The Vikings should not use the franchise tag for the 2019 NFL season
By Adam Carlson
Starting Feb. 19, 2019, teams can use the franchise or transition tag to keep players essential to their future. However, the Vikings should not use them.
It might be the offseason for fans of the NFL, but teams like the Minnesota Vikings never have to stop making tough decisions. With scouting happening for the 2019 NFL Draft, their own rosters being evaluated, and free agents being looked at, front offices are as busy as ever.
Another decision that must be made is what to do with the franchise and transition tags. Starting on Feb. 19 and ending on Mar. 5, teams can designate players and tag them in hopes of getting them to stick around for another season but pay a premium price to do so.
Considering that Minnesota only has $5,823,944 available in their salary cap for the 2019 season according to Spotrac, so what they can do is very limited. However, the Vikings can always release or trade players to free up their money so they could tag someone like Anthony Barr or Sheldon Richardson who look likely to leave in free agency to a massive contract.
Even if the team is willing to free up cap space, it would be surprising to see them use it on a franchise or transition tag. Instead, they need to lock down players at other positions to fill the roster so the squad doesn’t miss out on their top-tier targets when the NFL Draft or free agency begins.
It is hard to think about solid players like Richardson and Barr going to another team as a free agent, but using the franchise tag would cost the team $15.777 million and $15.571 million respectively to put the franchise tag on according to Over The Cap, so negotiating a long-term deal would be a better option even if they had the money.
Next. Free agent guards the Vikings should consider. dark
Stranger things have happened in the NFL, but it just seems highly illogical that the Minnesota Vikings will use the franchise or transition tag this year. However that all depends on how much the team wants Sheldon Richardson or Anthony Barr around for the 2019 NFL season.