Tracking each move at NFL franchise tag deadline, plus Davante Adams landing spots and combine overreactions

Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! 

The most exciting day of the NFL offseason is finally here: It’s franchise tag deadline day! 

OK, so I might be slightly exaggerating. It’s not the most exciting day of the offseason — you could argue that it’s not even in the top five — but we’re still going to cover it. 

As of noon on Tuesday, there have only been two franchise tags handed out and it’s looking like we might not see anyone else get tagged before today’s deadline at 4 p.m. ET. We’ll be covering the latest on those tags, plus we’ll take one last look at the combine and we’ll be breaking down some potential landing spots for Davante Adams. 

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. 

1. Franchise tag deadline is today: Here’s everything you need to know 

The franchise tag window has been open for two weeks and during that time, only two players got tagged. If anyone else is going to get tagged, it’s going to have to happen by 4 p.m. ET today, because that’s the deadline for using the franchise tag. 

If a team uses a tag on a player, the two sides will have until July 15 to work out a long-term contract. If a long-term deal can’t be hammered out, then the player will go into the 2025 season on a one-year deal that pays them at the franchise tag number for their position. 

Here’s a look at the players who have been tagged so far, along with what their one-year franchise tag salary will be for 2025 if no long-term deal is worked out: 

The Bengals had been expected to tag Higgins since mid-February and that tag finally came on Monday. The franchise tag number for receivers is $23.96 million, but Higgins gets more than that since this is his second time being tagged. Under rules of the franchise tag, Higgins gets a 120% bump over his 2024 tag number, which was $21.82 million. As for Smith, he was tagged on Feb. 28. 

Although that’s only two tags, that number could get bigger today. As we get closer to 4 p.m. ET, there could be a couple more tags handed out. Here’s a look at the biggest tag question marks heading into the deadline: 

• Vikings: QB Sam Darnold ($40.2 million). Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season, but apparently, that wasn’t enough to convince Minnesota to bring him back. According to multiple reports, the Vikings are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Darnold, but it seems they will try to get a deal done before the start of free agency. If the two sides can’t agree on a deal, then Darnold will be free to sign with any team on March 12. You can read more about Darnold’s situation here. 
• Ravens: Ronnie Stanley ($23.4 million). During an interview at the NFL combine, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he was optimistic that a deal would get done with Stanley. Also, John Harbaugh said he was hopeful that the team would keep Stanley, so it seems like the Ravens want him to stick around. The problem for the Ravens is that they don’t have a ton of salary cap space and tagging Stanley would cost $23.4 million. Stanley is the team’s starting left tackle and it would definitely hurt to lose him, so it will be interesting to see what the Ravens do here. Right now, it seems unlikely that Stanley gets tagged, but things could change by 4 p.m. ET. 

Finally, we have Osa Odighizuwa. He was a franchise tag candidate, but he definitely won’t be getting hit with the tag after agreeing to a long-term deal on Tuesday, just four hours before the tag deadline. 

• Cowboys: DL Osa Odighizuwa. The Cowboys made it clear at the combine that Odighizuwa is someone they would love to have back and if you look at the their depth on the defensive line, he’s someone they NEED to have back. The Cowboys are clearly aware of that fact because they handed out a huge contract to Odighizuwa. The defensive lineman has agreed to terms on a four-year, $80 million deal that includes $58 million in guaranteed money. If Odighizuwa had been tagged, his cap number would have been $25.1 million in 2025, but now that this deal is done, it will be something much lower for the upcoming season. 

If you want to know who will end up getting tagged, then make sure to click here and bookmark our franchise tag tracker, which will list every player who’s been tagged when the deadline hits at 4 p.m. ET. 

2. NFL combine overreactions: Will Shedeur Sanders fall out of the top 10? 

Everyone on the internet loves to overreact to things, and that’s especially true when we’re talking about the NFL. With that in mind, Josh Edwards decided to take a look at several things that happened during the NFL combine to decide if we’re all overreacting. 

Statement: Shedeur Sanders will fall out of the top 10. 
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. “There is a team or two most closely linked to Sanders, but if those teams go in another direction, then a slide for the Colorado quarterback could very well happen. At this stage of the process, I am inclined to believe there is going to be a team desperate enough to turn that dream into reality.”

