3 Worst Players to Get Franchise Tagging in 2023

3 Worst Players to Get Franchise Tagging in 2023

Teams have until March 7 to place the franchise tag on players, locking them in for one year and providing them with a large paycheck before entering the free agent market. This is an ideal chance for some players to secure a lucrative contract before hitting the open market.

On Tuesday, the NFL franchise tag window opened and six players were identified - including Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard and Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram.

1. Saquon Barkley

Barkley is an impressive running back, but he has struggled to stay healthy in the NFL. He's suffered multiple injuries throughout his career and hasn't rushed for more than 1,500 yards in any season since being drafted second overall in 2018.

After three injury-plagued seasons, Barkley finally found his form in 2022. He rushed for 1,312 yards and scored 10 touchdowns to help the Giants make an unexpected playoff run.

In 2023, the Giants used the franchise tag on Barkley to extend his contract for one more year until 2023. That tag would pay him the average salary of the five highest-paid running backs in the league that year - $10.09 million according to Over The Cap's estimates.

Last year, Barkley earned $5,075,000 as a fifth-year option on his rookie deal. However, the Giants are said to be looking to avoid applying the franchise tag in 2023 in order to focus on other key positions like quarterback Daniel Jones and tackle David Wilson instead.

Franchise tags offer teams the security of locking in their star players, but it comes with significant risk. Players have the option to hold out, force a trade or even revoke the franchise tag and go untagged.

With that in mind, it's understandable why the Giants applied the franchise tag to Barkley before Tuesday's deadline to do so. He remains a highly-coveted free agent with much left to prove after playing out his rookie contract, so having him on their roster might make more sense if they want to keep him.

In order to apply the franchise tag to a player, the team must negotiate with him and reach an agreement by 4 p.m ET Tuesday, March 7. If there is no agreement reached between both sides, then they can apply the non-exclusive franchise tag instead, giving the player freedom to negotiate long-term deals with other teams.

The non-exclusive franchise tag is much cheaper than an exclusive one and allows teams to test out the open market. The cost is set at either the average of the five highest paid players at that position over five years or 120% of that player's salary in the year prior to receiving it, whichever is higher.

It's essential to note that a non-exclusive tag means the player can negotiate an extended contract with another team and then test the market in 2023. This is likely why the Giants placed the franchise tag on Barkley and are reportedly looking to reach an agreement this offseason.

2. Lamar Jackson

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens informed the NFL they had applied a franchise tag to quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, the team clarified that this tag was non-exclusive, meaning Jackson can negotiate with other teams as well.

Non-exclusive tags provide players with an opportunity to assess their worth. When a deal is struck, the team that originally tagged them has the option to match or decline and receive two first-round draft picks instead. Furthermore, non-exclusive tags give players an exit strategy; they could potentially walk away and receive less compensation than with an exclusive tag.

What's more, the non-exclusive tag allows teams to trade a player they tagged for that tag. This could give Jackson an opportunity to sign with another team and receive a lower guaranteed salary than what he'd have received had his tag been exclusive.

The Ravens made a wise decision by applying the non-exclusive tag to their quarterback. This shows they value his services and won't compromise for anything less than full guarantees on his deal.

It also allows the Ravens to retain their starting quarterback for an additional year and have him report for team activities until either he signs either a franchise tag tender or signs a new contract. This is essential in guaranteeing that they don't waste valuable development time developing Jackson.

On July 17th, however, if he doesn't sign either the franchise tag tender or new deal before that deadline, then he is free to be traded - something which happened to many players last season.

When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson, they gave him a fully guaranteed contract. This sparked outrage from owners across the league.

Due to this, it became difficult for quarterbacks to secure fully guaranteed contracts. As a result, the league introduced the franchise tag as an incentive.

Since 2011, five quarterbacks have been franchise-tagged: Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Michael Vick.

All but one of those quarterbacks signed long-term deals while on the franchise tag. Russell Wilson and Jamal Adams in particular both achieved record deals while on the tag.

At present, Tony Pollard - the only player not to receive a deal after being placed under the franchise tag - remains unsigned. Additionally, in 2023 only four quarterbacks have been tagged: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Evan Engram and Daron Payne.

It's no shock that so few teams are showing any interest in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have demonstrated a reluctance to fully guarantee his multi-year contract, and it appears the rest of the NFL has no desire to get him signed to a guaranteed deal either.

3. Tony Pollard

As we all know, the NFL franchise tag is an effective tool teams can use to retain their players when they cannot secure long-term deals. During this period, teams have the option of applying the tag for one season at a predetermined value or letting that player walk.

This year's tag period saw three running backs receive this honor: Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Tony Pollard from Dallas Cowboys. All three are currently employed by their teams and have until July 15 to negotiate a contract extension with their club.

Barkley has been a dominant force on the ground in New York, but it appears unlikely he'll be able to duplicate his career-high 1,307 rushing yards from last season into 2023. Though he still has plenty of room for growth as a runner, the Giants likely won't pay him the same salary as what he already earns and instead opt for another free agent signing to take his place moving forward.

Pollard has been an impressive addition to the Cowboys' run game, but they need another running back to fill in for Ezekiel Elliott. While no one doubts Pollard's talent, he is not as well-established in the league nor has he had as much success since his rookie year.

Pollard is expected to stay with the Cowboys through an extension or franchise tag, though it's possible he may need to switch teams in 2023. With or without an extension or franchise tag attached, Pollard could become an elite fantasy player this summer and should certainly be considered among the top 10 picks in 2023 fantasy drafts.

If he can stay healthy and play a significant role in this offense again next season, he could be even more valuable to the Cowboys than he was this past season. With his explosiveness and pass-catching prowess that earned him a place in the Pro Bowl, it would be an ideal fit in their offense.

Fantasy owners looking for more depth in the passing game should consider signing veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson during the offseason. He's a reliable receiver with enough size and speed to match up against some of the best in the league.

Due to the Rams' shortage of offensive line help, it's no surprise they would consider bringing in a talented center like Allen or even reworking his compensation for 2023. With $2 million guaranteed money on March 19, a new contract for Allen isn't as far off from the franchise tag as one might think and he could have an opportunity to prove his mettle this season.