0 out of 10
Daniel Kucin Jr./ Associated Press
The deadline for the NFL teams to hand out franchise labels came Tuesday, and nine players were essentially removed as participants in next week’s free agency.
The nine case dominoes have a huge impact on the dynamics surrounding free agencies and the off-season in general, as do some of the movements that was not made during the franchise label window.
Here are the winners and losers coming out of the process.
1 out of 10
Terrance Williams / Associated Press
The label window is regularly lowered in the passing market because teams of edge defenders value so much that they are willing to pay premiums to keep them. But that was not the case this year.
Leonard Williams of the New York Giants was the only front-seven defender hit with the badge, meaning all the top riders who would plan the open market would stay on track next week.
That means fringe teams like the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons could be in play for sensational forwards.
On the menu for now? Super Bowl hero Shaquil Barrett, young playmaker Yannick Ngakoue, three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, Baltimore Ravens, 2020 receiver Matt Judon, promising Pittsburgh Steelers Bud Dupree, the highly underrated Carl Lawson and the 2020 breakout stars, Trey Hendrickson and Haason Reddick.
2 of 10
Peter Joneleit / Associated Press
Instead, 33 percent of the labels were used in safety areas by Marcus Maye, Justin Simmons and Marcus Williams, who were slapped by the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints, respectively.
This is not necessarily good news for any of the players, as the safety tag is not a relatively large payday, but the two Marcuses still earn, despite a joint zero of the Pro Bowl nod, and Simmons is at least on the point for extra dough because this is his second label. .
Instead, it is the teams that want to strengthen the safety position during the off-season.
The market for Anthony Harris of the Minnesota Vikings and John Johnson III of the Los Angeles Rams has probably only become more competitive. Harris is a potential one-hit who returned to Earth last year after a breakout campaign in 2019 and is on the verge of his 30-year season, and Johnson did not fully have an incredibly strong second-year season in 2018 not complied with.
This is bad news for safety-hungry teams like the Browns, Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys.
3 out of 10
Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press
According to Over The Cap, the Green Bay Packers could have paid star running back Aaron Jones about $ 11.1 million to return under the franchise label and about $ 8.9 million with the transition plate. But it looks like Green Bay has decided with a cap sling to let Jones go the open market instead.
It’s logical when we consider that Jamaal Williams is likely to be cheaper and that they used a second round on AJ Dillon last season, but that’s probably good news for Jones as well.
The shelf life left is often very short and the back can fall off the cliffs in this league. Many adults have reached a climax before experiencing free agency. But Jones has been gently used in his first two seasons, allowing teams seeking help on the ground to be fueled over a 26-year-old who needs to have plenty of tread on his tires coming off a Pro Bowl season.
The fifth round in 2017 has garnered 30 touches in the past two seasons, and in 2020 he fifth placed among qualified backs with an average of 5.5 yards per attempt.
A cap-rich team with a gap in the backfield like the Jets of Miami Dolphins will probably make Jones very rich next week.
4 out of 10
Steve Luciano / Associated Press
Defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the season with four particularly important looming free throws, including three defensive standouts (Barrett, Lavonte David and Ndamukong Suh) and only one offensive (wide receiver Chris Godwin).
But despite the presence of Mike Evans, Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson on the receiver’s depth map, and despite the fact that veteran passers-by Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski would probably cost less than Godwin’s label, the Bucs Godwin has the name gave.
Now, Tom Brady’s receiving squad looks like it’s going to be great again, but it’s fair to wonder if the Bucs can avoid taking a significant hit on defense. According to them, it is currently still above the expected salary limit Spotrac, and while ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported there is a deal for David, especially Barrett will probably be very expensive after his standout during the Super Bowl series in Tampa Bay.
It is extremely difficult to successfully defend a title in this league, especially if you lose such a center. Tampa could still find a way to bring everyone back, but it would help if the front office could strike a long-term deal with Godwin to reduce its projected 2021 cap. $ 16.4 million.
5 out of 10
Tony Ding / Associated Press
Both Godwin and Allen Robinson II of the Chicago Bears were marked, who probably left the departure of Detroit Lions, Kenny Golladay, as the best catcher that would reach the open market. That alone is promising if you are Golladay, but the reality is that he should have been particularly scared of the label anyway.
