New England Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins becomes the first player in the NFL to receive the franchise tag, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 2011 franchise tag for offensive linemen is expected to be slightly over $10 million.
"Mankins' tag, like [the] one given Matt Cassel, was non-exclusive," tweets Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe. "He can negotiate with other teams, which could help in the event of a trade."
We're waiting to see if the Kansas City Chiefs will use the franchise tag on LB Tamba Hali. From our view, Hali is the only candidate that would be worth considering for the franchise tag, especially if the two sides can't work out a long-term extension before February 24, the final day teams can utilize the franchise tag.
Remember, Cassel had the franchise tag when he came over from New England in 2009. It wasn't until months later in July that the Chiefs announced a long-term contract for him.
I believe the Chiefs would be using the franchise tag in good faith if Hali were the target this year. The point of it in this case would be to buy some time to work out a long-term deal. But, like Cassel, using the franchise tag doesn't necessarily mean a long-term contract is coming right away.
So one franchise tag is down. Any guesses on who's next? I gotta think the Baltimore Ravens will be using it on Haloti Ngata.