Franchise Tag Deadline 2013 Preview

NFL teams will have until 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday afternoon to use the franchise tag on one of their soon to be free agents. So far, only five teams have used the tag to designate a player, but with this afternoon’s deadline looming we could see a number of players slapped with the tag if long-term contract talks cannot get done down the stretch.

Here is a list of players that currently have been designated as their team’s franchise player:

As for the team’s that have yet to use the franchise tag, are there any potential candidates? Let’s have a look.

• All indications point towards the Tennessee Titans using the franchise tag on tight end Jared Cook.The real question is whether the team will use the $6.066 million figure that is set for tight ends or if Cook will be able to fight for the wide receiver number of  $10.537 million.
• The buzz around Houston is that the Texans are strongly considering using the franchise tag on safety Glover Quin.
• The Miami Dolphins are considering using the tag on defensive tackle Randy Starks, but he prefers to sign a long-term deal with the team. He is their only candidate to receive the tag.
• Kansas City is considering using the tag on wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and offensive tackle Branden Albert. It is believed that Albert will hit the open market, while Bowe is the most realistic candidate for the tag.
• Reports have surfaced that the Atlanta Falcons do not plan to use the franchise tag before the deadline, but there are still some rumors that safety William Moore is a legitimate candidate.
• There isn’t much of a chance that the Green Bay Packers use the tag, but wide receiver Greg Jennings is the only option.

These are the rumors with the most current buzz and the remainder of teams around the league have a lack of options or desire to use the tag. Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com leading up to the franchise tag deadline for the latest news and rumors.