Tag teams: These seven are most likely to use franchise label

The NFL’s pending free-agent list always looks tantalizing at this time of year – until players start to come off the market when given a franchise or transition tag.

The process will begin again Monday when teams can use those designations to essentially guarantee keeping one of their best players in the fold for at least another season.

A quick primer on some key points before getting to this offseason’s top candidates:

· There are two types of franchise tags -- exclusive and non-exclusive. Players given the exclusive designation are allowed to negotiate only with their own club. In exchange, they receive a one-year salary of whichever is greater: the average of what the five highest-paid players at their position are being paid this season or 120 percent of their own salary cap number from the prior year.

Most franchise players are given the non-exclusive designation because it usually serves as enough of a deterrent at a lesser price than the exclusive tag. Any interested suitor that wants to sign a franchise player must: 1.) surrender two first-round draft picks as compensation; 2.) give the parent team a seven-day window in which it can match the offer.

If he remains with his current squad, the non-exclusive player is guaranteed a salary based on the five-year average cap percentage of the franchise tag for his position or he receives the same 120 percent raise an exclusive player.

Here is a look at the teams most likely to use the franchise or transition tags unless they’re able to strike a deal over the next 17 days.

Kansas City: OLB Justin Houston (2014 franchise tag, $11.5 million)

The Chiefs could have found themselves in a tough spot with both Houston and quarterback Alex Smith in the final years of their contracts entering last season. Kansas City, though, struck a five-year, $76 million deal with Smith. That now gives the Chiefs leverage with Houston by having the franchise tag available. Houston’s value is even greater now than it was then. His 22 sacks last season were the second-highest total in league history behind the 22.5 posted by Pro Football Hall of Fame end and FOX Sports analyst Michael Strahan.

Dallas: WR Dez Bryant (2014 franchise tag, $12.3 million)

Though he is known to change his mind from time to time, there is no reason to believe Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will back off his in-season proclamation that Bryant was destined for the franchise tag if a contract extension couldn’t be reached. But by using the tag on Bryant, the Cowboys would run the risk of losing reigning NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray in free agency. Bryant is a higher priority than Murray because he has less of an injury history, and wide receivers -- especially one with top five talent -- are harder to replace than running backs.

Detroit: DT Ndamukong Suh (2014 franchise tag, $9.7 million)

His standing as arguably the top NFL interior lineman as well as a tricky contract situation makes Suh the league’s most intriguing free-agent-to-be. Because of his massive rookie contract and subsequent restructures by Lions management to clear cap space, Suh’s franchise tag would be a whopping $26.9 million. Suh also will carry a $9.7 million cap hit from those prior restructures regardless of whether he’s on the roster. All this would give Suh a 2015 Lions cap figure of $36.6 million, which is roughly 25 percent of the projected $143 million 2015 cap for teams.

Detroit could potentially swallow that pill by restructuring contracts and releasing veteran players such as running back Reggie Bush and defensive lineman Jason Jones to clear space. But such short-term thinking would have a negative trickle-down effect on Detroit’s future cap situation and ability to keep its best young players in the fold. Should the tag not get used, the Lions would still have a shot at re-signing Suh before the March 10 start of free agency. But this would open the door for other teams with more cap space to make an offer that would make Suh the highest-paid defensive lineman in NFL history.

Buffalo: DE Jerry Hughes (2014 franchise tag, $13.1 million)

Considered a first-round draft bust in Indianapolis, Hughes has reinvented himself with consecutive 10-sack seasons since being traded to Buffalo in 2013. Hughes would be a perfect fit as an outside pass rusher in the defensive scheme being installed by new coach Rex Ryan but that doesn’t mean the Bills will be willing to make such a lofty investment. A transition tag designation doesn’t seem out of the question -- similar to what Pittsburgh successfully did with outside linebacker Jason Worilds in 2014.

New England: S Devin McCourty (2014 franchise tag, $8.3 million)

One of the NFL’s top cover safeties, McCourty has excelled in New England’s defense since being converted from cornerback in 2012. Unfortunately for McCourty, safety also carries the smallest dollar value of any defensive position under the franchise designation. That makes him a prime candidate to get tagged.

Whether the Patriots can get McCourty signed long-term depends on what New England does with cornerback Darrelle Revis, who is slated to earn $20 million in 2015 with a $25 million cap charge. An extension for Revis or even his release -- which seems like a long shot given his value to the 2014 Patriots in their Super Bowl run -- would give New England more wiggle room to negotiate a long-term extension with McCourty or kicker Stephen Gostkowski, another key player poised for free agency.

Denver: WR Demaryius Thomas (2014 franchise tag, $12.3 million) or TE Julius Thomas ($7 million)

If forced to choose between the two, a strong argument can be made that Julius Thomas should get the nod. Prolific pass-catching tight ends who create coverage mismatches like Julius Thomas are harder to find than wide receivers like Demaryius Thomas who can do the same. The franchise tag number for Julius Thomas also would be significantly less than that for Demaryius Thomas, which would give Denver more wiggle room to re-sign some of its own free agents and add veterans from elsewhere to a buckling offensive line. But ESPN reports that Julius Thomas is seeking a Jimmy Graham-sized contract (he signed a four-year, $40 million extension last season with New Orleans). Thinking long-term, the Broncos may not be willing to pay all those shekels to a player who has yet to complete an entire 16-game season because of injuries. Demaryius Thomas has proven worth his payday with three consecutive seasons of at least 90 catches and double-digit touchdowns.

New York Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul (2014 franchise tag, $13.1 million).

Injuries have kept Paul from equaling his 16.5 sacks during New York’s 2011 Super Bowl season. Paul, though, bounced back with 12.5 in 2014 and has become a quality run stuffer. Using the franchise tag on Paul, who is only 26, would give New York more time to determine whether he is truly worth a mega-contract.