Burning Questions for NFL's Biggest 2015 Tag Decisions

As the Super Bowl continues to fade further and further out of sight in the rearview mirror, the NFL's business season draws inexorably closer. And this upcoming Monday provides an unofficial beginning to the proceedings, as it's the first day that NFL teams can apply the franchise (or transition) tag to one of their prospective free agents, with the deadline coming on March 2.

The franchise tag is a one-year pact that keeps said player off the market and pays him an average of the five highest-paid players at that position. It was only used four times last offseason, but the expectation is that there will be more in this iteration.

In some cases, the franchise tag is used because team and player cannot reach agreement on a long-term pact. In others, the team uses it in order to create financial relief. And in others, it simply buys time so corresponding moves can be made in order to secure a potential long-term contract.

Regardless of the reason, though, the tag should be used quite a bit in the coming months.

As always, there are burning questions swirling around myriad situations in the league concerning the tag. In this column, we'll make an effort to answer eight of the most pressing queries and determine if the teams in question will indeed apply the franchise tag to keep a star player on the roster for (at least) one more campaign.

Will the Broncos Franchise-Tag WR Demaryius Thomas?

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Since being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has been nothing short of dominant for the Denver Broncos—including hauling in 111 receptions for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2014. 

With Thomas set to hit the free-agent market—and the Broncos possessing nearly $24 million in available cap space—it stands to reason that general manager John Elway and Co. won't let him walk out the door.

But potentially complicating matters is the impending free agency of star tight end Julius Thomas, who should also command a massive payday, and the fact that quarterback Peyton Manning hasn't yet decided if he'll return in 2015.

ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen reported Friday that Manning informed Elway and the Broncos that he will be able to play at a "significant" level this season, and if Manning is on the Denver roster on March 9—one day before the start of the new league year (and free agency)—he will be guaranteed $19 million for the season. Once that particular piece falls into place, things should become a lot clearer, and the expectation should be that a decision is made in the not-so-near future. 

But regardless of Manning's return, the bottom line is that Denver cannot afford to lose a player of Thomas' stature. The 27-year-old is one of the league's finest receivers, and his ilk doesn't come along too often.

And indeed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), the Broncos will not hesitate to use the franchise tag in order to retain him. If that does happen, Thomas will make about $13 million next season.

With Julius Thomas also about to hit the market, the likely scenario sees a tag for (Demaryius) Thomas and a long-term deal for (Julius) Thomas, which would provide Manning with his full complement of weapons (assuming he returns). 

Expect the Broncos to use the tag on Thomas and keep him in the Mile High City for at least one more campaign.

Will the Giants Use the Franchise Tag on DE Jason Pierre-Paul?

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is set to hit the free-agent market—and at age 26 and coming off a season in which he accrued 12.5 sacks, it's safe to assume his financial windfall will be substantial.

Pierre-Paul finished 2014 ranked as Pro Football Focus' seventh-ranked defensive end and closed out the campaign strong with nine sacks over the final five games. Now that's the way to hit the market.

The artist known as "JPP" knows he's going to get paid, telling Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com:

"

I think I am worth a lot of money. What do you think? I don't know what my future holds. Who knows if I am going to be in a Giant uniform, who knows where I am going to be in the offseason. Like I said, now, the numbers are there, I had a great season, and everybody sees it. There really is nothing else to say, just negotiations and it is coming.

"

The Giants possess about $10 million in cap space, which could make it difficult to bring Pierre-Paul back. But owner John Mara expressed a significant desire to keep JPP, telling Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, "I would be very surprised if (Pierre-Paul) was not a Giant next year."

The franchise tag for defensive ends would pay Pierre-Paul nearly $15 million in 2015, and given his injury history—he's only started 16 games in a season once in his five-year career—it might make more sense for Big Blue to tag JPP for 2015 and, if he performs, work out a long-term deal next offseason.

But either way, Mara's comment would seem to indicate that the Giants have no interest in letting Pierre-Paul walk. The franchise tag looms as the likeliest option.

Can Kansas City Work out a Long-Term Deal with LB Justin Houston?

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

It must be good to be Kansas City Chiefs pass-rushing linebacker Justin Houston. Coming off a campaign in which he led the NFL with 22 sacks—just in time to hit free agency—there's no question he's about to be very, very rich.

Houston also finished the year as Pro Football Focus' top-rated 3-4 outside linebacker by a wide margin. He was as dominant as any defensive player in the NFL not named J.J. Watt last year, and the Chiefs would be insane to let a player of his stature sign elsewhere.

In December, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported that the Chiefs would likely hit Houston with the franchise tag and that he would likely sign it and take the one-year windfall that comes with it.

And recently, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com wrote that the chances of the Chiefs letting Houston walk are "slim," and it's tough to disagree with that notion. But Kansas City is currently $5 million over the cap, which throws a wrench into the situation.

But no wrench should be large or troublesome enough to keep Houston out of Kansas City in 2015. Every expectation should be that the Chiefs use the franchise tag on him and attempt to work out a long-term deal later. The tag would pay Houston $13 million in 2015.

Will Dallas Use the Franchise Tag on WR Dez Bryant?

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is set to hit the free-agent market, and if he does, he's going to be paid handsomely. When you're 26 years old and coming off a season in which you caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdown receptions, it's a no-brainer.

But come on: You don't seriously believe that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is just going to let Bryant walk out the door, right? Jones is going to do everything in his power to keep Bryant in Big D, and that's the bottom line.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora said, "I’d be pretty surprised at this point if they got something long-term done with Dez anytime soon," which would indicate that the franchise tag looms as the likeliest option.

ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer recently wrote that "in all likelihood" the Cowboys will use the franchise tag on Bryant before March 2. If (and when) that happens, he would earn about $13 million in 2015.

The franchise tag buys extra time to get a long-term deal done. Even though Dallas is in a precarious cap situation (just $5.1 million in space), Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram recently reported that the team will restructure quarterback Tony Romo's contract in an effort to clear space.

The expectation should be that Dallas slaps Bryant with the franchise tag and tries to work out a long-term deal with star running back DeMarco Murray in order to bring the "triplets" (Romo, Murray and Bryant) back for another run at the Super Bowl in 2015.

Will the Patriots Use the Franchise Tag on S Devin McCourty?

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty helped the franchise win its fourth Lombardi Trophy and is now set to hit the free-agent market, where he'll have no shortage of suitors.

McCourty, 27, finished 2014 as Pro Football Focus' eighth-ranked safety, intercepting two passes and serving as a disruptive force at the back of coach Bill Belichick's defense. He played well in the postseason as well, likely raising his price tag.

As Tom E. Curran of CSN New England writes, the two most likely options for the franchise tag in New England are McCourty and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. And while Gostkowski is undoubtedly one of the league's finest kickers, it would be a curious decision if the Patriots opted to keep a kicker over one of the league's best safeties.

The franchise tag number for safeties is expected to be in the range of $9.6 million, which is a fair salary for a player of McCourty's stature. But right now, as Curran writes, the Patriots are focused on getting a deal done with star cornerback Darrelle Revis. His situation also complicates matters with the cap, as he has a $25 million team option for 2015 that will surely be declined in favor of a long-term deal.

The expectation should be that once they deal with the Revis situation, the Patriots will place the franchise tag on McCourty and try to work out a long-term deal somewhere down the road.

For more on McCourty and the franchise tag, watch this Team Stream video with Bleacher Report host Adam Lefkoe and lead NFL analyst Chris Simms.

Can Detroit Afford to Use the Franchise Tag on DT Ndamukong Suh?

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

In a perfect world, there's no way that the Detroit Lions would let defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh sign anywhere else.

Suh, 28, is coming off a monster campaign in which he notched 8.5 sacks and finished as Pro Football Focus' third-ranked defensive tackle. He's an absolute terror in the middle of Detroit's defensive line and will most definitely be lavished with greenbacks this offseason.

But unfortunately for the denizens of Motown, this isn't a perfect world, and the question is whether the Lions will be able to keep him. As Drew Birkett of the Detroit Free Press recently reported, Suh is seeking a pact that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. And with the Lions possessing only $12 million in cap space, it's going to be difficult for them to retain Suh's services.

In this particular situation, the franchise tag serves as the nuclear option. Why? Because Suh's massive salary this past year—$22.4 million—would trigger a preposterous $26.7 million franchise tag number in 2015. That's the kind of economic impact that hamstrings a franchise from adding necessary pieces to compete for a world championship.

If Suh is indeed to stay in Detroit, general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Caldwell would surely love it to be on a long-term deal. It's currently unclear if the duo would opt to execute the nuclear option and tag Suh, but he's a good enough player that the decision couldn't be criticized too roundly.

Is It Likely That the Bills Will Use the Franchise Tag on DE Jerry Hughes?

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Over the past two seasons, Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes has quietly flown under the radar as perhaps the league's most underrated and underappreciated player.

Hughes has racked up 20 sacks (10 each in 2013 and 2014), and his impact has been enormous. He finished 2014 as Pro Football Focus' 14th-ranked defensive end and was a huge reason why the Bills finished with the league's fourth-ranked defense and led the NFL in sacks (54).

Now, Hughes, 26, is set to hit the free-agent market, and there's no question that the Bills would like to bring him back. Considering new coach Rex Ryan's penchant for defense and getting after the opposing quarterback, it would seem to behoove Buffalo to lock Hughes up for at least the 2015 season.

Speaking earlier this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk) about potentially receiving the franchise tag, Hughes said, "I wouldn’t necessarily be disappointed. I do want [a long-term deal], but the pay increase is also a huge added bonus. It’s kind of a mixed emotions between both.”

Still, it's hard to imagine the Bills dedicating another $14.78 million (the projected franchise number for defensive ends) on a pass-rusher, so the more likely option is the team trying to work out a long-term deal for Hughes. But with the Bills possessing $27 million in cap space, he should return to lovely Western New York no matter what happens.

Will Pittsburgh Use a Tag to Keep Jason Worilds in Town for Another Year?

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers used the transition tag—aka Luigi to the franchise tag's Mario—to keep pass-rushing linebacker Jason Worilds in town.

Now, Worilds is once again a free agent, and coming off a season in which he accrued 7.5 sacks, it makes sense for the team to want to keep him in the Steel City. But the Steelers once again face significant cap issues, as the club is currently $4 million over the cap.

Speaking to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said, "(Worilds) is still a young player. He is probably still an ascending player. I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him, either, as a Steeler or as a potential player for someone else’s team. He is definitely someone that we will consider keeping. We will see where the market goes.”

Colbert also hasn't ruled out using the transition tag on Worilds again. The franchise tag would mean he would earn $13 million in 2015. The transition tag would give him $11 million.

With the Steelers strapped for cash, the franchise tag doesn't appear to be a likely option to retain the talented Worilds.

All salary-cap information comes via Spotrac.com. All franchise tag numbers by position for 2015 come via estimates from NFL.com's Albert Breer.