The NFL Roster-Building Season Kicks Off with Franchise Tag Deadline
The NFL roster-building season has officially begun with the recent franchise tag deadline. Eight players received the franchise tag, while one player received the transition tag. Teams across the league were busy making decisions on their players, with some agreeing to contract extensions and others being released to shed cap space.
Wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Dalton Schultz were among the players who agreed to contract extensions, securing their futures with their respective teams. However, teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars wasted no time in releasing players to create more financial flexibility.
The deadline has set the stage for more action to come before free agency officially begins on Monday. It has been described as a soft open in terms of roster moves, with more moves expected in the coming days.
Winners of the deadline included players like Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and Christian Wilkins. Mayfield is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in free agency, with the potential to command a $40 million-per-year contract. Running backs also benefited from the deadline, as they now have the opportunity to secure lucrative deals with an increase in the salary cap and competition in the market.
On the other hand, some players found themselves on the losing end of the deadline. Pass rushers like Josh Allen and Brian Burns did not receive franchise tags and will now have to focus on contract extensions with their current teams. Additionally, receiver-needy teams were left disappointed as top wide receivers like Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., and Mike Evans either received franchise tags or contract extensions.
Overall, the franchise tag deadline marked the beginning of an exciting and unpredictable offseason in the NFL, with plenty of roster moves still to come.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”