1 of 3 | Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones was not given the franchise tag Tuesday, which means he is expected to become a free agent next week. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI |
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March 10 (UPI) -- Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay are among the top players expected to hit free agency in the aftermath of franchise tag player designations.
Jones and Golladay were among the players who weren't tagged by the league's deadline at 4 p.m. EST Tuesday. San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Shaquil Barrett, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Bud Dupree and New Orleans Saints edge rusher Tre Hendrickson were among the other top players who weren't tagged.
Teams can use franchise tags on one player each year who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The franchise tag keeps the player under contract with the team for the next season.
A non-exclusive franchise tag pays that player the average of the Top 5 salary cap hits in the league for his position over the past five seasons. A player who gets the exclusive franchise tag earns the average of the Top 5 salary-cap hits for his position according to free agency for the upcoming league year.
Players expected to hit free agency could still agree to a new contract with their current teams. They can start negotiations Monday and officially become free agents at the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. EDT March 17.
Top expected free agents
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett, Mitchell Trubisky, Tyrod Taylor, Alex Smith
RB: Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Marlon Mack, James Conner, Leonard Fournette, Phillip Lindsay James White, Mike Davis, Le'Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Tevin Coleman
WR: Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Will Fuller, Antonio Brown, Corey Davis, Curtis Samuel, Marvin Jones, T.Y. Hilton, Sammy Watkins, Nelson Agholor, Golden Tate, Keelan Cole, Adam Humphries, Danny Amendola, A.J. Green, Breshad Perriman, Cordarrelle Patterson, Larry Fitzgerald
TE: Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Rob Gronkowski, Gerald Everett, Jared Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Dan Arnold, Josh Hill
OT: Trent Williams, Daryl Williams, Alejandro Villanueva, Kelvin Beachum, Russell Okung, Cameron Fleming, Bobby Massie, Matt Feiler
G: Joe Thuney, Gabe Jackson, Lane Taylor, Richie Incognito, James Carpenter
C: Corey Linsley, David Andrews, Austin Reiter, Nick Martin, Alex Mack
LB: Matt Milano, K.J. Wright, Jayon Brown, Denzel Perryman
EDGE: Shaquil Barrett, Bud Dupree, Carl Lawson, Trey Hendrickson, Jadeveon Clowney, Matt Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, Romeo Okwara, Leonard Floyd, Justin Houston, Haason Reddick, Carlos Dunlap, Melvin Ingram, Aldon Smith, Takkarist McKinley, Kerry Hyder, Everson Griffen, Adrian Clayborn
DE: Shelby Harris, Denico Autry, Derek Wolfe, Roy Robertson-Harris
S: John Johnson, Anthony Harris, Jaquiski Tartt, Xavier Woods, Keanu Neal, Malik Hooker, Rayshawn Jenkins,
CB: Shaquill Griffin, William Jackson, Jason Verrett, Ronald Darby, Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson, Mike HIlton, Malcolm Butler, Xavier Rhodes, Michael Davis, K'Waun Williams, Bashaud Breeland, Quinton Dunbar, Troy Hill, Chidobe Awuzie, Desmond King
DT: Larry Ogunjobi, Ndamukong Suh, Sheldon Rankins, Lawrence Guy, Kawann Short, Al-Quadin Muhammad
NT: Dalvin Tomlinson, DaQuan Jones, Tyson Alualu
K: Cairo Santos, Ryan Succop, Zane Gonzalez, Younghoe Koo, Matt Prater, Dustin Hopkins, Stephen Gostkowski
P: Kevin Huber, Pat O'Donnell, Andy Lee, Matt Haack, Thomas Morstead, Jordan Berry
