Green Bay Packers Franchise Tag Status Update
The deadline for NFL teams to use franchise tags on select players is Monday, March 5 at 4 p.m. ET, which means the Green Bay Packers will have to make a decision soon.
It is possible Green Bay will use the tag on a player such as veteran center Scott Wells. Franchise centers get $8.4 million which is a little over what the Packers would want to pay for him but it might be necessary to keep things the same for MVP Aaron Rodgers. It is crucial the Packers do everything they can to keep an offense that ranked third in passing yards (307.8), first in points per game (35), first in total points (560) and first in total touchdowns (70) in 2011 the same. Re-signing Wells is a big piece to the puzzle, especially since he would be the most experienced offensive lineman for Green Bay.
The Packers could also use the franchise tag on backup quarterback Matt Flynn. If they decide to use the tag on Flynn they would owe him $14.4 million, with the idea being of course to do a sign-and-trade. Green Bay is not in the business of training talented players and letting them go for nothing. That is simply not how general manager Ted Thompson operates, so the best way to maximize the value of Flynn is to sign him and trade him to a team that needs a talented quarterback.
It is rumored the Packers will not use the franchise tag on either of these players which could be disappointing.
The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are the only two NFC North teams to use a franchise tag thus far. The Bears franchised running back Matt Forte while the Lions put a franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril.
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