• Will Tony Pollard get franchise-tagged by the Dallas Cowboys again?: Pollard struggled a bit early in the 2023 season but came on strong enough to warrant consideration.
• Retaining Chris Jones: The dominant defensive lineman is a key cog in the Kansas City Chiefs defense, but can they afford to keep him?
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Free agency opens up next month and several players on NFL rosters could be franchise-tagged. We saw seven players tagged last year, and there could be double that in 2024. Here is the one player for every team that could be a potential franchise tag candidate this offseason.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Arizona Cardinals – WR Marquise Brown
The Cardinals traded away a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft for Brown, but his production has been modest at best. Still, Brown is the best receiver on the roster, and the Cardinals can't afford to lose his speed. Tagging him would be very costly, but it might be until they can agree on a long-term deal.
Atlanta Falcons – NONE
Baltimore Ravens – IDL Justin Madubuike
Madubuike might be the NFL's most improved player from the 2023 season. He recorded just 8.5 sacks in the first three years of his career but broke out in 2023 with 13. He became an every-down starter for the Ravens and their best player on the defensive line. It will be tough for the Ravens to keep him, but a franchise tag could be an option here to buy them some time.
Buffalo Bills – NONE
Carolina Panthers– EDGE Brian Burns
The Panthers would love to ink Burns to a long-term deal, but finding the right number could be difficult. Burns played the 2023 season under the fifth-year option and had another productive season. He has 46 career sacks and is still just 25 years old. Burns deserves to be paid as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL, but the Panthers might not be willing to shell out $30 million per year for him this offseason.
Chicago Bears – CB Jaylon Johnson
Johnson might be the top cornerback on the market, and his situation in Chicago is interesting. During the trade deadline, there were rumors that he could be on the move, but that ultimately didn't happen. Then, there were discussions of a long-term deal, but that has yet to happen. Johnson could hit the open market, but the Bears would be wise to tag him and keep their elite cornerback.
Cincinnati Bengals– WR Tee Higgins
One of the most obvious tag candidates this offseason must be Higgins. The Bengals' No. 2 receiver had an injury-riddled season in 2023, but he is still one of the most dangerous outside receivers in the NFL. It will be hard for the Bengals to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins long-term but expect them to keep the band together for at least one more season.
Cleveland Browns – NONE
Dallas Cowboys – RB Tony Pollard
The Cowboys franchised Pollard during the 2023 offseason, and his production did not match the price. Pollard appeared in all 17 games, but he saw his yards per rush drop down to 4.0. Tagging him again would be pricey for the Cowboys, but there is a chance he could be better in 2024 after being a full year removed from his leg injury during the 2022 playoffs.
Denver Broncos – C Lloyd Cushenberry
Cushenberry has turned himself into one of the better centers in the NFL after a rough start to his career. The 2023 season was his best, allowing just one sack despite playing well over 1,000 snaps on offense. The Broncos and Cushenberry will likely come to a long-term agreement but don't be surprised if Denver uses the tag to give them more time to get a deal done.
Detroit Lions – NONE
Green Bay Packers – NONE
Houston Texans – TE Dalton Schultz
Schultz signed a one-year deal with the Texans during the 2023 offseason, which proved to be a bargain. He caught 59 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games, giving C.J. Stroud a reliable tight end in the middle of the field. Schultz has already been franchise-tagged once in his career (Dallas in 2022) but could be looking at another tag in Houston. Nonetheless, don't be surprised if the Texans lock up Schultz on a long-term deal, as he was a solid addition to their tight end room this year.
Indianapolis Colts – WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Outside of Tee Higgins, Pittman is the best receiver scheduled to hit the open market. However, don't expect the Colts to let him leave. He had a fantastic season with Gardner Minshew, and the Colts will want to ensure that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson has as many targets around him as possible. Look for the two sides to come to an agreement or the franchise tag will be slapped on him before Day 1 of free agency.
Jacksonville Jaguars – EDGE Josh Allen
General manager Trent Baalke has already confirmed that Allen will be back for the 2024 season, indicating that the Jaguars will use the franchise tag if they can’t agree to a deal. Allen had a breakout season for the Jaguars in 2023 and is one of the best EDGE rushers in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs – IDL Chris Jones
Arguably the best free agent on the market, Jones is set to hit free agency again. He was tagged by the Chiefs in 2023 and was able to agree on a revised one-year deal. The Chiefs can tag Jones again in 2024, but that would cost upwards of $32 million. Both sides will want to get a deal done, but don’t be surprised if the Chiefs resort to using the franchise tag once again on their star defender.
Las Vegas Raiders – RB Josh Jacobs
The Raiders tagged Jacobs in 2022 after he led the NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. Jacobs wasn't able to have the same type of season in 2023 with his numbers down across the board. The coaching staff loves Jacobs, but it would be a surprise if they franchised him again. However, don't rule out the possibility of the Raiders signing Jacobs to a long-term deal once free agency begins.
Los Angeles Chargers – NONE
Los Angeles Rams – OG Kevin Dotson
One of the best trades of the 2023 offseason was the Rams acquiring Kevin Dotson for a Day 3 pick swap. Dotson graded out as PFF's No.2 ranked center with an 88.3 PFF run-blocking grade. Before the 2023 season, Dotson had never finished a season with a PFF grade better than 66.2, so it's fair to wonder if this season was an outlier. Nevertheless, Dotson is a perfect fit in Sean McVay's offense and someone he won't want to lose.
Miami Dolphins – IDL Christian Wilkins
Wilkins was dominant during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, finishing the year with 83.2 and 82.2 PFF grades, respectively. However, he wasn't quite as good in 2023, as his pass-rushing numbers were down across the board. Was that due to Vic Fangio's defense or something else? Either way, expect the Dolphins to hold onto their former first-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings – NONE
New England Patriots – S Kyle Dugger
Dugger finished the 2022 season as PFF’s No. 11 rated safety, dominating in the box. His play wasn’t nearly as good in 2023, as he struggled in coverage. Still, the Patriots made Dugger an every-down player as he recorded over 1,100 snaps on defense. He still has value as a box defender who can rush the quarterback, but just how much the new coaching staff will value him remains to be seen.
New Orleans Saints – NONE
New York Giants – RB Saquon Barkley
Will the Giants tag Barkley once again? They did so during the 2023 offseason to ensure that the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft would be back. Barkley had a good season, but he wasn't as good as in 2022. Barkley will be 27 years old in 2024, which is usually when running backs start to fall off, especially ones with an extensive injury history. It will cost a ton for the Giants to tag him again, but can they really afford to lose their best skill player?
New York Jets – NONE
Philadelphia Eagles – NONE
Pittsburgh Steelers– NONE
San Francisco 49ers – EDGE Chase Young
The 49ers traded a future third-round pick for Young, and the results have been mixed. Still, the 49ers might not want to lose the asset and decide to keep him around for another year. Young is just 24 years old and is now a full year removed from his injury in 2022. There is still a ton of talent here, but it remains to be seen if the 49ers are willing to invest that much cap space on their No. 2 EDGE rusher.
Seattle Seahawks – NONE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – S Antoine Winfield Jr.
You can make a case that Winfield was the best safety in the NFL this season. He had the highest run-defense grade (91.5) among all safeties this season and has turned himself into a star. The Buccaneers already have one of the most expensive secondaries in the NFL, but they can’t afford to lose Winfield in free agency.
Tennessee Titans – NONE
Washington Commanders – CB Kendall Fuller
Fuller has been the best defensive back for the Commanders for a few years now, and they can ill-afford to let him go. However, it will be fascinating to see how he fits in Dan Quinn's defense that prioritizes length and ball skills.
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