The Houston Texans applied the franchise tag to edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney on Monday. The move allows Houston to buy time until the July 15 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time deadline to give the former 2014 No. 1 overall pick a long-term deal.
However, the Texans weren’t the only club to apply the franchise tag to their premier pass rusher. The Dallas Cowboys tagged defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the Seattle Seahawks tagged defensive end Frank Clark, and the Kansas City Chiefs may be looking to apply the franchise tag to Dee Ford.
While the Texans technically have only the July 15 deadline to worry about, the tagging of these pass rushers means the Texans have to get out ahead of these teams to prevent them from setting the market.
Sometimes in free agency, teams get caught “paying retail” on a free agent because of other teams applying extensions to players at identical positions. If the Texans don’t get out ahead of the Seahawks, Cowboys, or Chiefs, they could be giving Clowney a deal based on what these clubs gave to their pass rusher.
Houston doesn’t have to wait until the March 13 deadline, when the new league year begins. They could technically work a new deal with Clowney by Friday. However, the reality is the more they wait to give the three-time Pro Bowler an extension, the more likely another team sets the market with their contract.
