Just minutes after the Arizona Cardinals announced they were using the franchise tag on Chandler Jones, ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a bomb reporting the Los Angeles Chargers intended to do the same to pass rusher Melvin Ingram.
Along with a few others, who were already known to be facing the tag.
Other players expected to be tagged by Wednesday deadline include Kirk Cousins, Le'Veon Bell, Kawann Short, Melvin Ingram, Trumaine Johnson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2017
This is a smart move for Los Angeles, as Ingram is an up-and-coming star. The past two seasons he totaled 18.5 sacks and is a devastating book end to Joey Bosa for the Chargers.
Suddenly, the once robust pass-rushing market this spring is dwindling.
Mario Addison, another top pass rusher who was about to hit free agency, was locked up by the Carolina Panthers Sunday on a three-year, $22.5 million deal.
Jones and Ingram, if he is tagged, are set to earn $14.6 million guaranteed unless they work out long-term deals with their respective teams. At this point, perhaps the best pass rusher set to hit the market is Jason Pierre-Paul, who is seeking a deal similar to the one Olivier Vernon hauled in last year.