The Toughest Franchise-Tag Decisions Heading into 2022 NFL Free Agency

The 2022 edition of NFL free agency is nearly here. The market will officially open at 4 p.m. ET on March 16. Before then, teams will have a two-day window to contact and negotiate with players.

Between now and March 8, several teams will use the franchise tag to prevent key contributors from reaching free agency. Sometimes the tag will quickly lead to a long-term deal, as it did with Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys last offseason, and sometimes it will serve as a one-year stopgap. Either way, it's a valuable, if often costly tool for teams to utilize.

Sometimes, the decision to use it is an easy one. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, have $48.8 million in projected cap space. They want to keep safety Jessie Bates III. If Cincinnati hasn't signed Bates to an extension before the March 8 franchise-tag deadline, tagging him makes perfect sense.

Of course, things aren't always that simple. Factors like cap space, positional value, franchise outlook and roster composition can make for a tough decision.

Here, you'll find a look at the six toughest franchise-tag decisions heading into 2022 free agency. First, though, let's examine just how costly those decisions could be.

Quarterback: $29.5 million

Running back: $9.5 million

Wide receiver: $18.5 million

Tight end: $11 million

Offensive line: $16.5 million

Defensive tackle: $17 million

Defensive end: $17.5 million

Linebacker: $18.5 million

Cornerback: $17.5 million

Safety: $13 million

Specialist: $5 million

Projected figures via Spotrac

The Cowboys have two franchise-tag-worthy players in tight end Dalton Schultz and defensive end Randy Gregory. Gregory had six sacks and 29 quarterback pressures in 12 games last season, while Schultz is blossoming into a borderline elite tight end.

The 25-year-old pass-catcher hauled in 78 passes for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 while providing a passer rating of 118.6 when targeted.

Financially, though, Schultz is the only viable candidate here. Tagging Gregory would cost $6.5 million more than tagging Schultz, and Dallas is already projected to be $21.2 million over the cap—and that's before the Cowboys sign their 2022 draft class.

Schultz has an estimated market value of $12.6 million annually, so an $11 million tag is reasonable. However, it doesn't make sense for Dallas. The Cowboys could backload a contract to put Schultz's 2022 cap number well below $11 million if they're creative enough. That won't be an option with the tag.

The reality is that the Cowboys are too strapped financially to use the tag this offseason and still address needs like a run defense that ranked 23rd in yards per carry allowed. Others around the league are convinced that Dallas won't use the tag on Schultz anyway.

"While Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz's name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the tag, league sources do not expect Dallas to use the tag," Matt Lombardo of FanSided tweeted.

If the Cowboys cannot get a long-term deal done, they need to let Schultz test the open market.

The Green Bay Packers may have the trickiest franchise-tag situation in the league on their hands. Wideout Davante Adams is one of the best receivers in the game, and he's a favorite of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers, meanwhile, has yet to decide between coming back to Green Bay for 2022, seeking a trade or entering retirement. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Packers are working on a short-term extension that would make Rodgers the NFL's highest-paid quarterback should he decide to return.

The problem is that Green Bay is projected to be $28.3 million over the cap. A backloaded deal for Rodgers may help lighten the deficit, but finding the cap space to tag Adams will be difficult. And if Rodgers won't be back, Green Bay may not be as eager to include the 29-year-old Adams as part of the ensuing rebuild.

General manager Brian Gutekunst insists that Rodgers' and Adams' situations are "completely different," but it's hard to believe they aren't linked. Will Rodgers want to come back if Adams isn't there? Probably not, and some believe that Green Bay will push to retain Adams.

"They are going to [do] whatever it takes to franchise the receiver," one general manager told CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora.

Adams has an estimated market value of $25.8 million annually, so the tag is actually the logical option here. The Packers aren't looking at an extended run with Rodgers and Adams, but rather a closing window. If Green Bay can tag Adams, convince Rodgers to play in 2022 and then make one last run, it has to do it.

If that means making substantial cap cuts elsewhere, so be it.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in a tough spot with offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. They surrendered a hefty price to acquire the final year of his contract, giving the Baltimore Ravens 2021 first-, third- and fourth-round picks plus a 2022 fifth-rounder for Brown, a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 sixth-rounder.

