The NFL’s franchise tag window has opened and the Denver Broncos have to make a decision on defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones.
If the Broncos place a one-year franchise tag on Jones, it would cost the team $19.73 million in salary cap space in 2023 if he plays on the tag. Denver might consider tagging Jones as a way to buy time in negotiations for a long-term deal, something the club has done multiple times in the past.
The Broncos have used the franchise tag on seven players since 2002, according to Spotrac.com. Every time the team tagged a player in the past, the club eventually reached a long-term extension, usually in the same offseason.
The only time Denver did not reach a long-term agreement in the same offseason after tagging a player was in 2020 with safety Justin Simmons and in 2002 with kicker Jason Elam.
Simmons played on his one-year franchise tag in 2020 and was then tagged again in 2021 before signing a four-year extension the summer of his second tag. Elam played on a one-year tag in 2002 and then signed a five-year deal in 2003.
If the Broncos tag Jones this spring, it will presumably be with hopes of getting a long-term deal done with the defender this summer. The deadline to use a franchise tag this spring is March 13.
Here’s a quick look back at every time Denver has used a franchise tag designation in the past.