ARIZONA CARDINALS
Franchise Tagged: CALAIS CAMPBELL, Left Defensive End
What It Means: I said that they needed to franchise Campbell and the Cardinals followed suit. It was just common sense to franchise tag because he was not only the best free agent they had to sign, but he means so much to their defense. Without him, they would have to train and groom another defensive end for their system and then hope someday that he is effective. The Cards didn’t have time for that so they signed Campbell who along with right side defensive end/tackle DARNELL DOCKETT from one of the best defensive line duos in the game. Those two need each other.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Franchise Tagged: BRENT GRIMES, Left Cornerback
What It Means: Grimes is to make just over $10.4 in 2012 and that seems rather steep for a good but not great cornerback. Grimes can play but there will come a time when fans, the media, teammates, and top level decision makers in the Falcons organization will be watching closely to see if he’s worth that much money. The heat is on for Grimes.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Franchise Tagged: RAY RICE, Running Back
What It Means: The just franchised tagged $7.7 million dollar man gets his due and the Ravens are better for it. With RICKY WILLIAMS retiring and the young but talented ANTHONY ALLEN possibly still a year away from really being a big factor in the Ravens’ running game plans, the signing of Rice was of paramount importance. Outside of Rice, the Ravens don’t have any veteran backs on the roster who make defenses forget about Rice for a play or two.
CHICAGO BEARS
Franchise Tagged: MATT FORTE, Running Back
What It Means: Forte has been all the Bears have had at running back since his rookie year of 2008. Forte has led the Bears in rushing since that year and he is invaluable to their quest of trying to run a balanced offense or any kind of offense for that matter. Forte and fellow back MARION BARBER like to bully defenders and are consummate physical backs who can complement eachother.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Franchise Tagged: MIKE NUGENT, Placekicker
What It Means: The Bengals signed the homegrown Nugent to a nice contract for one year ($2,665,000) to help continue the success of their kicking game. The Bengals have ton of faith in Nugent as evidenced by his contract and the fact that they ask him to try so many field goals (57 in the last two years with a career high of 38 in 2011). The Bengals offense is just coming into their own (they are far from what they are capable of) so they need an elite kicker like Nugent to help them score points when their offense stalls.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Franchise Tagged: PHIL DAWSON, Placekicker
What It Means: Dawson has been a clutch kicker since his days as a Texas Longhorn and for a perennially stagnant Browns offense, they need a kicker like Dawson to put some points on the board be it field goals or extra points. It’s about time the NFL start taking kickers seriously, and it also says something about Dawson’s ability and their pool of 2012 free agents.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Franchise Tagged: ANTHONY SPENCER, Left Outside Linebacker
What It Means: More problems for NFC West offensive tackles and quarterbacks to deal with, as Spencer just signed an over $8.4 million dollar deal with the Cowboys. That’s price is pretty steep and Spencer even with all his talent has some major pressure on his shoulders. But aside from his big payday, Spencer will do his part to help defenses stop focusing just on DEMARCUS WARE as far as pass rushing goes at the linebacker spot.
DENVER BRONCOS
Franchise Tagged: MATT PRATER, Placekicker
What It Means: Prater isn’t really a franchise kicker but he is very helpful in the extra point and kickoff games. He had 68.1% of his kickoffs be touchbacks and 27.5% of kickoffs were returned. When you have an offense like the Broncos that is hot and cold during the season with an emphasis on cold, you need a kicker who can make kick returners work really hard to give their teams good field position (24th in points allowed and 20th in total defense) and one who can get consistent touchbacks.
