20 candidates for NFL franchise or transition tags

Dak Prescott heads a list of 20 candidates for the NFL’s franchise and tags.

When all else failed in negotiations in past years, NFL teams had the option of using either the franchise tag or transition tag to keep a player they didn’t want walking away as a free agent. This year is a little different. In the final year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are allowed to use both the franchise and transition tags.

The tags can be designated between Feb. 25 and March 10. There are two types of franchise tags, exclusive and non-exclusive. A player with the non-exclusive franchise tag can negotiate with other teams. If an offer is received from outside, the current team has the option to match the offer or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. The franchise tag is calculated by the average of the top five salaries at a given position or 120 percent of the player’s salary from last year (whichever number is greater).

The transition tag is valued at an average of the top 10 salaries at the player’s position or 120 percent of his salary from the previous year. There’s one big difference between the franchise and transition tags. With the transition tag, the current team receives no compensation if it elects to not match an offer from another team.

Some players, such as New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, New England quarterback Tom Brady and Seattle defensive end Jadeveon Clowney have language in their contracts that forbids the use of franchise and transition tags.

Let’s take a look at the top candidates for franchise or transition tags in 2020:

20. James Bradberry, CB, Carolina Panthers

General manager Marty Hurney has told Bradberry the team wants to keep him. That makes sense because Bradberry is Carolina’s best cornerback in a division that features receivers Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. But there’s a potential problem on the horizon. Former Carolina coach Ron Rivera is now in Washington and Bradberry was one of his favorites. The best way to box out Rivera may be to franchise Bradberry.

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Bucs’ signing of Shaq Barrett ranked as one of the best moves of last offseason

See why ESPN’s Dan Graziano thinks the Bucs signing Shaq Barrett was one of the best offseason moves of 2019.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett is prepping for the Pro Bowl this week, his first appearance in the NFL All-Star game.

Barrett came over to the Bucs last offseason after signing a one-year deal, and he more than outperformed his contract. Now, he’s in line for a big payday this offseason, and he’s made it clear that Tampa Bay is the place he wants to stay.

After a season in which he led the league with 19.5 sacks and broke the Bucs’ single-season franchise record, it’s not surprising to hear him say that. He had a career year playing for Todd Bowles, and, according to Barrett, he doesn’t feel like moving again.

And, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano points out, Barrett’s signing was one of the five best moves of last offseason.

“Tampa Bay’s signing of the former Broncos linebacker to a one-year, $4 million contract generated barely a ripple on the free-agent market, but it may have been the steal of the season. Barrett needed 10 sacks to trigger a $1 million incentive clause, and he got nine in the Bucs’ first four games. He ended up leading the league with 19.5 sacks on the season and should fare considerably better in free agency this time around.”

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Shaq Barrett is ‘confident’ he’ll be back with the Buccaneers

See what Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett had to say at the Pro Bowl today about his impending free agency.

Shaq Barrett had one of the most memorable seasons in Buccaneers history this season, breaking the franchise’s single-season sack record that had stood since 2000. Barrett’s 19.5 sacks also led the league this year, earning him Second-Team All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl. And, it’s probably earned him a big contract this offseason.

The soon-to-be free agent, who signed a one-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, will certainly draw the interest of clubs from around the league. But, Barrett has maintained throughout the season that he prefers to stay in Tampa Bay, and Bruce Arians, himself, has said Barrett “ain’t going nowhere.”

At the Pro Bowl today, Barrett reiterated that point.

Shaq Barrett’s thoughts on free agency haven’t changed. Today at the Pro Bowl: “I don’t know where it’s going to end up at but I’m confident that I’m going to be where I should be, which I think is Tampa.”

— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) January 22, 2020

Barrett returning to Tampa Bay seems all but certain, but until he puts pen to paper, nothing is a slam dunk. Still, if you were debating whether or not to buy that Shaq Barrett Bucs jersey, I think it’s safe to say you’ll get some good use out of it in the years to come.

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Bucs LB Shaq Barrett is ready for the Pro Bowl in Orlando

See what Shaq Barrett posted on his Instagram account today as he prepares for the Pro Bowl in Orlando this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett may not be heading to the Super Bowl in Miami, but he’s ready to suit up for the Pro Bowl this week in Orlando.

