NFL free agency is less than one week away from starting and with the deadline for teams to use the franchise or transition tag, the Philadelphia Eagles are likely to stand pat and do nothing.
According to Jeff McLane of The Inquirer, Howie Roseman is unlikely to use either tag on C.J. Gardner-Johnson or any other free agent.
The NFL’s deadline for franchise and transition tags is today at 4 p.m. and the #Eagles are unlikely to use either on safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson or any other player.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) March 7, 2023
With the base salary being among the top five at the position, the franchise tag for Gardner-Johnson would be $14.46 million, while the transition tag would be $11,867,000.
A slot cornerback in New Orleans, Gardner-Johnson was traded to Philadelphia and firmly established himself as one of the NFL’s top young stars after making the transition to the safety position. In 12 starts, Gardner-Johnson was the NFL’s co-leader in interceptions with six, while also logging 67 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 8 passes defended.
Reed Blankenship’s performance as a rookie offers some cushion heading into next season, but Philadelphia realistically could draft a cornerback and safety in next month’s draft.
