The deadline for NFL teams to designate transition or franchise tags on players has come and gone. As expected, the San Francisco 49ers did not tag any of their own pending free agents. That means that each will become unrestricted free agents on March 9 should the 49ers fail to re-sign them. Any team would then be able to acquire their services.
The #49ers did not use transition or franchise tag. Of course, there was never any talk that tagging a scheduled UFA was even a possibility.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoCSN) March 1, 2016
For information on the cost at each position for the franchise and transition tags, click here.
The following are the 49ers players that are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 9 and what the cost of franchise tagging each would have been. When you look at the numbers, you can certainly see why the 49ers did not use the option.
WR Anquan Boldin ($14.599M)
G Alex Boone ($13.706M)
RB Reggie Bush ($11.789M)
K Phil Dawson ($4.572M)
NT Ian Williams ($13.651M)
RB Shaun Draughn ($11.789M)
TE Brian Leonhardt ($9.118M)
TE Garrett Celek, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, signed a 4-year contract extension worth $14 million with $5 million guaranteed on February 23.
Below are the past players that the 49ers have used the franchise tag on, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.
Steve Young (1993)
Terrell Owens (1999)
Julian Peterson (2004, 2005)
Aubrayo Franklin (2010)
Dashon Goldson (2012)
The following teams used their franchise tag options this year.
Baltimore: K Justin Tucker ($4.572 million)
Buffalo: OL Cordy Glenn ($13.706 million)
Carolina: CB Josh Norman ($13.952 million)
Chicago: WR Alshon Jeffery ($14.599 million)
Denver: LB Von Miller ($14.129 million)
Kansas City: S Eric Berry ($10.806 million)
Los Angeles: CB Trumaine Johnson ($13.952 million)
N.Y. Jets: DE Muhammad Wilkerson ($15.701 million)
Washington: QB Kirk Cousins ($19.953 million)
The Miami Dolphins used the transition tag on DE Olivier Vernon ($12.734 million).
