Franchise Tag Window Opens: Should the Jaguars Use It?

For the next two weeks, all 32 NFL teams have some tough decisions to make.

Starting Tuesday, teams can officially franchise tag impending free agents, the start of a two-week window that annually shapes free agency.

Teams have until 4 p.m. on March 7 to designate players with the franchise or transition tags, giving them the next few weeks to decide which players they want to keep out of the free agent pool.

With the next two weeks helping each team create a clearer vision of their offseasons, it begs the question: should the Jaguars be interested in using the franchise tag for the third consecutive season?

Jacksonville and general manager Trent Baalke have used the franchise tag in each of the last two offseasons, each time placing it on left tackle Cam Robinson. Robinson played the 2021 season on the tag, but he signed a contract extension last April after initially being tagged.

Baalke opened this year's offseason by stating he doesn't envision the Jaguars using the franchise tag, but the same likely could have been said at this same time last year about Robinson, who few had as a franchise tag candidate.

“I’m hoping we don’t need to use it. Right now we’re evaluating this team as a staff. Doug (Pederson) and the rest of the coaches are going through a process, an end-of-the-season process that we’ve set up," Baalke said at the end of the season.

"Our personnel staff is doing the same thing. We’ll join forces tomorrow and meet for most of the morning to really put a plan in place for how we’re going to attack this offseason.”

If the Jaguars were to use the franchise tag in 2023, the only two options who make sense would be tight end Evan Engram or right tackle Jawaan Taylor, each of whom are set to be free agents on March 15 after starting as key pieces for the Jaguars last season.

Taylor could be set for a big pay day this offseason after having a career season in 19 starts last year. The 25-year-old former second-rounder has never missed a start in his career and the Jaguars would probably be closer to losing him than retaining him if free agency started tomorrow.

With that said, the franchise tag figure for offensive linemen is at $18,244,000. That is an astronomical price for a right tackle, so a tag seems unlikely unless the Jaguars were to simply use it as a vehicle to extend extension talks.

Tagging Engram would cost the Jaguars $11,435,000 and is much more doable since he is likely to cost less on the open market than Taylor. Engram is expected to be retained by the Jaguars in one fashion or another, and using the franchise tag on him to prevent him from leaving in free agency remains an option on the table.

It is clear the Jaguars would prefer to extend Engram before having to use the tag on him, but using the tag would at least enable them to keep him from leaving in March and would allow them to continue contract talks into the offseason.

"It's a hypothetical. So it could happen, it could not. But you know, if that happens, I think that'll be a placeholder, you know, to get something done," Engram told SiriusXM NFL Radio.

"I think that's just kind of just the way I feel about it. And if it does come to that, you know, there'll be conversations had with my team and we'll move forward from there, but if that does happen, I'm gonna be blessed. Either way, we'll figure something out long- term that can mean that both sides will be happy with."