The NFL and NFLPA have been working to iron out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement this past week but they have yet to shake hands on a deal. However, one thing that they have agreed on is pushing back the franchise and transition tag window.
Initially, the franchise and transition periods were supposed to start on Tuesday, February 25 and end on Tuesday, March 10, but according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, both dates have been pushed two days back. That means the period will now begin on Thursday, February 27 and will end on Thursday, March 12.
NFLPA and NFL Mgmt Council have pushed back the start of the franchise designation period from Tuesday Feb 25 to Thursday Feb 27, and period now will end March 12 instead of March 10, per source. Absent of a new CBA agreement, each team can use a franchise and transition tag.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 23, 2020
Of course, the player on the Jags’ roster who has been heavily associated with being tagged is defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. He played on the last year of his rookie deal in 2019 and will be a free agent once the new league year begins if he isn’t extended or tagged.
Ngakoue has been one of Dave Caldwell’s most productive draft picks and it’s hard to see the Jags just letting him hit the open market. While the franchise tag prices haven’t been set, using the tag on Ngakoue could cost a projected total of $19.3 million, while the transition tag would cost around a projected amount of $16.3 million.
In all probability, the tag would be a temporary solution if use on Ngakoue, because the Jags would probably be cheaper off signing him to a long-term deal. With the Jags coming up on a time in which they must rid themselves of several cap casualties in the next few weeks, we’ll see if the Jags start making progress on a new deal for Ngakoue before free agency or afterward. Regardless, it feels like the franchise tag might be in play at some point for the young pass rusher.