Which NFL players received the franchise tag and what it means

The period for slapping the franchise tag on players have come and gone, and here’s a brief rundown of what it is, who got tagged and what it will cost.

The deadline for NFL teams to “franchise tag” the players they want to see in their uniform long-term has come and gone.

“Wait? I thought that franchise tag was just for one season?” you’re probably asking me right now. Well, football fan, you are right, the franchise tag is only for one season, but in reality, it’s a tool that NFL teams can use to try to extend the window of signing their franchise player to a longer-term contract.

So, who got tagged this offseason? Here’s the rundown, as well as their salaries for the 2019 season:

• Robbie Gould, K, San Francisco 49ers ($5 million)
• Grady Jarrett, DT, Atlanta Falcons ($15.2 million)
• DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Dallas Cowboys ($20.5 million)
• Dee Ford, LB/DE, Kansas City Chiefs ($15.4 million)
• Jadeveon Clowney, DE/LB, Houston Texans ($17.1 million)
• Frank Clark, DE, Seattle Seahawks ($17.1 million)

Most players hate the franchise tag, which they see as a way for teams to keep them out of the more lucrative free-agent market. When a player gets slapped with the franchise tag, they’re paid the greater average of the top five salaries at their position, or, to put it in mathematical terms, 120 percent of their salary the year before.

All of that money is guaranteed, but it’s only for one year, which is where the long-term negotiations come into play. Teams have until July 15 to sign their tagged player to a long-term extension. If both sides fail to come to an agreement, then the process starts all over the following offseason (DeMarcus Lawrence knows this all too well).

There you go, your franchise tag Class of 2019. Hopefully, these great players can find a longer-term contract. Still, that payday looks pretty nice.