.
Byrd would be a significant upgrade over Gipson. Do it...
Gipson would probably be in the mix to replace Ward. I see no way we pay franchise level contracts at both FS and SS. The math just wouldn;t work long term.
Seattle, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor might disagree with you.
The exception proves the rule.
Thomas has one year left on his rookie contract. He'll be a top priority. The Seahawks also have Richard Sherman with only one year left on his rookie deal.
How much money can they tie up in their secondary?
Earl Thomas is in line to make $4.625 million plus a $100K workout bonus in 2014. 2014 will be the final year of his rookie deal. Chancellor signed a $31 million extension. Last year he signed a 5 year deal, with $5 million in signing bonus in each of the 1st 3 years, annual salaries close to $5 million, and additional bonuses. You would expect that Thomas will top that.
Maybe the Seahawks, given the overall youth of their team, and the fact that so many of their players are on rookie deals, might be able to keep both guys ...... but just how much can a team devote to their secondary? (especially at Safety)
The Seahawks will have to take care of Sherman soon, as he is signed only through 2014. He'll be in line for a $10 million/year deal. Can a team devote $30+ million of their cap to their starting SS, FS, and CB alone? I don't know if they can.Maybe for a year or 2.
The Hawks have the advantage of having their QB only entering his 3rd season. However, he'll also be in line for a big raise soon.
How many players do the Seahawks have who are still playing under their rookie contracts, at bargain prices compared to their production? I think that number would be ....... a lot.
What is the Seahawks cap situation entering 2014? As near as I can tell, they have enough room to sign their draft ...... and that's about it.
Man, the Seahawks are in a beautiful situation right now ...... but could be headed for hell rather quickly. They built their team on youth, which is great ,..... but the youth has grown up, and grown into a group of premiere players who will be expensive to re-sign. That is better than having a team lacking in talent ..... but they are going to have some hard decisions to make in the near future. We might be able to sign 2 S to top dollar contracts ...... because we are further away from a major cap decision/contract for a QB, and have carried over massive amounts of cap room from past years. Maybe we could do 2 top dollar Safeties, since we are at least 4 years away on a huge QB contract.I still don't expect us to do so. As long as the Browns can keep rolling over some cap space to help offset that big QB deal when the team actually becomes a good team, I expect them to do so.
I just can't see us spending huge on a pair of Safeties. I also don't know how Pettine's defense plays the safeties ...... free and strong ...... or more left/right in more of a zone look ....... I really don't know. Maybe he places more importance on more FS type safeties? We'll have to see what happens.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
i doubt ward wants top safety money. top 10? he deserves that, period.
but how much would top 10 REALLY cost? i don't think much, especially if the deal is 5-6 years.
we could sign Byrd, and he might get the same kind of contract as Ward, would that REALLY hurt us...ever? i doubt that.
he would be one of three big time FA's i hope they bring in next year, but most of our cap would be what? signing the draft guys?
i think we should go after Byrd and have him starting alongside Ward. not alongside Gibson. we need to having a winning team first before we start trying to manage the cap and still keep the team competitive. we aren't even competitive yet.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
It all depends on how they structure the deals. The could have both of them around for the next 5-6 years but it would likely take most of our rollover cap.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Right. I would imagine the upfront numbers will be significant. A generally per year for those two would be 14 mil or so I'd think. Between them and maybe Mack I'd think that would take out the rollover.
I just looked, and the franchise (top 5) number for a Safety is $8.1 million.
I want one really good Safety, one competent Safety, and a pair of excellent CB. I prefer that to a pair of excellent Safeties. I also prefer that my most expensive Safety be exceptional at pass coverage. (ala Ed Reed)
I like Ward as a player, but would not pay him $7 or $8 million/year. He is a hard hitter, and plays really well near the LOS. I think that he loses effectiveness the further he gets from the LOS though.
The problem we have is that we have so much cap space that people think that we should sign players no matter what they cost. I do not agree with that line of thinking. We have the opportunity to carry over cap dollars for a long time to come to help us with a franchise QB contract when the time comes, without losing half the team in order to do so. I am NOT saying that we should not spend anything ..... but we have to be smart about it. .
