The window to use the franchise tag opens on February 18th. Several teams are expected to take advantage of it, but it doesn't look like the Jacksonville Jaguars will be making use of it in 2024, as they've done a good job of locking up their homegrown talent in recent years.
The Jags don't have many tough decisions to make ahead of free agency. Of their players set to hit the open market, only two would make sense, and neither did enough in 2025 to be deserving of the tag: Right guard Brandon Scherff and safety Andre Cisco. Michael DiRocco of ESPN echoes that sentiment.
" There are only two starters -- right guard Brandon Scherff and safety Andre Cisco -- whose contracts expire in March, and neither is worthy of the franchise tag. Scherff is 33 and isn't the same level of player he was earlier in his career. Cisco had issues with blown coverages for a defense that gave up 23 pass plays of 30 or more yards -- just three shy of league leader New Orleans."
All things considered, DiRocco makes a compelling argument. Scherff has been solid but hasn't been nearly as dominant as he was with the Washington Commanders, where he earned five Pro Bowl nods. In his defense, the former Iowa Hawkeye managed to stay healthy throughout most of his stint in Duval, but the Jags are better off getting younger at right guard. If anything, it would make sense to sign him to a one-year deal and look for his potential replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On the other hand, Cisco has also been healthy after getting the dreaded injury red risk label coming out of college. Although he flashed early in his career and was seen as a breakout candidate in 2024, he was inconsistent last season. You could argue that the New York, Queens native could bounce back next season, and there's a chance he will. That said, he's not deserving of the $19 million he would make in 2025 if he got the tag.
Granted, Jacksonville will need to explore the possibility of signing Cisco. He showed in 2022-2023 that his reputation as a ballhawk at Syracuse was well-earned. Then again, he may want to test the market and see what's out there.
If that's the route the veteran safety chooses, other teams with more cap space may outbid the Jaguar for his services.
On a related note, the tag will prevent the Jags from making a run for Tee Higgins in free agency. The former Clemson Tiger would've been the crown jewel of free agency but is getting tagged, with the expectations that he and the Cincinnati Bengals will get a long-term deal done.
Using the franchise tag on Andre Cisco or Brandon Scherff doesn't make sense for the Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars buck the trend of using the franchise tag in 2025. The last year they didn't use it was in 2020. Since then, they applied it to Cam Robinson (2021 and 2022), tight end Evan Engram (2023), and edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen (2024).
You could argue that the Jags have overpaid some of their homegrown talent, whether it's Robinson, Hines-Allen, or even Trevor Lawrence. That said, former general manager Trent Baalke deserves credit for correctly identifying the team's building blocks and making an effort to retain them.
Granted, the Jaguars need more from the core of Lawrence, Hines-Allen, and Campbell, but that's why they hired head coach Liam Coen: to get the most out of them. In the grand scheme of things, having your franchise players locked up is a step in the right direction.