The window for NFL teams to utilize the franchise tag is nearing, but does it apply to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason?
Beginning on February 18th and running through March 4th, teams can place the franchise tag on up to one pending free agent.
Oftentimes, the franchise tag provides the team and the player additional time to negotiate a long-term deal rather than having to reach an agreement with free agency looming.
However, in the instances when an extension isn’t reached, that player is then under contact for the upcoming season before again being a free agent the next offseason.
Players who receive the franchise tag are among the highest paid at their position group for that one season. So each offseason, there may only be a handful of players who are true franchise tag candidates.
But despite the big pay day for one season, the downside for the player is that there is no long-term stability when playing on the franchise tag.
Pro Football Focus recently went through all 32 organizations to determine who the franchise tag candidate for each team could be. Not surprisingly for the Colts, there wasn’t a player who was selected.
“Will Fries and Dayo Odeyingbo profile as names this team may work to retain, with both ranking among PFF’s top 50 free agents, but the franchise tag would prove too unwieldy a cost for either,” wrote PFF’s Mason Cameron.
The Colts did utilize the non-exclusive franchise tag last offseason with Michael Pittman. The first time the team had done so in over a decade at that time.
However, less than a week later, the Colts and Pittman agreed to a three-year extension worth $70 million.