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
now, how much do we have in cap space, not counting the rollover?
because if you're saying we have 23 mil of rollover cap, at least this year, that means we could re-sign mack and ward, pick up Byrd is still be in a great situation.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Your right YTown. No reason to be senseless about it. Swish I believe it's nearly the same. At this time it's difficult to find the correct figure. Most people see the huge 40+ million figure and, exactly as Y just said, think spending is a must. In reality if we were to get a franchise QB that 20mil in rollover will come in handy. I hope we use the extra cap to bring in players initially but structure correctly to give us flexibility down the road.
Quote: General reply. Though I haven't looked at the list, I've said since the seasons end, it would be nice if this team could add a legitimate Tight end, And Wide Receiver, And pass catching runningback, Before Draft day.
You know, YTown, I don't know if the Seattle example is an exception. I haven't looked at contract situations for these players but there are situations off the top of my head where teams paid a ton of money to keep/get their safety talent top-notch. Perhaps there are more if I do more looking. Perhaps not.
Pittsburgh- Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark Baltimore- Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard Tennessee- Chris Hope and Michael Griffin
If I remember correctly, these players were given significant contracts and took up a big $$ portion of their cap.
Quote: Maybe the Seahawks, given the overall youth of their team, and the fact that so many of their players are on rookie deals, might be able to keep both guys ...... but just how much can a team devote to their secondary? (especially at Safety)
The Seahawks will have to take care of Sherman soon, as he is signed only through 2014. He'll be in line for a $10 million/year deal. Can a team devote $30+ million of their cap to their starting SS, FS, and CB alone? I don't know if they can.Maybe for a year or 2.
As I read this, I felt this is a very similar situation to what the Browns are in as well. Minus already having that elite FS, the Browns also have a young team with many guys on rookie deals- Like Ward, Haden in the secondary. Haden won't get a contract as big as Sherman and Ward won't get as big a deal as Chancellor currently has, IMO. So perhaps, like you said, there is a chance the Browns can afford to do the same and maybe even have a better chance at that considering they may not have to give as much guaranteed $$ to Haden, Ward as opposed to what will come to Thomas, Sherman and what Chancellor already has. Plus the cap ceiling is rising and the percentage of cap space you need to reach goes up if I'm not mistaken according to the labor agreement.
Seattle may end up being in a tough situation but that is only because they've drafted amazingly these past couple of years. Of course, there isn't an exact right/wrong way to allocate $$ in the secondary and they will respond based on the players who have been stellar for them....in this case Sherman, Chancellor, and Thomas. I don't think Lynch will be around for that long which will free up cap space; same goes for Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, etc. (I'm not sure if these guys are mentioned in your article. Admittedly, I didn't read it)
I know you mentioned that you prefer having two elite CBs, and a elite safety (either position) followed by an adequate safety opposite. I think this is a really good question to ask....what is the best formula? My initial reaction is don't try to force the "right" formula, but rather adapt to the players you drafted, develop them and react accordingly when the time comes.
But if I had to choose I'd rather have an elite FS, an elite SS, and elite CB, and an adequate #2 CB. I simply say that because elite CB are usually more expensive to keep and most teams you'd oppose don't/can't keep two elite WRs to justify allocating that money at your own CB position. Plus, I think having two elite safeties allows more versatility and looks.
At DT, context and meaning are a scarecrow kicking at moving goalposts.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
What do the resident experts think of Chargers inside linebacker, Donald Butler? Only 25 years old. A bit dinged up to start last season, but finished well.
Butler is a fine LBer and I think we should look at him. I do suspect that he will receive quite a bit of attention.
Chris Johnson is anther interesting guy. Yep, he has been a huge disappointment, but I bet his value has decreased significantly. If he is available on the cheap, I wouldn't mind giving him a look as a change of pace back.
Quote: Examples of legitimate tight ends have been all over the NFL. They have to be able to catch, block, and win games for you.
It seems there is really two types of TE's in the NFL.
Witten and Olson come to mind. TG is now retired.
1. a pass catcher/ dynamic/ can win games- not good at blocking. catch 70 passes a year 2. can run block and can catch passes - not dynamic
so... who is an example?
I'd take Cameron over any other TE coming into the NFL and the FA that will actually make it onto the market. Plus, let's be real.. Cameron is a ProBowler. and I think his salary is around 500k.
add Gabe Carimi to the UFA list. TB cut him today.
for those that don't remember, Carimi was a highly sought after OT from Wisconsin in the 2011 draft. He went #29 overall to Chicago. He ended up getting hurt, then washing out of the Bears (traded for a 6th from TB). Now, just 1 year later, he has been cut.