Statement: Jaxson Dart will surge into the first round. 
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. “There is an argument to be made that Louisville’s Tyler Shough, not Dart, was the best of the quarterback performers in Indianapolis. Age and a history of injuries is obviously a concern in regards to Shough, but if a quarterback without any flaws existed, then they would not be available outside of the top 10 overall, let alone the first round. There are reasons to like both players but the combine was not a reason to push either into the first round.”

Statement: Two running backs will be taken in the first round. 
Overreaction or reality: Reality. “North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton was in a tier above all others at the position with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty sidelined. Hampton measured 5-foot-11 6/8, 221 pounds then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds with a 1.54 seconds 10-yard split. A team could trade back into Round 1 to secure Hampton, but Denver (20th overall), Pittsburgh (21st overall), Minnesota (24th overall), the Chargers (22nd overall) and Washington (29th overall) may also be in the market to add at the position.”

There are plenty more overreactions from the combine, and if you want to check those out, be sure to click here.  

3. One thing we learned about each NFC team at the combine

On Monday, we broke down one thing we learned about each AFC team at the NFL combine, so today, we’re going to flip things around by taking a look at the NFC. 

Jared Dubin came up with one thing we learned about each NFC team and we’re going to cover four of those teams below: 

• Giants: They REALLY want a quarterback. We know the Giants tried to get in on the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes. There are already rumors that they could be interested in someone like Aaron Rodgers or Sam Darnold. And recently, reports have indicated that they are perhaps the most interested team in moving up to the No. 1 overall pick to land their choice of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
• Bears: They’re looking to upgrade their offensive line. Head coach Ben Johnson said the Bears are confident they’ll be able to reshape the line in free agency and the draft: “There are a number of teams that did that last year,” he said, via the team’s official website. “The Panthers come to mind; when they went out in free agency and got a couple of top guards (Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis), [it] really changed the dynamic of their offense. You saw them clicking there in the second half of the season once they really started to gel.”
• Falcons: They’ll likely dump Kirk Cousins. All the buzz coming out of the combine is that the Falcons (unsurprisingly) won’t be able to find a taker for Cousins via trade and he’ll be released, at which point he would be free to sign with the team of his choice.
• 49ers: The receiving room is undergoing a huge change. Samuel, as mentioned, was traded to Washington. Brandon Aiyuk is also supposedly available for trade. That means things are going to change in a big way in San Francisco. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will presumably be heavily involved in the receiver room, but still more changes could be on the way.

Dubin covered all 16 teams in the NFC, and if you want to know what he learned, you can check out his full list here. 

4. Davante Adams landing spots: Receiver could be a good fit in Pittsburgh

In Monday’s newsletter, we mentioned that there’s a good chance that the Jets will end up moving on from Davante Adams and that’s mostly because they’ll pick up nearly $30 million in salary cap space by either trading or cutting Adams. 

With the six-time Pro Bowler on his way out in New York, Jordan Dajani thought now would be a good time to take a look at a few possible landing spots. 

• Steelers. “Adams could help George Pickens get his head on straight while teaching both him and Calvin Austin some finer points on route-running. Adams could also serve as a safety blanket for whoever the Steelers move forward with as their quarterback in 2025, perhaps Rodgers, with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to become free agents.”
• Commanders. “Washington reached agreement on a trade for Deebo Samuel this week, but the work at receiver may not be done. The two non-Terry McLaurin starting wide receivers — Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus — are free agents this offseason. Washington is also equipped to enter the 2025 offseason with the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL. That gives them plenty of resources to go after Adams.”
• Chargers. “Justin Herbert threw a career-high four interceptions as the Texans secondary blanketed his receivers. The Chargers have two young wide receivers in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but they could use a veteran, Pro Bowl-caliber option to complement the two youngsters.”

We came up with a total of five landing spots for Adams and you can check out all of them here.  

Adams might not be the only Jets receiver leaving New York. According to ESPN.com, Allen Lazard has been given permission to seek a trade, which makes it seem like all of Aaron Rodgers’ old friends might end up leaving New York at the same time he does. 

