Deadlines make deals: Franchise tag edition

What to watch for today as the deadline for reaching agreement with players on the franchise tag approaches.

Anthony Harris, S, Minnesota Vikings

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Franchise Tag Salary: $11.411 million

Status: Over the past two seasons, Anthony Harris has emerged as one of the NFL’s top players at the safety position. Along with Harrison Smith, he gives the Minnesota Vikings perhaps the best tandem of safeties in the entire league. While Smith plies his trade down in the box for the most part, Harris is more of your prototypical center fielder. He shows tremendous range on the field, and is a ballhawk on the back half of the Vikings’ defense.

Minnesota was in a very precarious cap position when free agency began, but thanks to letting some players walk in free agency – along with trading Stefon Diggs – they have more than enough space to reach a deal. Would you want to break up the best safety tandem in the league, particularly when you’re looking at playing one or two rookie corners on passing downs?

Prediction: Extension reached.