That is an incredibly short period of time for a 1st round OT to be done with 2 teams in the NFL.
add Gabe Carimi to the UFA list. TB cut him today.
for those that don't remember, Carimi was a highly sought after OT from Wisconsin in the 2011 draft. He went #29 overall to Chicago. He ended up getting hurt, then washing out of the Bears (traded for a 6th from TB). Now, just 1 year later, he has been cut.
That is an incredibly short period of time for a 1st round OT to be done with 2 teams in the NFL.
is he a RT or..? i mean i guess he could be a good depth guy, but bumming out with 2 different teams isn't a good sign.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
TB tried to switch him to OG to get something useful out of him and he still flailed. As with most players who are UFA in February, I don't think he's a useful sign. I was just interested in that he has flamed out so quickly and this seemed the appropriate thread to post the news.
While we do have to spend a significant amount of money this FA, we shouldn't go overboard with it since we'll need to lock up Joe Haden and Josh Gordon among many other players within the next 2 years.
Posted by Mike Florio on February 10, 2014, 10:04 PM EST
Last year, only eight teams used the franchise tag, down from a record high of 21 the year before. It was a surprise — until the free-agency market opened and the big money simply wasn’t there.
This year, conflicting opinions exist regarding the amount of money that will flow into the market. Ultimately, each team must ask itself whether there’s one potential free agent who merits the franchise tender, a one-year guaranteed salary that necessarily becomes the starting point for a multi-year deal that could significantly outpace the overall market for players at that position.
Here’s a look at the potential candidates for the tag in each NFL city, based on the unofficial (but likely close to accurate) list of AFC and NFC free agents we compiled over the weekend.
Arizona Cardinals: While the Larry Fitzgerald restructuring freed up more than $9 million in cap space, no Cardinals free agent becomes an obvious candidate for the tag — except perhaps for kicker Jay Feely, given the relatively low franchise tender for specialists.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons avoided a Flacco-style tag dilemma with Matt Ryan by signing him last year. (That possibly doesn’t qualify as good news, given the outcome to the 2013 season.) There’s no one else worthy of the tag.
Baltimore Ravens: A year after the Ravens were backed into a $20.1-million-a-year corner by Joe Flacco, who very well may have drawn an unmatchable offer sheet if given the non-exclusive tag, the Ravens have a less expensive decision to make regarding tight end Dennis Pitta. Apart from any lingering concerns about his hip injury (which his performance late in 2013 should have alleviated), the Ravens risk an argument that Pitta is actually a receiver, driving his tender up by more than $4.5 million. Another candidate for the tag would be left tackle Eugene Monroe; defensive end Arthur Jones is believed to be an unlikely subject of the franchise tag.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills used the franchise tag on safety Jairus Byrd in 2014. He’d be entitled to a 20-percent raise over his $6.916 million franchise-tag salary, which equates to $8.2992 million for 2014. Which equates to way too much on a one-year deal for a safety. This year’s tag ultimately could go to kicker Dan Carpenter, given that the tag for specialists is very affordable — and in light of the fact that Carpenter tied a franchise record for field goals made in a season (33), with four coming beyond 50 yards.
Carolina Panthers: Defensive end Greg Hardy has emerged as the most likely candidate for the tag, but cap realities could make it hard to justify the expenditure, with Cam Newton now eligible for a new deal, Luke Kuechly a year away, and then Star Lotulelei a year behind Kuechly. If Newton won’t push for a big-money deal this offseason, the Panthers could get away with one more year with Hardy. Beyond 2014, it will be difficult to keep all of the Panthers’ great young players around.
Chicago Bears: Defensive tackle Henry Melton is recovering from a torn ACL, and he’d be entitled to a 20-percent raise over his $8.45 million franchise-tag salary in 2013. With quarterback Jay Cutler signed to a long-term deal, there’s really no one else who merits the big payday — especially with Cutler’s 2014 cap number exceeding $20 million.
Cincinnati Bengals: Defensive end Michael Johnson was tagged last year; there’s no way the Bengals will give him a 20-percent bump for a second franchise-tag season — especially not after paying Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. Tackle Anthony Collins could be a candidate for the tag.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns have one candidate on each side of the ball: center Alex Mack and safety T.J. Ward. As to Mack, the challenge comes from the reality that all offensive linemen are lumped into one category for purposes of the tag, which means that the tender is driven by the salaries paid to elite left tackles. Safeties have their own slot, which would make it a smarter investment to negotiate a long-term deal with Mack based on the market for centers, and to tag Ward.
