The future of Dez Bryant will be interesting to watch. (Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports)
The window for NFL teams to use the restrictive franchise tag officially opened on Monday.
Teams will receive information from the league this week estimated the value of the franchise marker, which restricts movement of potential free agents by providing the current team refusal rights to match any offer made to the player. Compensation, in the form of draft choices, can be accepted in return for allowing a designated franchise free agent to leave.
Players can be designated as “exclusive” free agents, the franchise marker that prohibits negotiations with any other team and, once signed by the player, guarantees that player a salary figure equal to the top five players at his position.
Players can be tagged between February 16 and March 2 at 4 p.m. ET.
The “non-exclusive” franchise tag permits negotiations with other NFL teams until July 15. If the current team declines to match any contract offer from another team to the player, it can receive two first-round draft choices as compensation.
The third option is a “transition” tag, which assures a player a one-year deal worth the equivalent of the top-10 salaries at his position.
Several marquee players are expected to be slapped with the franchise or transition tag before free agency shopping season opens next month. The Detroit Lions are considering using it to retain defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh — if only to add leverage in a potential trade — and the Dallas Cowboys vowed to use any means necessary to keep wide receiver Dez Bryant from hitting the open market. The same is expected in Kansas City, where Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston (22 sacks) would be the fourth player in five years to be tagged by the team. Other candidates for the tag are Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas or tight end Julius Thomas and San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Mike Iupati.
Last year, the NFL announced the 2014 franchise and transition tag value projections on Feb. 28. The below figures were based on a salary cap of $133 million.
Franchise tags
Quarterback: $16.192 million
Running back: $9.54 million
Wide receiver: $12.312 million
Tight end: $7.035 million
Offensive lineman: $11.654 million
Defensive end: $13.116 million
Defensive tackle: $9.654 million
Linebacker: $11.455 million
Cornerback: $11.834 million
Safety: $8.433 million
Kicker/punter: $3.556 million
Transition tags
Quarterback: $14.666 million
Running back: $8.033 million
Wide receiver: $10.176 million
Tight end: $6.106 million
Offensive lineman: $10.039 million
Defensive end: $10.633 million
Defensive tackle: $8.060 million
Linebacker: $9.754 million
Cornerback: $10.081 million
Safety: $7.253 million
Kicker/punter: $3.205 million
