NFL franchise tag 2019: 10 players most likely to be tagged

While NFL fans and players are getting geared up for free agency, there is still one major buzzkill hanging over the process: the dreaded franchise tag.

The franchise tag seems like a positive in theory, rewarding a player with a handsome salary while his agent negotiates a long term contract with his team. The problem is that NFL teams have been using the franchise tag as a weapon to keep control of players for the short term, hoping to maximize their prime years without committing long term in some cases.

This situation has led to many hold outs, including Le’Veon Bell’s decision to skip the entire 2018 season in a form of protest. Bell, who felt he was worth more than what the Steelers were offering in long term deals, is expected to finally hit free agency this year but others won’t be so lucky.

There are a lot of franchise tag candidates out there, but we have spotlighted 10 who likely won’t be able to test out free agency this spring. A lot of the guys on this list are edge rushers, so if you’re a team looking to bolster your pass rush (we’re looking at you, New York Jets), you may be out of luck.

Let’s get the proceedings started with . . .

1. Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Dallas Cowboys

The highest impact pass rusher slated to hit free agency is Cowboys’ defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who has been prolific the past two seasons. After recording 14.5 sacks in 2017, the Cowboys tagged Lawrence last spring, and he played this past season under the franchise tender.

Lawrence proved his 2017 was no fluke by racking up another 10.5 sacks in 2018, helping lead a resurgent Dallas defense back to the postseason. The Cowboys made it all the way to the divisional round before losing to the eventual NFC champion Los Angeles Rams, but they wouldn’t have gotten that far without the contributions they received from Lawrence.

The Cowboys have no intention of letting Lawrence leave, and as such he should expect the franchise tag for a second straight year. According to the rules of the tag, Lawrence should earn 120 percent of his previous year’s salary, which was $17.143 million from the previous franchise tender.

That puts Lawrence in line to make about $20.5 million, a figure the Cowboys can easily afford with more than $46 million in cap space. Now that Lawrence has put two strong years together in a row, expect the Cowboys to try and pursue a longer term deal with Lawrence to make more efficient use of their cap room going forward.

Until that happens, the Cowboys will tag Lawrence to make sure he doesn’t get a chance to test free agency.