8. The franchise tag question
This will primarily be answered before the start of free agency. Teams have until March 1st to place franchise tags on impending free agents. And multiple players can expect to be tagged. If we were to make predictions, that list would include Kirk Cousins, Chandler Jones, Le’Veon Bell, Kawann Short and Eric Berry. But that’s not really where the drama is here.
Being given the franchise tag is one thing. Actually signing the tag and agreeing to play on a one-year deal is a completely different monster. When we add in the potential of trades, that’s magnified even further.
Let’s look at both Cousins and Berry as case studies here. Cousins previously alluded to the fact that he might not sign the tender. That came before he cleared it all up by indicating he could very well play under said one-year deal. In between all this, rumors have persisted that one in the Redskins’ brass are not sold on him (more on that here).
That’s come at the same time that reports have indicated that Cousins might not want to play for the Redskins. All the while, he’s praised the San Francisco 49ers’ new brass, including former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Even if Cousins were to sign the tender, there’s a scenario in play here that he might be traded to San Francisco or another team.
The same can’t be said for Berry, who has come out firmly to conclude that he will not sign the tender should it be given to him. Coming off an All Pro performance, Berry wants long-term security on his new contract. That’s something the Chiefs might be unwilling to provide. If so, there promises to be a whole lot of drama here.
The franchise tag itself is one of the most absurd elements of the current collective bargaining agreement. Technically, a team could withhold a player’s ability to hit free agency for the first eight years of his career. That would require a ton of cash if a player were franchised for three consecutive years, but it’s surely something that might impact Cousins moving forward. How players continue to handle being given the franchise tag will be an ongoing story moving forward, including this year.