14 Players Get The Franchise Tag

by Brandon on Feb 21, 2009 12:27 PM CST

The deadline to place the franchise tag on players has come and gone and it ended up being a record number. A couple of other players might have gotten tagged too, such as either Oakland's CB Nnamdi Asomugha and P Shane Lechler, except they each got a massive new contract before the deadline. The 14 players as provided by Adam Schefter:

S Oshiomogho Atogwe — Rams

WR Antonio Bryant — Buccaneers

QB Matt Cassel – Patriots

LB Karlos Dansby — Cardinals

K Shayne Graham — Bengals

LB Leroy Hill — Seahawks

RB Brandon Jacobs — Giants

P Michael Koenen — Falcons

DE Julius Peppers — Panthers

CB Dunta Robinson — Texans

TE Bo Scaife – Titans

RB Darren Sproles — Chargers

T Max Starks — Steelers

LB Terrell Suggs — Ravens

There are a couple head scratchers on that list. A kicker (Shayne Graham) and a punter (Michael Koenen)? Times are apparently tough in Tampa and well known head case WR Antonio Bryant is their franchise player. Starks and Scaife are questionable, but understandable since both would leave a major hole in their teams' lineups. Atogwe isn't well known either, but he is a good young player and a team as bad as St. Louis can't let any good young player get away from them right now.

The only name I'm really disappointed in seeing is LB Terrell Suggs. He's the free agent player I was really hoping the Packers would pursue. And the Ravens tagged him to keep him. There is little chance they placed the tag on him so they could trade him, like the Panthers did with DE Julius Peppers.

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Suggs

Big surprise… I am pretty sure that Suggs is the guy almost all Packer fans felt was a slam dunk! Haynesworth and Peppers have support too, but universally like Suggs did. He has 3/4 experience, and played a position of need!!!

Canty and Olshansky are getting support and make sense too. They could be alot more expensive than most fans think though!! We have the cap room to sign a FA, but we don’t have that much… We have ALOT of FA this year and next!!!

by Strohman on Feb 22, 2009 4:15 PM CST reply actions

After hearing

what Haynesworth is looking for no way do i want him! he is looking for $14-16 mil a year no thanks!!!!!!

by bizzle4 on Feb 22, 2009 7:28 PM CST up reply actions

Between Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs

the best player in that group is Suggs with Scott coming in second. The Ravens would be best off letting Lewis walk and trying to lock up Scott long term. Though they may have to resign Lewis if the Bart Scott camp and the Ravens stay so far apart.

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey

by jobe on Feb 22, 2009 9:40 PM CST up reply actions

Canty and Olshansky

I agree that those two will be asking a lot more than they’ll be worth. Despite the lousy economy, I still think there will be some crazy free agent money thrown around this offseason. Al Davis has already got the giant money going.

by Brandon on Feb 23, 2009 12:11 AM CST up reply actions