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.
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.