Eight players were tagged by the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET deadline yesterday.
All those players (except Anthony Spencer) are now guaranteed a one-year salary that is commensurate with the top-five salaries at their respective position. Spencer is guaranteed a higher number ($10.6 million) because he was Dallas’ franchise player in 2012 as well.
Check out who the other 7 players are after the jump…
According to Alex Marvez at Fox Sports:
While a lofty one-year salary is appealing, those tagged players aren’t getting the financial security that comes with long-term contracts. Teams now have until July 15 to negotiate those multiyear deals with franchise players. Once the deadline passes, negotiations cannot resume until the start of the free-agent signing period in 2014.
TEAM/PLAYER: MIAMI DEFENSIVE TACKLE RANDY STARKS
Franchise tag number: $8.45 million
Summary: The Dolphins had roughly $45 million in cap space available so tagging one of their 11 potential unrestricted free agents made sense. Defensive tackles don’t carry as big a franchise number as left tackles (Jake Long), wide receivers (Brian Hartline) or cornerback (Sean Smith). There also is a lack of top talent at the position in free agency. Starks and Paul Soliai form a stout run-stuffing duo.
TEAM/PLAYER: BUFFALO SAFETY JAIRUS BYRD
Franchise tag number: $6.92 million
Summary: Byrd is the top play-maker in Buffalo’s secondary. The Bills also left themselves thin at the position when recently releasing strong safety George Wilson, who started 29 games the past two seasons.
CHICAGO DEFENSIVE TACKLE HENRY MELTON
Franchise tag number: $8.45 million
Summary: The Bears didn’t want to lose their top young defensive player in Melton, who blossomed in 2012 as both a pass-rusher and run-stuffer. A college running back his first two seasons at Texas, the 26-year-old Melton has become Chicago’s best defensive tackle since Tommie Harris.
INDIANAPOLIS PUNTER PAT MCAFEE
Franchise tag number: $2.98 million
Summary: McAfee set team records in gross average (48.3 yards) and net average (45.5) in 2012 while placing 26 of his 73 punts inside the 20-yard line. McAfee also set another Colts mark by sending 57 percent of his kickoffs for touchbacks.
DENVER LEFT TACKLE RYAN CLADY
Franchise tag number: $9.83 million
Summary: Contract talks dating back to last offseason have remained so fruitless that Broncos executive John Elway told the Denver Post that Clady was getting franchised well before the designation could even be made. Clady didn’t let the lack of progress affect his play in 2012. He enjoyed his best season as Peyton Manning’s blindside protector.
DALLAS COWBOYS OUTSIDE LINEBACKER ANTHONY SPENCER
Franchise tag number: $10.6 million. That constitutes a 120-percent raise from the $8.8 million salary Spencer received in 2012 as a franchise player.
Summary: Even with the impending change to a 4-3 defense, Dallas wanted Spencer back so badly after an 11-sack season that the contracts of five players were restructured last week to create cap room for use of the tag. Spencer and DeMarcus Ware will be shifting to end under new coordinator Monte Kiffin.
CINCINNATI DEFENSIVE END MICHAEL JOHNSON
Franchise tag number: $11.2 million
Summary: With more than $50 million available under the cap, the Bengals weren’t going to risk letting an emerging player like the 26-year-old Johnson leave via free agency. The 11.5 sacks that Johnson notched in 2012 equaled the total from his first three NFL seasons combined.
KANSAS CITY LEFT TACKLE BRANDEN ALBERT
Franchise tag number: $9.83 million
Summary: The Chiefs had the luxury of tagging Albert after reaching agreement on a five-year contract with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (ESPN reported the news first). Kansas City had some concerns about Albert’s injury history, but new head coach Andy Reid loves his offensive linemen.