The Second-Team All-Pro who led the NFL in sacks this season with 19.5, and also set the Bucs’ single-season franchise record, is likely going to get a big contract from the Buccaneers this offseason, so being a part of the Pro Bowl is really just icing on the cake.

Barrett took to Instagram today to announce his arrival in Orlando. Take a look.

View this post on Instagram

Headed to Orlando this week for @nfl #probowl! I’ll be doing a lot of live videos, giveaways, and more! Tag two friends and comment below, for a chance to win. Each tag and comment is a new entry. • • Let me know what you guys want to see this week. Stay tuned! #NFL #probowl #nfc

A post shared by Shaquil Barrett (@moochman6) on Jan 20, 2020 at 11:01am PST

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The Buccaneers’ linebackers were a force to be reckoned with in 2019

Take a look at this highlight video from the Buccaneers showcasing the dominance of their pass rush this season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be taking part in the divisional round of the postseason this weekend, but, given how well they looked during the second half of the season, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to find them in the playoffs next year.

The Buccaneers have gone 12-straight seasons without a postseason trip, and haven’t won a playoff game since their victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

But this Bucs team has a new swagger to them, thanks in large part to the arrival of head coach Bruce Arians. The two-time NFL Coach of the Year has this team buying what he’s selling, and the results are starting to come together.

Tampa Bay’s defense, especially, had a big turnaround under Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, jumping from 27th in 2018 to 15th this year, even ranking first in rush defense.

So, while we wait and see what the future holds for some of their unrestricted free agents, here’s a little highlight video from the Bucs showcasing the dominance of the team’s pass rush this year.

Enjoy.

View this post on Instagram

🔥 2019 LBs 🔥

A post shared by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@buccaneers) on Jan 10, 2020 at 3:02pm PST

Tampa Bay holds the 14th pick in the upcoming NFL draft. They’ve held that spot just once before, and, fortunately, it turned out pretty well for them.

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Broncos should re-sign pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu this offseason

The Denver Broncos need to find a way to re-sign pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu after he stepped up during the 2019 season.

The Denver Broncos had a disappointing season — at least for those who may have thought the team was going to the playoffs and had a chance to win the Super Bowl — but there were still many small victories this season.

One of those was the signing of Jeremiah Attaochu.

Even the Broncos had to be surprised in what they found in Attaochu, who was only brought in after a season-ending injury to Bradley Chubb. With the season already in great peril at that time, the Broncos had to hit the free agent market and find some sort of pass rusher.

Attaochu, a former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, was sitting there and likely would have sat out the entire season and maybe sat out for good had Denver not signed him.

Attaochu was with the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason but did not make the team’s final 53-man roster. There is a good chance that could have been the end of the road in his NFL career, but the Broncos came calling.

In 12 games with the team, he registered 3.5 sacks, five hits on the quarterback and a fumble recovery. He frequently got pressure and pushed the quarterback outside the pocket on his defensive snaps.

Attaochu did everything the Broncos could have asked for and hoped of him, but he is now set to be an unrestricted free agent after just signing on with the Broncos for this season.

Attaochu, who will turn 27 years old this month, could still have plenty of football left in him and with his play this season, it’s possible he caught the eye of other teams around the league.

It’s said that a team can’t have enough pass rushers and a good situational pass rusher can be a defensive coordinator’s best chess piece. Attaochu can be that.

When the Broncos lost Chubb, fans immediately lamented the fact that Shaquil Barrett was no longer with the team. Barrett was busy leading the entire NFL with 19.5 sacks for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and there is no doubt the Broncos would have liked to have found a way to keep Barrett. However, the move to bring in Attaochu following the injury to Chubb was not only a big surprise, but it could also pay off in years to come.

Teammates have taken note of Attaochu’s talent and would undoubtedly like to see him back for the 2020 season.

“Jerry’s a beast,” defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones said on Dec. 22. “I knew it from Day 1. I’ve always heard about his story — being at the Chargers and then injuries occurred. I’ve always known how talented Jerry was. To see him go out there and play and improve himself each week against every team is a credit to him and his work ethic.”

The Broncos have something in Attaochu as he could easily slide into the role that Barrett use to be in for the foreseeable future. The team needs to find a way to re-sign him this offseason.

Don’t sleep on this guy.

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Shaq Barrett got hosed by not making the AP All-Pro First Team

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett should feel disrespected for not being named to the All-Pro first team.