This leaves Kansas City with little leverage when it comes to negotiating a long-term deal. Brown knows Kansas City doesn't want to lose him after just one season.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach admitted he's unwilling to let Brown walk, calling the tag "likely" if a long-term deal isn't reached, according to Matt Verderame of FanSided.

Of course, using the tag will take some work. Kansas City is projected to have just $11.5 million in cap space, which is less than the offensive-line tag value of $16.5 million. On top of that, Kansas City has key impending free agents like safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Charvarius Ward to consider.

While it won't be easy, the Chiefs are going to have to make it work with Brown. While players like Ward and Mathieu are valuable, keeping quarterback Patrick Mahomes upright and healthy must be the franchise's top priority.

Keeping Brown—who has made Pro Bowl appearances as both a right and left tackle—will go a long way toward protecting Mahomes. If Kansas City can't negotiate a long-term deal with Brown, it really has no choice but to tag him and make financial cuts elsewhere.

New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson will likely be one of the hottest names on the free-agent market if he reaches it. Jackson was fantastic last season, finishing with eight interceptions and a league-high 23 passes defended.

The 26-year-old allowed an opposing passer rating of just 46.8 in coverage. Young, talented and a true lockdown corner, Jackson is an elite free agent.

Naturally, the Patriots want to keep Jackson in the fold. According to NFL Network's Mike Giardi, they tried to make a deal with Jackson during the regular season, but it didn't work out.

"They made an offer to him during the season," Giardi said on NFL Network. "But I'm told by a well-placed source that that offer was essentially a non-starter."

The tag could be New England's next, best option, but it's a tricky one. The Patriots are projected to have just $7.3 million in cap space. Jackson, meanwhile, isn't thrilled about the idea of playing on the tag instead of getting the security of a long-term deal.

"It's not the situation, my source says, that [Jackson's] camp would like to have," Giardi said of the tag.

The reality is that the Patriots don't have a ton of options here. Jackson is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, and letting him walk in his playing prime wouldn't be wise considering he is arguably the best player on the Patriots' roster. If they cannot get a deal done before March 8, they must create the space to tag him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have several notable players scheduled to become free agents, including wideout Chris Godwin, who received the tag last season.

Cornerback Carlton Davis, though, is the most likely tag candidate among Tampa's impending free agents. He's the team's top corner, he allowed an opposing passer rating of only 83.2 last season, and he's still just 25 years old.

While Tampa has $21.3 million in projected cap space, the looming decision on Godwin makes things tricky. Tampa is highly unlikely to tag him a second time but may try to lock him up with a long-term deal. Other impending free agents like Jason Pierre-Paul, Leonard Fournette and Blaine Gabbert must be considered as well.

Yes, Gabbert could be Tom Brady's successor in Tampa.

"[Gabbert] has never played with a team this good. He's got all the respect in the locker room that he can have," head coach Bruce Arians said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

The Buccaneers will also have to factor in Davis' injury history. The Auburn product was hampered by a quad injury in 2021 and has never played more than 14 games in a season.

Still, Davis has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone in Tampa. If the Buccaneers can't work out a long-term contract, they should use the franchise tag on Davis—if they can also make a deal with Godwin work financially.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry had a breakout pass-rushing campaign in 2021. The 25-year-old finished the regular season with 12 sacks and 43 quarterback pressures. He added another 1.5 sacks in the playoff loss to Cincinnati.

The Titans should obviously look to keep Landry. The problem is that Tennessee is projected to be $6.9 million over the cap.

If Tennessee can work out a backloaded extension to keep Landry, it should do so, and it might get some help from players on the roster.

"If I've got to do another restructure on my deal like I did with [Jadeveon] Clowney, I'll do that to fit Harold in there," safety Kevin Byard said, per ESPN's Turron Davenport.

However, the Titans should be looking to lock up Landry, not at a one-year stopgap. Fellow pass-rusher Bud Dupree will be a potential cap casualty next offseason, with Tennessee able to save $10.6 million off the cap by releasing him.

It doesn't make sense to pay $37.7 million in 2022 for two pass-rushers who could both be gone in 2023. The Titans must try extending Landry, but if they cannot, they should let him walk and target other long-term pass-rushing options in free agency and the draft.

Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.