Green Bay Packers shouldn’t use franchise tag this offseason
The Green Bay Packers shouldn’t use the franchise tag this offseason.
Before free agency begins, one of the biggest decisions for NFL teams is whether to use the franchise tag. Simply put, the Green Bay Packers should have an easy choice this offseason, and that’s to not use the franchise tag.
The franchise tag helps teams avoid losing one of their star players in free agency. But general manager Brian Gutekunst shouldn’t use it this spring.
That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try to re-sign a few of the team’s upcoming free agents. Bashaud Breeland, for example, has been a great addition to the secondary and should be the top priority to re-sign.
If Breeland isn’t back in Green Bay next season, the cornerback position would again be a need for the Packers. While Jaire Alexander and Kevin King give the Packers two talented starters, without Breeland there would be a concerning lack of depth at cornerback.
But the Packers shouldn’t use the franchise tag to keep Breeland. Based on last year’s franchise tag values, doing so would mean giving him a one-year, $14.21 million contract if they couldn’t agree a long-term deal. That would make him one of the highest paid cornerbacks in the league.
Packers 2019 unrestricted free agents
- Byron Bell, T
- Bashaud Breeland, CB
- Ibraheim Campbell, S
- Randall Cobb, WR
- Davon House, CB
- Lance Kendricks, TE
- Marcedes Lewis, TE
- Clay Matthews, OLB
- Eddie Pleasant, S
- Jake Ryan, LB
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DE
Outside of Breeland, an argument can be made for and against re-signing just about every other unrestricted free agent for the Packers.
Clay Matthews is the team’s all-time sack leader, but he posted a career-low 3.5 sacks in 2018 and his future is uncertain. Randall Cobb can still have a big impact on offense like we saw in Week 1, but he’s been inconsistent.
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The Green Bay Packers shouldn’t use the franchise tag ahead of free agency. And with so many top edge rushers set to hit free agency, they will be hoping other teams do the same.