NFL Franchise Tag Deadline 2013: Steelers Should Stay Static
Keenan Lewis vastly improved this last season, but is he worth the $10+ million franchise tag?
Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Monday at 4pm EST will signal the deadline for teams to place a franchise tag on a player of their choosing who is currently a free agent. The Steelers and Kevin Colbert have already said weeks ago that they do not plan on using the tag on anyone on the roster.
The franchise tags breakdown as follows:
| Position | Cost |
|---|---|
| Quarterback | $14,896,000 |
| Offensive Linemen (includes Offensive Tackle, Offensive Guard, Center) | $9,828,000 |
| Wide Receiver | $10,537,000 |
| Running Back (includes all Fullbacks and Halfbacks) | $8,219,000 |
| Tight End | $6,066,000 |
| Defensive End | $12,398,000 |
| Defensive Tackle | $8,450,000 |
| Linebacker | $9,619,000 |
| Cornerback | $10,854,000 |
| Safety | $6,916,000 |
| Kicker or Punter | $2,977,000 |
Those are all some expensive tags, especially for a team that is trying to desperately to get under this years cap with as little casualties as possible. If Colbert says they aren’t going to use one, then we can all expect to believe him. Last season, as fans waited to see what the Steelers would do with Mike Wallace, many thought the team could slap the tag on the tall wide out to lock him in for at least a year. That would have cost the team around $9 million, and something the team decided they would not exercise. If they weren’t willing to do that for Wallace, whom many would argue is the most electric offensive player on the team, they certainly won’t do it for anyone on this years free agency.
| Isaac Redman | RB | RFA |
| Emmanuel Sanders | WR | RFA |
| Ramon Foster | G | UFA |
| Jonathan Dwyer | RB | RFA |
| Plaxico Burress | WR | UFA |
| David Johnson | FB | UFA |
| Greg Warren | LS | UFA |
| Jeremy Kapinos | P | RFA |
| Leonard Pope | TE | UFA |
| Rashard Mendenhall | RB | UFA |
| Byron Leftwich | QB | UFA |
| Charlie Batch | QB | UFA |
| Mike Wallace | WR | UFA |
| Doug Legursky | C | UFA |
| Max Starks | OT | UFA |
| Defense | ||
| Steve McLendon | DL | RFA |
| Brandon Johnson | LB | UFA |
| Stevenson Sylvester | LB | RFA |
| Casey Hampton | DL | UFA |
| Larry Foote | LB | UFA |
| Keenan Lewis | CB | UFA |
| Will Allen | S | UFA |
| Justin King | CB | UFA |
| Ryan Mundy | S | UFA |
There is seriously no one on this list who is worth the franchise tag. Keenan Lewis is a priority to re-sign, however, he’s not worth the single year of $10 million. His contract offer will more than likely land somewhere around a three or four year deal worth $16 million total. Last season he made $1.26 million and will get a healthy $3-4 million a year pay bump…. that’s if he takes it. The Steelers are probably confident that they will sign who they need to and are fully prepared to let walk who they want to let go or who won’t come to an agreement with the team.
While the franchise tag might be an exciting moment or one full of dread for teams and fans throughout the rest of the league, Steeler Nation can expect it to be a non factor once again this time around.