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From today until March 3, NFL teams are allowed to use the franchise or transition tag. The KC Chiefs used it last year on Branden Albert but don't appear to be candidates to use it this year.
The only franchise tag candidate for the Chiefs is Albert once again. But it seems unlikely the Chiefs will be using it on him. Danny Parkins of 610 Sports reported last week that the Chiefs had decided to let Albert hit free agency, which means they won't be using the franchise tag on him.
The estimated franchise tag number for offensive linemen is approximately $11.2 million. If you tag a player a second time, you must pay him the franchise tag number or 120 percent of what he made last year, whichever is greater. That puts the cost of tagging Albert over $11 million, which isn't feasible for a cap-strapped team like the Chiefs.
So the Chiefs are not expected to use it on Albert because he is a luxury they can't afford.
Tyson Jackson, Geoff Schwartz and Dexter McCluster are other key Chiefs free agents but none of them are likely candidates for the franchise tag.
| Quarterback | $16.2 million |
| Defensive end | $12.6 million |
| Wide receiver | $11.6 million |
| Cornerback | $11.3 million |
| Offensive lineman | $11.2 million |
| Linebacker | $11 million |
| Defensive tackle | $9.2 million |
| Running back | $9.1 million |
| Safety | $8.1 million |
| Tight end | $6.8 million |
| Kicker/punter | $3.4 million |
All the Chiefs free agents: LT Branden Albert, G Geoff Schwartz, G Jon Asamoah, WR Dexter McCluster, WR Kyle Williams, DE Tyson Jackson, LB Akeem Jordan, LB Frank Zombo, S Kendrick Lewis, DB Husain Abdullah, DB Quintin Demps