After all, at 28 years old, Golladay is quite old for a first free agent. On top of that, he missed large portions of two of his first four seasons and comes from a campaign derailed by thigh muscle and hip injuries.
Another season like the one under the label could have condemned the third round in 2017, but now he will show up as a ball that will not contain Godwin and Robinson. Everyone else planned to be available – Will Fuller V, JuJu Smith-Schuster, TY Hilton, to name a few – has warts. And the size and athleticism of Golladay can lure a desperate team with hood space to give him more guaranteed cash than he would earn as a lion.
Look at the Jaguars, Jets, Dolphins, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts or Washington Football Team to make it happen.
6 of 10
Matt Ludtke / Associated Press
Golladay’s potential departure is terrible news for new Lions full-back Jared Goff, who could immediately be without the team’s most talented receiver.
To begin with, a shallow receiver market in general could make it difficult for Detroit to retain the starter Marvin Jones Jr., who fell just under 1,000 yards short in 2020.
Is Goff running in a rebuild? In Detroit, at least, he will not be as well supported as in Los Angeles, which could make it difficult for him to prove to the Lions and the rest of the football world that he is worthwhile. $ 104 million owed to him over the next four years.
The new Lions general manager, Brad Holmes, had a previous relationship with Goff, but he will not exclude setting up a quarter. It could be a make-or-break season for the overall pick in 2016, and the team’s decision not to mark Golladay is not an ideal start.
7 of 10
Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press
Jaguars’ attacking approach, Cam Robinson, makes the winner’s circle, mainly because he was the excessive franchise label.
The second pick in the second round in 2017 might have gotten a decent contract anyway, just because he has a first-class position, but he would still be able to compete with star Trent Williams to take consideration and he never did well not classified Pro soccer focus despite the fact that he came into the league with a lot of hype.
He also missed 17 games in four years and struggled with penalty kicks in the left-wing attack in Jacksonville. But now he will get another chance $ 14.5 million, which is pretty sweet due to its lack of performance as an NFL suit.
On top of that, the Jags are likely to give the expected new quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, as much consistency and continuity as possible, meaning Robinson is likely to stay out of Lawrence’s rookie campaign unless he completely bombs the label in 2021.
8 out of 10
Tyler Kaufman / Associated Press
The other the former Jaguars second-hand pick named Robinson who will be tagged on Tuesday is probably not that excited. This is because Allen Robinson II got stuck in a Chicago Bears offense that has been below the Outside 10 in DVOA (defense adjusted value above average) in the last two seasons.
The three-time 1000 receiver has shown strong numbers in both Chicago campaigns, but it’s fair to wonder how much more productive he could have been in a half-decent offense. He will make a solid form $ 16.4 million for one season under the label, but it may be difficult for him to increase his value before the next season, and then he is an eight-year veteran approaching 30.
Robinson can hope the Desperate Bears find him a better full-back during the season, but only three teams are at a worse salary rate Spotrac and they lack primo concept capital after sneaking into the playoffs in 2020.
This is not promising.
9 of 10
Ron Jenkins / Associated Press
Technically, ten labels were handed out before Tuesday’s deadline. The tithe belongs to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was marked in a procedural step related to the four-year, $ 160 million contract he agreed to on Monday.
It basically just means that Prescott is highly unlikely to be tagged again in the future.
The 27-year-old ‘avoided’ a $ 37.7 million label to make an average annual salary of $ 40 million as part of a deal that would cost him a minimum of $ 3 million over the next three years. Will pay $ 126 million. like a bandit.
10 out of 10
Butch Dill / Associated Press
Incredibly, a Saints team that is expected to exceed the salary cap of more than $ 55 million hit a key player with the label on Tuesday. And while it’s great that underrated security will keep Marcus Williams on the list, the $ 11.2 million price is not cheap, and Williams is unlikely to save much cash on a long-term deal.
It just means New Orleans will have to do even more work to squeeze in under this year’s cap, which reminds me a lot of Lloyd Braun’s “serenity now, insanity later” mantra. Soon guys like Michael Thomas, Andrus Peat, Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan and Malcolm Jenkins are going to be comically expensive, especially if they continue to withdraw money on their transactions.
Who cares, right? The cap is going to explode when the new television shows start! But that might just make the Saints pay wild bills for the status quo while the rest of the league feasts on free agents to win field or pull away from a New Orleans team that is neutrally trapped.