Dallas Cowboys: After two straight years with the tag, there’s no way the Cowboys will use it on defensive end Anthony Spencer for a third year. Under the CBA, the price would skyrocket. Even if Spencer weren’t recovering from a torn ACL, it wouldn’t make sense for the cap-strapped franchise to tag Spencer again. With kicker Dan Bailey signed, the Cowboys have said they don’t anticipate using the tag. (Which means that defensive lineman Jason Hatcher could be walking away.)
Denver Broncos: Receiver Eric Decker presents the biggest dilemma for the Broncos. How much of his performance comes from Decker’s abilities, and how much comes from the skills of his quarterback? And can the Broncos afford to devote more than $10 million to Decker, when quarterback Peyton Manning is making $20 million guaranteed? Running back Knowshon Moreno likely isn’t a candidate for the tag; dollar-for-dollar, Montee Ball would be a much more prudent investment.
Detroit Lions: Last month, Lions G.M. Martin Mayhew said he wasn’t sure whether tight end Brandon Pettigrew will be tagged. Before making a final decision, Mayhew may want to calculate the total snaps in which Pettigrew lined up tight to the tackle, along with the snaps in which he lined up in the slot or split wide. The final count could be a huge factor in the final determination. While the Lions have plenty of other free agents, none of them merit the franchise tag.
Green Bay Packers: Two years ago, the Packers planned to tag tight end Jermichael Finley, with a two-year deal emerging from the anticipated fight over whether he’s a receiver. Even if he weren’t recovering from neck surgery, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t do it again. There’s otherwise no one who merits the restriction.
Houston Texans: None of the names on the list of potential Texans’ free agents screams out for the franchise tag, in large part because the team was 2-14 in 2013. Running back Ben Tate could be a candidate, if the Texans opt to move on from Arian Foster. But with plenty of young running backs available in all rounds of the draft (and after the draft ends), the tag should only be used for a truly special talent at the position. Defensive end Antonio Smith won’t get serious consideration for the tag, primarily because the Texans eventually will be making a gigantic investment in the other guy who plays that specific position for the Texans.
Indianapolis Colts: Punter Pat McAfee was tagged in 2013. At a 20-percent increase, he’d be entitled to $3.57 million if the Colts tag him again. That’s probably too much, given the market and the annual influx of young punters. (That said, the Colts should still try to re-sign him.) Other candidates include cornerback Vontae Davis, running back Donald Brown, and kicker Adam Vinatieri, who had one of the best years of his career. It would be hard to justify plunking down millions for Brown; Davis could be the guy who gets tagged — especially as the Colts try to justify the second-round pick that was sacrificed in 2013 to get him from the Dolphins during training camp in 2012.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Running back Maurice Jones-Drew could be one of the highest-profile free agents in team history, but age and injuries make it unlikely the Jaguars would plunk down more than $8 million to keep Jones-Drew around for a ninth season.
Kansas City Chiefs: Last year, the Chiefs managed to work out a long-term deal with receiver Dwayne Bowe and tag tackle Branden Albert. The Chiefs then tried — unsuccessfully — to trade Albert. After the struggles of rookie Eric Fisher at right tackle, the Chiefs may not be ready to entrust the left tackle position to the first overall pick in 2013. Which could force them to give Albert a 20-percent raise for 2014, or sign him to a long-term deal.
Miami Dolphins: Defensive tackle Randy Starks got the tag last year, at $8.45 million. It would cost $10.14 million to tag him again, which means it won’t happen. It would make more sense to plunk down a little more than that to tag cornerback Brent Grimes, who arrived on a one-year, $5.5 million deal and had a very solid season with the Dolphins.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings surely would love to keep defensive end Jared Allen around, but not at a 20-percent raise over his $17 million cap number for 2013. Beyond Allen, none of the other free agents are tag-worthy.
New England Patriots: Cornerback Aqib Talib will have a strong market, if he gets there. He’ll get there unless the Pats step up with a compelling multi-year offer — or unless the franchise tag is used. It’s a lot to pay for any non-quarterback, but Talib has become nearly as indispensable to the defense, especially in light of how the team played after he was injured against the Broncos in the AFC title game.