The 2019 AP NFL All-Pro team rosters were revealed today, and two Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Shaq Barrett and Chris Godwin — were named to the second team. In any other year, that would be a huge honor for a guy like Barrett, but given his monster season in which he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks, it’s shocking that he was not named to the first team.

The two guys named over him were Chandler Jones of the Arizona Cardinals and T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones finished the year with 19.0 sacks and Watt with 14.5, both incredibly respectable numbers.

But, you have to go all the way back to 2010 to find a player who led the league in sacks who did not make the All-Pro first team. That player was DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys, who led the league with 15.5 sacks in 2010, but was named only to the second team.

Barrett, who came to the Buccaneers in the offseason on a one-year deal, set the Bucs’ franchise record for sacks in a single season, capping off his monster year with a three-sack performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. It’s hard to fathom that he didn’t get named to the first team.

Still, Barrett’s big year will likely result in a giant contract from the Buccaneers this offseason, which I’m sure will help him forget about the first team snub.

Maybe.

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Texans 100: Facts and Figures for Buccaneers, No. 76-100

The Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet on NFL Network, so, we take a look at a few broadcast facts as well as defensive facts.

The Houston Texans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet for a Week 16 Saturday afternoon tilt on NFL Network. We finish up our last quarter of facts with a look at the NFL Network broadcast team as well as a few facts surrounding the Texans and Buccaneers defenses.

Facts and Figures for Buccaneers, No. 1-25

Facts and Figures for Buccaneers, No. 26-50

Facts and Figures for Buccaneers, No. 51-75

broadcast facts

76. This is the first game in the series to be broadcast on NFL Network.

77. The Texans are 7-7 on NFL Network.

78. The Buccaneers are 3-6 on NFL Network.

79. This week’s commentators are Rich Eisen, Nate Burleson, and Joe Thomas, who will be calling his first Texans game. The trio is the fifth different play-by-play team in the series.

80. The Texans are 1-0 when Eisen calls their games.

81. The Buccaneers are 0-1 when Eisen calls their games.

82. The Texans are 1-0 when Burleson calls their games.

83. This is the third game to be simulcast on KRIV, where Houston holds a 2-0 mark.

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Bill Barnwell calls Shaq Barrett’s breakout season something ‘nobody saw coming’

See what Bill Barnwell of ESPN had to say about the breakout year of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett.

It’s hard to believe, but there are just two games left in the 2019 regular season.

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about the hiring of Bruce Arians, the Bucs’ upcoming draft and the release of veteran Gerald McCoy. An offseason with such big moves led to some big expectations for this team entering the season, namely for quarterback Jameis Winston.

While Winston has had his ups and downs this season, one Bucs player who has been a revelation is linebacker Shaq Barrett, who joined Tampa Bay on a one-year deal during the offseason.

Barrett currently leads the NFL with 16.5 sacks, which is also with Warren Sapp for the Bucs’ single-season record. Barrett’s breakout season was one of the 15 surprises that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell says “nobody saw coming” at the beginning of the season.

Here’s part of what Barnwell had to say about Barrett after stating how surprised he was that the NFL sack leader would be a Broncos castoff.

“I did not see the Shaq Barrett season coming. An undrafted free agent in 2014, he showed some promise when he debuted the following season, racking up 5.5 sacks and 12 knockdowns while playing 45% of the defensive snaps. Buried behind DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and Shane Ray, Barrett finally got a chance to start in 2017 and disappointed… It seemed like Barrett might have been a flash in a pan when he followed a run of nine sacks in four games to start the season by picking up just 1.5 sacks over the following four. That has not been the case. He has responded with five sacks and 14 knockdowns over his past four games.”

Barnwell goes on to talk about Barrett’s pending free agency and what we can expect in terms of a deal between him and the Bucs.

“Barrett isn’t going to get [Von] Miller’s six-year, $114.5 million contract this offseason, but as Bruce Arians admittedly recently, Barrett ‘ain’t going anywhere.’ The Bucs could use their franchise and transition tags to keep Barrett and Jameis Winston in-house for the short term, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they negotiated a multiyear deal with their star pass-rusher.”

Barrett, himself, sounds like he wants to return to the Bucs next year if they can strike a deal. It’s in both parties’ best interest to get a deal done. Barrett has flourished in this Todd Bowles system and the Bucs have an emerging superstar to play alongside Devin White.

It’s a win-win situation for both sides.

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