DETROIT LIONS
Franchise Tagged: CLIFF AVRIL, Left Defensive End
What It Means: The just under $11 million dollar man has a lot to live up to now with his big contract and league-wide notoriety for what he has done for the past two seasons. No longer will he be that background defensive end that he was from 2008 up until Week 13 of the 2010 season. Fellow defensive ends KYLE VANDEN BOSCH can still play but he isn’t getting any younger, LAWRENCE JACKSON is here and there, WILLIE YOUNG is not a consistent pass rusher or sack man, and UGO CHINASA is too young but with potential. See the Lions defensive end dilemma? If they hadn’t signed Avril they would have been in trouble.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Franchise Tagged: ROBERT MATHIS, Left Defensive End
What It Means: Keeping Mathis and fellow defensive end stalwart DWIGHT FREENEY was as important to the Colts as casting DON JOHNSON and PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS together on MIAMI VICE back in the 1980s. Those two two have been pestering quarterbacks and left and right tackles since 2003. Mathis’ signing was key also for the fact that his high effort playing style should rub off on young underachieving but talented defensive ends such as JAMAAL ANDERSON (Mathis’ backup) and JERRY HUGHES.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Franchise Tagged: JOSH SCOBEE, Placekicker
What It Means: When your offense is continually stuck in reverse, your coach gets fired, and hometown fans think your franchise is as boring as reading Shakespeare, you have to find a bright spot on your team. Scobee converted all his extra points and was a 92% field goal man for the Jags in 2011. If it weren’t for Scobee’s extra points and field goals in 2011 the Jags would have been 2-14 instead of 5-11, because his kicking helped decide three wins for his team.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Franchise Tagged: DWAYNE BOWE, Wide Receiver
What It Means: The most exciting and best all-around player on their team and he sells tickets. Enough said.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Franchise Tagged: WES WELKER, Wide Receiver
What It Means: The Patriots just franchise tagged one of the best players in Patriots history. Enough said.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Franchise Tagged: DREW BREES, Quarterback
What It Means: He’s Drew Brees man!!!
NEW YORK GIANTS
Franchise Tagged: STEVE WEATHERFORD, Punter
What It Means: One of the best punters in the game and he was invaluable in Super Bowl XLVI.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Franchise Tagged: TYVON BRANCH, Strong Safety
What It Means; For those outside of Raiderland, this franchise tagging of Branch wasn’t big news but to the Raiders it was a huge deal. Branch is one of the Raiders better run and pass defenders and hopefully his play can rub off on chronic underachiever and fellow safety MICHAEL HUFF. he led the entire Raider defense in tackles with 109.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Franchise Tagged: DESEAN JACKSON, Wide Receiver/Punt Returner
What It Means: He’s Desean Jackson man!!!
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Franchise Tagged; DASHON GOLDSON, Free Safety
What It Means: Two cold-blooded safeties in Goldson and DONTE WHITNER paired together is part of what the Niners need in their quest for NFL respectability. The Niners can win a Super Bowl with their defense and offense (especially their defense) and locking up Goldson is easily what their franchise needs.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Franchise Tagged: CONNOR BARTH, Placekicker
What It Means: Like Prater, Barth isn’t a franchise kicker but every year since he has been with the Bucs he has gotten better. The Bucs offense isn’t a scoring machine and having a solid kicker like Barth will only help matters as he has made every extra point since his first season of 2009 and has been an 87.5% field goal man since 2010.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Franchise Tagged: MICHAEL GRIFFIN, Free Safety
What It Means: In what is virtually (outside of CORTLAND FINNEGAN, Griffin, and when left defensive end DERRICK MORGAN can get healthy and realize his vast potential) a no-name defense, Griffin needed to be signed as he can play all over the field and do so many things for their defense.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Franchise Tagged: FRED DAVIS, Tight End
What It Means: Davis is a future Pro Bowler and this needed to be done. CHRIS COOLEY who was their main man at tight end for seven years or when he was healthy, may be on his way out in Washington or at the moment sort of nudged to the side due to the emergence of Davis, which is unfair but a testament to how much of a business the NFL really is. Cooley isn’t an elite tight end any more but he can still be a No.2 pass catching threat at tight end. The Skins need both of them because the man who is their quarterback in 2012 will need their help tremendously.
