‘Tis the season for the franchise and transition tags.
The window to put a placeholder on pending free agents starts on Tuesday, and although the New England Patriots aren’t likely to be participants in those festivities, there are a couple of long-shot options on their roster, including wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones.
Keep in mind, a franchise tag allows a particular team to keep an unrestricted free agent player under contract for another year, while continuing to work towards a long-term contract extension or possibly even a trade. Meanwhile, the transition tag gives the team a chance to match whatever offer a player gets on the free agent market to keep that player on the roster.
As for the Patriots, it’s a long-shot possibility that they would even consider either option with Meyers and Jones.
The cost for a franchise tag cost for a receiver is $19.7 million, while the price for a cornerback would be $18.1 million. As much as the team loves Meyers and Jones, they aren’t breaking the bank for them on a one-year deal. They’ll likely either agree on a new contract or watch them walk out the door.
Losing Meyers would sting considering he has been the team’s most productive receiver in recent years. Jones, on the other hand, has been a reliable defensive back with the ability to line up in the slot, along with taking challenges on the outside.
The market will ultimately decide if they’re back in a Patriots uniform or not.