New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham will be tagged, unless the Saints work out a new contract with him before the deadline for applying the tag. It’s possible that the two sides will use the uncertainty of the tight end/receiver distinction to carve a middle ground. Barring that, the Saints will tag Graham as a tight end, Graham will argue that he’s actually a receiver, and a third-party will decide the first-year value of the long-term deal that inevitably will be negotiated in the middle of July.
New York Giants: The Giants would likely tag receiver Hakeem Nicks only if they believed it would be the precursor to a long-term deal. Based on his performance in 2013, the money already invested in Victor Cruz, and the potential of Reuben Randle, it makes no sense to make a long-term investment in Nicks. It’s far more realistic for the Giants to consider tagging linebacker Jon Beason or defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
New York Jets: Kicker Nick Folk could make the most sense, given the low tag for specialists and the importance of having a reliable kicker. If the Jets are inclined to spend a lot more than that, underrated right tackle Austin Howard could be a candidate. Still, few offensive linemen who don’t play left tackle earn that kind of money.
Oakland Raiders: With nearly $70 million in cap space for 2014, the Raiders could use the tag to keep any of their free agents around. Left tackle Jared Veldheer is the most likely candidate. Other options would be defensive end Lamarr Houston (he had a career-high six sacks in 2013) and possibly defensive tackle Pat Sims.
Philadelphia Eagles: For the second straight year, the Eagles have limited free agents. The biggest names are at receiver, but with DeSean Jackson already making $10 million in 2014, it’s hard to justify giving more than that to Riley Cooper. And with Jeremy Maclin recovering from a torn ACL suffered in training camp, it would be foolish to guarantee that much cash and cap space. Punter Donnie Jones could be an option for the tag, given the low magnitude of the franchise tag for specialists.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers opted not to use the tag last year on receiver Mike Wallace. They most likely won’t use it on receiver Emmanuel Sanders, especially in light of the money previously paid to 2011 and 2013 team MVP Antonio Brown. On defense, linebacker Jason Worillds could be a candidate, but the Steelers routinely let linebackers walk away via free agency, confident they’ll find a replacement from within.
San Diego Chargers: It likely will be linebacker Donald Butler or no one for Chargers. Talks on a new deal began last August; if a deal can’t be worked out, it could be time to tag Butler.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have several free agents they need to keep. From receiver Anquan Boldin to cornerback Tarell Brown to safety Donte Whitner, none merit the big dollars payable on a one-year deal. As to kicker Phil Dawson, for whom coach Jim Harbaugh publicly has lobbied, the franchise tag isn’t an option — unless the 49ers want to pay him quarterback money. The grievance filed two years ago by Saints quarterback Drew Brees resulted in a determination that franchise tags applied in past years by other teams count toward the total franchise-tag determination. Because Dawson was tagged twice by the Browns, another tag by any team would result in application of the highest franchise tender for any position.
Seattle Seahawks: The tag could be applied to defensive end Michael Bennett, but that would more than double the $5 million he received on a one-year deal in 2013. With cornerback Richard Sherman surely wanting more money now and others surely wanting more soon, the Seahawks may be inclined to let Bennett walk — and to replace him with a veteran who is willing to take less than top market value in order to win a ring. If not Bennett, the Seahawks could be inclined to tag kicker Steven Hauscka. Last year, they managed to keep him despite not tagging him; this year, another team will be more likely to pounce.
St. Louis Rams: Left tackle Jake Long tore an ACL late in the 2013 season, making it important that the Rams keep tackle Rodger Saffold around. Given the ability of franchise-tagged players to stay away until the eve of the regular season without penalty, it would make the most sense to sign Saffold to a long-term deal, so that he’ll be around for offseason workouts as Long continues to rehab. If talks on a long-term deal fail, the Rams may have no real alternative to tagging Saffold.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs wouldn’t have a new coach and a new G.M. if the roster were stocked with great players. As a result, none of the impending free agents merit the tag.
Tennessee Titans: Of all of the team’s potential free agents, only cornerback Alterraun Verner stands out. Safety Bernard Pollard had a solid first year with the team, but not so good that it justifies the franchise tag.
Washington Redskins: If anyone gets tagged, it’ll be linebacker Brian Orakpo, who rebounded from a lost 2012 season with 10 sacks and a third career Pro Bowl berth. If the team can’t sign him to a long-term deal, the tag should be a no-brainer.
