For a couple of months every year, sugar plums dance in the heads of fans as they look at who is headed for free agency. Then come the franchise tag deadline and those plums disappear like the dreams they were.
Most of the top players never reach free agency. They are either slapped with the franchise tag — some for the second time — or signed to a long-term deal.
Lists ranking the free-agents-to-be come out across the NFL sports landscape. The top of those lists can be intriguing. Take the Athletic’s Top 50 list. The top five on that list are QB Dak Prescott, WR Allen Robinson, WR Chris Godwin, S Justin Simmons, and DT Leonard Williams.
That’s quite a group. And none of them will reach free agency. All were slapped with the franchise tag, including Prescott despite signing a long-term deal that averages $40 million per season.
There were a total of nine players to get the franchise tag by today’s deadline. They are as follows:
WR Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
S Marcus Maye (Jets)
T Taylor Moton (Panthers)
QB Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
WR Allen Robinson (Bears)
T Cam Robinson (Jaguars)
G Brandon Scherff (Washington)
S Justin Simmons (Broncos)
DT Leonard Williams (Giants)
S Marcus Williams (Saints)
If you get past the top five names on that list, and even in the top five in some others, there are some big names who have not been locked up.
The most commonly listed biggest names are probably LT Trent Williams, ED Shaq Barrett, and WR Kenny Golladay.
Of those three, Golladay is the surprise. Most expected the Lions to put the franchise tag on him. While Williams is about to turn 33 and Barrett is expected to be signed long term after the Bucs used their tag on Godwin.
The Raiders could sure use what Golladay brings to the table as a receiver. But being the top receiver out there at 27 years old means he is going to get a big payday. But even if they don’t spend that kind of money on a free agent receiver, his inclusion means less competition for some of the receivers down the line.
You can see a list of receivers who could make sense for the Raiders here.
The one-time Pro Bowl receiver had consecutive 1000-yard seasons in 2018-19 before an injury cut his 2020 season short. Next up behind him on the market for receivers is former Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
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