NFL franchise tag 2018: 10 players most likely to be tagged

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 10: Le'Veon Bell
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 10: Le'Veon Bell /
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3. Jarvis Landry

The Dolphins missed out on the playoffs this year after being a surprising addition to last year’s playoffs. Part of that was due to an injury to Ryan Tannehill, part of it was a lackluster defense. Also, the AFC East getting better did no favors to the Dolphins. One player who continued to perform despite the rough season was Jarvis Landry.

There will undoubtedly be a lot of interest in Landry if he hits the open market. Miami can and should prevent that from happening. Well, unless they are pulling the trigger on a rebuild. However, with Tannehill coming back and the emergence of Kenyan Drake, they don’t need to rebuild.

Coming off of his rookie deal, Landry is going to get paid, there is no doubt about it. He is also only 25 years old, entering his prime at the perfect time. The franchise tag would run the Dolphins about $16.2 million, a bit steep for a slot corner. Also, he would go from having a cap hit of roughly $1 million to commanding $15 million more.

Landry has shown the type of talent he possesses, and that has been with Matt Moore and Jay Cutler throwing him the ball. Imagine what he can do with someone like Drew Brees or Derek Carr at the helm. The reality of the situation is that he is unlikely to sign a long-term contract with the Dolphins. However, he may be willing to sign a franchise tag with the understanding he is traded at some point in the next year.