Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is scheduled to become a free agent in March. The San Francisco 49ers want to do their best to make sure he doesn't play elsewhere.
"Arik's an excellent player. He had an excellent year," general manager John Lynch responded on Thursday when asked if the 49ers would consider using the franchise tag on Armstead. "I think everything is on the table. We want to find a way to keep him and make him a part of the Niners for a long time."
Armstead would like to remain with the 49ers, and said on Wednesday that he was even open to being franchise-tagged if it meant staying in the Bay Area. Most players want to avoid that and would rather seek more-secure long-term deals.
"I'm from Northern California," Armstead explained. "I've been here my whole career. I would love to be here, and continue my career here. I feel like we have a special team that I want to be a part of, and try to get back to the Super Bowl."
Armstead racked up a team-leading 10 sacks this season after tallying nine in his previous four seasons. He added two more in the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a career-high 54 tackles with two passes defensed and two forced fumbles.