Franchise tag deadline arrives for Bell, 3 others
For NFL players still on the franchise tag, Monday represents the last opportunity to secure long-term security before the season.
Four remain under the designation ahead of the deadline to reach a multiyear contract (wide receiver Jarvis Landry was tagged by the Dolphins but signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Browns after a trade). While a hefty payout awaits those who don’t reach an agreement with their respective teams, the one-year arrangement leaves plenty of uncertainty.
Here’s a closer look at where all four players stand ahead of the deadline.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: This is familiar territory for the three-time Pro Bowl selection and Pittsburgh. After the sides were unable to reach a long-term deal last year, Bell remained away from the organization until he signed his tender on Sept. 1.
Now a similar standoff could be ahead, though Bell has taken a more optimistic tone and has said he and the Steelers are “a lot closer” in talks than they were last year.
“You know regardless that’s what I want to do,” Bell said on NFL Network in late June. “I don’t want to have the replications of what happened last year. But if that came down to that, obviously I got to do what I got to do. Take my stand and protect myself. I don’t want to have to do that. I want to go to camp and play for the Steelers long term.”
Bell told ESPN in April that he is seeking a long-term deal with an average annual value of at least the $14.55 million that playing on the franchise tag would provide him in 2018. While that would shatter precedent in a depressed market for veteran running backs (Devonta Freeman of the Falcons is the top earner with a five-year, $41.25 million contract), the 26-year-old has placed himself on a unique level as a multipurpose threat with nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage in five years.
And while Bell hasn’t revealed his exact plans should no long-term deal materialize, he could easily follow last year’s playbook by skipping training camp and preseason.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: The 2014 first-round pick emerged as a breakout performer in what was otherwise a challenging season in Dallas. By recording 141⁄ sacks and earning his first
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Pro Bowl berth, Lawrence established himself as one of the league’s top young edge-rushing talents.
Lawrence isn’t expected to reach an agreement with the Cowboys, “The Ath- letic” reported. Given the premium paid for top pass rushers (as well as Lawrence’s two previous back surgeries), Dallas likely wants to see what this season holds before returning to the bargaining table.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: General manager Bob Quinn kept his premier pass rusher in the fold without getting into a bidding war. Using the franchise tag could prove to be a shrewd move, especially given the difficulty in determining Ansah’s true value at this point.
The 6-5, 275-pound 2013 first-round pick led the Lions with 12 sacks last year, but nine of them were recorded in three games. Ansah’s inconsistency has been a stumbling block in his development, and he has been beleaguered by knee and ankle injuries the past two seasons (he recorded just two sacks in 2016).
Ansah, 29, would tie Lawrence with the highest yearly payout for any defensive lineman with $17.14 million should the two remain on the franchise tag. But that might be the preferable route given the flexibility it would afford Quinn in figuring out his star defender.
Lamarcus Joyner, S, Rams: Amid defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s holdout and the arrival of several star veterans, Joyner has been somewhat overshadowed in the Rams’ offseason.
A former nickel cornerback, Joyner enjoyed a breakout season in his first year at safety under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
But general manager Les Snead has not shelled out big money for homegrown secondary talent, including this offseason when he traded for Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib before letting twice-tagged Trumaine Johnson sign with the Jets.
Although the Rams might choose to stand pat with Joyner, a multiyear contract would be a sensible option. Several key starters (including wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh) are set to become free agents in 2019, which could leave Los Angeles in a negotiating bind.