3 Jaguars Observations Before Franchise Tag Window Opens
Tuesday will mark an important date in the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason calendar.
Tuesday marks the opening of the window to place the franchise or transition tag on players across the NFL. Once 4 p.m. hits, each team has the chance to place a single tag on an impending free agent.
This has been a key period for the Jaguars in every offseason since 2020, and that won't change this week. Between tomorrow and March 5, the Jaguars will have to decide how they want to use the tag.
So, what do we think about the Jaguars' outlook before tomorrow? We break it down below.
How we think the Jaguars will use the franchise tag
This offseason is strikingly similar to last offseason for the Jaguars. Last year, they had two key starters hitting free-agency at the same time in tight end Evan Engram and right tackle Jawaan Taylor. There was only one tag the Jaguars could use to prevent a player from hitting the market, and they opted to use it on Engram in an effort to extend the timeline for contract talks.
This year, the Jaguars again have two important and talented players hitting the market in the same year with pass-rusher Josh Allen and wide receiver Calvin Ridley. And our prediction is that the Jaguars do the same thing they did last year, using the tag on one of the players to ensure they don't lose them in free-agency.
And our prediction is the Jaguars use the tag on Allen. That isn't a leap considering that is the wide expectation across national publications and local news sources alike, but it is the reality. Allen is too good and too valuable. The Jaguars can't let him even spend a second on the free agency market.
In this scenario, Ridley becomes Taylor. The difference here is that Taylor left because his market price sky rocketed. Ridley's price could do the same, but there is a better chance of the parameters of an agreement being reached with Ridley than there was for Taylor.
The hope with tagging Allen is that it gives the Jaguars a few more months to work out a long-term deal. If they don't, then they at least have the tag to ensure he is still on the team in 2024. It remains to be seen how such a scenario would be received, but that is how we see it playing out.
What the franchise tag window could mean for Calvin Ridley
While it seems unlikely the Jaguars tag Ridley due to the aforementioned Josh Allen scenario, it is worth exploring what the tag could mean for Ridley's option as a free agent. It seems the Jaguars' most preferred outcome this offseason is for Ridley would be to sign him to a new deal once the new league year begins since he will be a free agent. If they re-sign him while he is still a part of the roster -- which he is until March 13 at 4 p.m. -- then they lose a second-round pick.
Still, the franchise tag window could have some interesting outcomes for Ridley. For one, it seems like wide receiver is the position group with the most potential free-agents taken off the board due to franchise tags. Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins and Indianapolis Colts' Michael Pittman Jr., are prime candidates for the tag. Mike Evans is a potential candidate, though maybe not a sure thing due to his increased tag cost.
That means Ridley very easily could be the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver on the market when the smoke settles after the franchise tag window. He should still be expected to be signed by the Jaguars, but the Jaguars should be cognizant of the fact that Ridley could have a strong market. Regardless, that is the reality the Jaguars have to live with due to the conditions of their trade.
The Jaguars have an extensive recent history with the franchise tag
Few teams have used the franchise tag like the Jaguars in recent years. If/when the Jaguars tag Josh Allen, it will mark five years in a row the Jaguars have used the franchise tag after Yannick Ngakoue (2020), Cam Robinson (2021 & 2022), and Evan Engram (2023). Since 2013, only four teams have used the tag five times or more.
- Dallas Cowboys (8)
- Denver Broncos/Kansas City Chiefs (6)
- Washington Commanders (5)
- Jacksonville Jaguars/New York Giants/Chicago Bears/Carolina Panthers (4)
- New York Jets/Miami Dolphins/Baltimore Ravens/Cincinnati Bengals/Pittsburgh Steelers/Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Los Angeles Rams (3)
- New England Patriots/Buffalo Bills/Las Vegas Raiders/New Orleans Saints/Arizona Cardinals (2)
- Cleveland Browns/Tennessee Titans/Houston Texans/Indianapolis Colts/Los Angeles Chargers/Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers/Minnesota Vikings/Atlanta Falcons/Seattle Seahawks/San Francisco 49ers (1)
- Philadelphia Eagles (0)
The Jaguars have used the tag for various reasons over the years. They used it on Ngakoue to give them time to trade him. They used it on Robinson once to keep him on the roster for another year and then a second time to give them time to extend him. They did the extension move again with Engram last year, and now it looks like they will go for a third time with Allen.
The one knock on the Jaguars for this strategy is that it does show a struggle to simply sign their draft picks. Ngakoue, Robinson and Allen were all top-two round picks, but the Jaguars have had to use the tag multiple times to even have a chance to re-sign them.
