There weren’t any surprises Monday as reports of teams using their franchise tags started coming down a day before the deadline to use them. Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark, Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Chiefs defensive end Dee Ford, and Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence are all set to be tagged according to reports.
Jarrett wasn’t likely on the 49ers’ radar, but the other four certainly would have been had they hit the open market.
None of this comes as a surprise though. Landing an elite edge player in their prime via free agency is about as common as elite quarterbacks leaving their team via the open market. San Francisco certainly wasn’t resting its hopes this offseason on one of these edge rushers coming available.
Not only does the market officially shrink with each of these players getting hit with a tag, but it also bolsters the market for pass rushers who will be available.
Edge rushers like Dante Fowler, Trey Flowers and Ziggy Ansah are now elevated into the upper echelon of free agents available at that position. They’ll very likely command high-end money with a plethora of teams sure to be interested.
The 49ers badly need help on the edge, and an experienced pass rusher with a proven NFL track record would provide a boost to the rest of a defense that struggled badly through portions of the 2018 season.
It won’t be impossible for them to find one, but the bevy of franchise tags handed out Monday will certainly make it more difficult and more expensive.