5. Teams set to be hit the hardest by free agency

Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl this year, but it’s not going to be easy for them to repeat and one big reason for that is because they’re likely going to lose several key players in free agency. Tyler Sullivan broke down the five teams that are likely going to lose the most key players in free agency and the Eagles came out on top.

Let’s check out the top three teams on his list (Next to each player’s name, we’ve listed where they fall on Pete Prisco’s list of the top 100 free agents): 

1. EAGLES
Possible free agent losses: OLB Josh Sweat (No. 3) DE Milton Williams (No. 6) LB Zack Baun (No. 10), OG Mekhi Becton (No. 19)
Sullivan’s take: “The Philadelphia Eagles have four soon-to-be free agents inside Prisco’s top 100. And that doesn’t even reference the other notable free agents they have like Kenneth Gainwell, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox among others.”

2. VIKINGS
Possible free agent losses: QB Sam Darnold (No. 1), OT Cam Robinson (No. 17), CB Byron Murphy (No. 24), SS Camryn Bynum (No. 29), RB Aaron Jones (No. 39), FS Harrison Smith (No. 89)
Sullivan’s take: “While Darnold is the headliner, the Vikings have a tremendous amount of high-caliber players hitting free agency. Cam Robinson should commander a healthy market as a starting left tackle in the NFL. In the secondary, Murphy, Bynum, and Smith were all inside the top five in tackles on the team last season. Murphy earned a Pro Bowl nod after totaling six interceptions and 14 pass breakups, while Bynum and Smith each broke up 10 passes and tallied three picks.”

3. JETS
Possible free agent losses: CB D.J. Reed (No. 8),  ILB Jamien Sherwood (No. 23), OLB Haason Reddick (No. 56), OT Morgan Moses (No. 97), OT Tyron Smith (No. 98)
Sullivan’s take: “D.J. Reed lands inside the top 10 of Prisco’s free agent rankings, and rightfully so. He’s likely going to be looked at as the top free agent corner on the market. Along the offensive line, the Jets have two starting-caliber tackles heading to free agency in Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith. Both are certainly in the twilight of their careers at age 34, but could be valuable to teams looking for a short-term fix on the ends of the line.”

Sully made a list of five teams that will likely be hit hard by free agency and if you want to see his full list, you can do that here. 

6. Extra points: Jimmy Johnson is retiring from NFL coverage

It’s been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Jimmy Johnson headed to retirement. After spending nearly three decades at Fox Sports, the 81-year-old Johnson has officially decided to retire. After winning two Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 1990s, Johnson parted ways with the team in 1993 and immediately took a job with Fox. He spent two seasons with the network before leaving to coach the Dolphins in 1996. After his time in Miami was over in 1999, the Pro Football Hall of Famer returned to Fox and he had been there ever since. You can read more about his retirement decision here. 
• Bill Belichick won’t be on “Hard Knocks” after deal falls through. The idea of Bill Belichick on ‘”Hard Knocks” seemed to good to be true and as it turns out, it was. CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones has reported that the “Hard Knocks” deal between UNC and the NFL has fallen through, which means the Tar Heels won’t be featured on the offseason version of the popular HBO show. We’ve got the full details on the situation here. 
• Eagles to cut Darius Slay and James Bradberry. With so much young talent in their secondary, the Eagles have decided to move on from two of their older corners with the Eagles expected to both Slay and Bradberry. The 34-year-old Slay is expected to be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will save Philly $3 million against the 2025 salary cap and $17.8 million for 2026. Slay plans on playing in 2025 and if you’re wondering where he might end up, we came up with a few landing spots here. As for Bradberry, the 31-year-old just finished his third season with the Eagles and will now be hitting free agency. Bradberry, who didn’t play in 2024 after tearing his Achilles, will now look to start fresh with a new team. You can read more about his situation here. 
• Rams never thought they were going to lose Matthew Stafford. There was a lot of speculation last week that Stafford might get traded out of Los Angeles, but according to Sean McVay, that never came close to happening. “That was never something that I felt like ever got close to and it was never something that I allowed my mind to go to.” McVay said. You can read McVay’s full comments here.