March 10.
Mark it on your calendars, football fans, because that's when NFL free agency begins. But if that isn't soon enough for you pigskin junkies, March 2 marks the final date that teams can use the franchise tag on a pending free agent.
If two sides are struggling to come to terms on a long-term deal, the tag normally awaits. To refresh your memories, the franchise tag comes with a one-year salary that is calculated by averaging the top five highest paid players at a particular position from the year before.
So who are five possible candidates for the franchise tag this offseason?
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
I'd be more surprised than Seattle's offense calling a passing play on the one-yard line of a Super Bowl game if Thomas played anywhere else but Denver next season. But with a host of free agents set to hit the open market, it's fair to wonder if Denver will be able to re-sign their No. 1 wide receiver.
Thomas has everything you look for in a free agent. He's young (still just 27-years-old), he's productive (111 catches for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season) and he's a homegrown talent (2010 first-rounder). Both sides want to get a deal done but when you're talking about potential Calvin Johnson money (eight years, about $130 million) inevitable snags are sure to arise.
Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
As with Thomas and the Broncos, both Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys want to come to an agreement on something long-term. But if team owner Jerry Jones is serious about re-signing the NFL's leading rusher in DeMarco Murray, there may not be a lot of salary cap space left for Bryant. And that would be a shame.
Bryant led the NFL in touchdown grabs last season with 16. It's rare to find a wide receiver who can beat an opposing secondary with strength, size, speed and athleticism all wrapped up into one convenient mismatch. What isn't as rare is finding production at the running back position at an affordable rate.
"But - and this is a worthwhile storyline to monitor throughout free agency and into the draft - how willing is Dallas (or any team) to extend itself to a running back given that teams are able to find productive rushers at minimal price tags?" ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates wrote. Couldn't have said it better myself.
If Dallas gets tripped up in negotiations with Murray and hands him a big deal, expect the franchise tag to come down swiftly on Bryant.
Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs
You know what elite pass-rushers and tasty bacon have in common? You can never have enough of either. Seriously. That's why the Chiefs will do everything in their power to retain Houston for the 2015 season and hopefully beyond.
Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks this season. In fact, he's averaged a sack a game since the start of the 2012 season, according to ESPN. You just don't find consistent production like that anywhere else. He's also just a week into his 26th year on this earth, making him a rare combo of immense talent and youth.
Thanks to the extension signed by quarterback Alex Smith last offseason, Houston doesn't have any real competition for the franchise tag should a long-term deal prove difficult to reach.
Devin McCourty, S, New England Patriots
McCourty is set to be one of the top secondary options on the open market after the Denver Broncos inked Chris Harris to an extension earlier in the season. While New England has a lot to figure out when it comes to cornerback Darrelle Revis' $25 million cap hit in 2015, McCourty is still a high priority for the team.
The former 2010 first-round pick likely took notice of all the big contracts signed by fellow All-Pro secondary members last summer. The Seattle Seahawks gave Earl Thomas a four-year deal worth $40 million while the New Orleans Saints signed Jairus Byrd to a five-year deal worth $54 million. It would be understandable if McCourty wanted to test the open market. The Patriots aren't expected to match those dollar totals, though they will try to re-sign him.
"He's revered by his teammates and coaches, and seems to want to stick around in New England as well," Yates wrote of McCourty. "He provides the team with positional versatility to play cornerback when needed, and McCourty has established himself as a reliable middle-of-the-field defender."
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles let DeSean Jackson go after Chip Kelly deemed him a poor fit in Philly's offense (that has to be one of the more see through lies in recent NFL history). It's almost a lock that the Eagles will not let Maclin leave.
For starters, Maclin is coming off the best season of his career. Finally healthy, the sixth-year wide receiver set career highs with 85 receptions, 1,319 yards and ten touchdowns. The franchise tag for wide receivers was just north of $12 million in 2014. The Eagles have more than enough space to fit that salary in next season if they opt to use the franchise tag to keep Maclin.
