Commanders avoid a franchise tag blunder
The 2024 offseason franchise/transition tag deadlines passed at 4 p.m. Tuesday with most of the NFL, including the Commanders, taking a pass this year.
The Commanders did not tag any of their pending free agents. Only eight of the 32 teams used a tag.
Tag: the official list of franchised players from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/jL7ovIcfcF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
Consequently, these eight players will not be able to negotiate with other clubs when free agency begins. Meanwhile, all of the Commanders’ pending free agents will be free to negotiate with other teams beginning March 11, the first day of the legal tampering period.
Some older Washington fans may recall the Washington Redskins’ first use of the franchise tag on one of their unrestricted free agents. It occurred in 1993 — the year the tag was introduced — when GM Charley Casserly placed the tag on linebacker Wilber Marshall.
Marshall had been an All-American at the University of Florida, and an All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, before he joined Washington in 1988. Marshall had big seasons for Washington in 1991 and 1992 and wanted to test the free agent market. Casserly applied the franchise tag. Marshall was upset, took the team to court and was subsequently traded to the Houston Oilers.
Who could forget Bruce Allen and former owner Daniel Snyder mishandling Kirk Cousins’ contract? Scot McCloughan urged Allen and Snyder in 2015 to extend Cousins because he was developing into a fine quarterback. Sure enough, Cousins led the Redskins to winning seasons in 2015 (9-7) and 2016 (8-7-1), but Allen and Snyder felt they knew best and never extended Cousins. He gambled on himself by playing on consecutive franchise tags and has made big money with the Vikings.
Some Washington fans never appreciated Cousins and still refer to him as a loser and a choker. However, the fact remains that Washington has not had a winning season since 2016.
