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Let the game of tag begin in the NFL. The window in which unrestricted free agents can be assigned the franchise tag by their current team officially opened Wednesday, with a deadline of March 1 at 3:59 p.m. ET. NFL teams also are permitted to utilize the transition tag within the same two-week period.
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Players given the franchise tag are permitted to negotiate with other clubs, unless the team uses the "exclusive" franchise tag.
A player assigned the franchise tag with his team can negotiate and sign with another team -- under the non-exclusive tag -- but the original team is granted the opportunity to match contract terms or accept compensation of two first-round draft picks for allowing the player to leave.
Last season, nine players were tagged, including Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller. Miller and the Broncos agreed to a long-term contract before the league deadline of July 15.
If no long-term deal can be reached, the player is guaranteed a one-year deal. The one-year tender is computed by using the total sum of the salary cap for the last five, divided by the total sum of the tags at each position from those last five years. A cap percentage for each position is then figured based on what the salary cap will be for 2017.
For some players, the tender would be 120 percent of their cap figure from 2016, if it is higher than the tender from the formula.
The premium on quarterbacks is reflected in the estimated franchise tag value of $21.395 million; defensive ends are at $16.955 million and wide receivers $15.826 million. Those figures are based on the projected salary cap of $168 million disclosed by the NFL Players Association at Super Bowl LI.
In addition to Cousins, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell is likely to be tagged. His one-year franchise deal would bring more than $12 million.
Arizona Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones is expected to be franchised -- as indicated by head coach Bruce Arians -- and the Carolina Panthers might be inclined to use the tag to retain defensive tackle Kawann Short. However, the Panthers tagged cornerback Josh Norman last spring only to rescind the tag when negotiations stalled. Norman wound up with the Redskins.
Chiefs safety Eric Berry was tagged in 2016 and said "I will sit out the season" if Kansas City opts to use the franchise designation again. Nose tackle Dontari Poe is also believed to be a candidate to be tagged by the Chiefs, while a tag is also possible for Houston Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye.
Free agency begins March 9, the start of the new league year, at 4 p.m. ET.
