2012 NFL Free Agents: Examining the Players That Could Get the Franchise Tag

The 2012 NFL free agent class is loaded with talent, but some of the bigger names will likely be re-signed with their team or get the franchise tag. 

Let's look at five likely, rather big-name players who could be their respective team's franchise player next season. 

Fred Davis 

Davis is a young tight end with a great deal of potential in D.C. He was suspended for the last four games of the 2011 season and will be held out of the first four games in 2012 due to failed drug tests.

He has emerged as the team's go-to target and will likely be the team's most viable pass-catching option for whoever is the starting quarterback for the Redskins next season. 

They'd likely have to pay him around 5.4 million next season, which isn't a huge cap number and it'll give them time to evaluate his maturation process and see if he can continue to progress as a player. 

A perfect candidate for the franchise tag. 

Wes Welker

The Boston Herald's Greg Bedard joined the Armando and Perkins show in Miami and said the following. 

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"He's going to be tagged, that I know for pretty much certain," said Bedard, who clarified that it's the franchise tag the Pats would use. "If they don't, he's going to sign with the Jets and they're going to have to try and cover him twice a year, or the Dolphins ... They want him back. I don't see why things would change now, but the way it stood before the Super Bowl, they're going to tag him."

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It's pretty obvious the Patriots don't want to pay Welker like an elite wideout and he wants to be paid in the Andre Johnson range.

Welker's another prime candidate to get the franchise tag slapped on him this offseason.  

Matt Forte 

Forte's situation comes with more speculation. There's still a chance the Chicago Bears look to sign him to a long-term deal, but as this NFL.com article reports, the Bears' front office will place the franchise tag on him if necessary. 

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"We'd like to [work out a long-term deal with Forte]," Phillips told ESPN 1000 radio in Chicago. "But as [new Bears general manager Phil Emery] pointed out, we obviously will at least consider placing the franchise tag on him. We don't have any intention of letting Matt hit the open market. We'll sit down with him privately, Phil will, and discuss what the plans are prior to the Feb. 20 franchise tag date."

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The Bears were reluctant to extend Forte during his electrifying 2011 season. He missed the final four games due to a sprained ligament in his right knee.

There's a decent chance he'll ink a major deal, but the franchise tag is definitely still in the picture.

Stevie Johnson 

This report came from over a month ago, but to this day the Bills and Stevie Johnson haven't moved any closer to a deal. 

Paying the controversial yet productive wide receiver 9.5 million next season (if hit with franchise tag) seems a bit steep, but it'll give Buffalo more time to see if Johnson is a true No. 1 receiver and can be the go-to guy in crunch time for Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

If they move closer to the beginning of free agency on March 13th without a long-term deal on the table, there's a good chance Johnson will be the Bills' franchise player in 2012. 

Drew Brees 

Yes, after his record-setting season, there's a shot that Brees isn't handed a shiny new deal on a silver platter. 

That doesn't mean he's going anywhere. 

That means he's a probable candidate for the franchise tag, as Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune recently pointed out.  

The Saints have a multitude of free agents this season that are significant priorities, including offensive lineman Carl Nicks, wideouts Marques Colston and Robert Meachem, and cornerback Tracy Porter. 

Brees is the face of the organization and a franchise tag will allow them to work on the deals of those other players. 

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