2024 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
A valuable tool for teams to keep top free agents off the market, the franchise tag has been in existence since 1993. This week brought the opening of the 2024 tag window. Clubs have until 3pm CT on March 5 to apply tags. As the Giants’ situation showed last year, most of the tag-related business comes near the close of this window. Teams will continue to work toward re-signing their respective tag candidates, thus preventing a lofty franchise tender from hitting their cap sheet.
The legal tampering period opens March 11, with the new league year (and official free agency) starting March 13. Once a player is tagged, he has until July 15 to sign an extension with his respective team. Absent an extension agreement by that date, the player must play the 2023 season on the tag (or go the Le’Veon Bell/Dan Williams/Sean Gilbert route, passing on guaranteed money and skipping the season).
High-profile free agents remain weeks away from hitting the market. As PFR’s tag recipients list shows, a handful of players are prevented from taking their services to free agency each year. This year looks to present a few more tag candidates compared to 2023. With a handful of teams determining if they will need to use the tag to prevent a free agency path, here are the players who figure to be tagged or at least generate conversations about being franchised ahead of the March 5 deadline:
Locks
Josh Allen, OLB (Jaguars)
Tag cost: $24MM
GM Trent Baalke did not leave much suspense when he addressed Allen’s future last month. The veteran exec said the 2019 first-round pick will be a Jaguar in 2024, indicating the team would use its franchise tag if necessary. The Jaguars do have Calvin Ridley as a free agent, but the team would owe the Falcons a 2024 second-round pick if it extended the wide receiver’s contract before the start of the league year. The second pick sent to Atlanta will only be a third-rounder if Jacksonville lets Ridley hit free agency. It makes more sense for Jacksonville to circle back to Ridley after allowing him to test the market. An Allen tag effectively ensures that will happen.
Timing his sack breakthrough well, Allen registered a Jags-record 17.5 during his contract year. The five-year Jaguar has combined for 55 QB hits over the past two seasons and ranks top 10 in pressures over the past three. The tag regularly keeps top edge rushers from hitting free agency, and the 26-year-old pass rusher — while obviously wanting to be paid what he’s worth — expressed a desire to stay in Jacksonville long term.
The Jags have regularly unholstered their tag during the 2020s, cuffing Yannick Ngakoue in 2020 and then keeping Cam Robinson off the 2021 and ’22 markets. The team kept Evan Engram out of free agency last year. Robinson signed an extension in 2022, and the Jags re-upped Engram last July. The Ngakoue situation could be notable, as the edge rusher became disgruntled with the Jags and was eventually traded to the Vikings that summer. No signs of that level of trouble are brewing with Allen yet.
Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears)
Tag cost: $19.8MM
Johnson is likely to become the first franchise-tagged cornerback since the Rams kept Trumaine Johnson off the 2017 market. The Bears are the most recent team to tag a corner, using the transition tag to cuff Kyle Fuller in 2018. They will almost definitely follow suit with Johnson, who has been rumored to be tagged for several weeks. A Ryan Pace-era draftee, Johnson expressed his desire to stay with the Bears ahead of his contract year. With that platform campaign producing some twists and turns, that price has gone up significantly.
After unsuccessful in-season extension talks, the Bears gave Johnson an 11th-hour opportunity to gauge his trade value. The Bears did not alert teams Johnson, 24, was available until the night before the Oct. 31 deadline. Although the Bills and 49ers engaged in talks about a trade, the Bears held out for a first- or second-round pick. Nothing materialized, which will likely come up during the team’s talks with Johnson. The Bears then extended trade pickup Montez Sweat, leaving Johnson in limbo. But the former second-round pick stuck the landing on an impact season. He is firmly in the Bears’ plans, and the team holds more than $66MM in cap space — plenty to squeeze in a tag onto the payroll.
Pro Football Focus’ top-graded corner in 2023, Johnson displayed a new gear that has made him worthy of a tag. Finishing with four interceptions and allowing just a 50.9 passer rating as the closest defender, the Utah alum soared to second-team All-Pro status. The Bears, who last used the tag on Allen Robinson in 2021, made no secret of their interest in retaining Johnson and will have a few more months to negotiate with him as a result of the tag.
Likely tag recipients
Brian Burns, OLB (Panthers)
Projected tag cost: $24MM
The Panthers hiring a new GM and head coach classifies this as just short of a lock, but familiar faces remain. Carolina promoted assistant general manager Dan Morgan to GM and blocked DC Ejiro Evero from departing. Burns has been viewed as a likely tag recipient since last season, after negotiations broke down. The Panthers have not offered a negotiating masterclass here, as Burns has been extension-eligible since the 2022 offseason. Since-fired GM Scott Fitterer had viewed Burns as a re-up candidate for two offseasons, but multiple rounds of trade talks boosted the 2019 first-rounder’s leverage.
In what looks like a mistake, the Panthers passed on a Rams offer that included two first-rounders and a third for Burns at the 2022 trade deadline. Carolina then kept Burns out of 2023 trade talks with Chicago about the No. 1 pick, ultimately sending D.J. Moore to the Windy City for the Bryce Young draft slot. Carolina also kept Burns at the 2023 deadline, as teams looked into the top pass rusher on the NFL’s worst team. Burns also saw his position’s market change via Nick Bosa‘s record-setting extension ($34MM per year). The 49ers’ landmark accord came to pass after Burns had set a $30MM-AAV price point, complicating Morgan’s upcoming assignment.
Burns, 25, has registered at least 7.5 sacks in each of his five seasons. While he has only topped nine in a season once (2022), the two-time Pro Bowler is one of the league’s better edge rushers. Given the Panthers’ history with Burns, it would be borderline shocking to see the team allow the Florida State alum to leave in exchange for merely a third-round compensatory pick.
Burns has said he wants to stay with the Panthers; he is unlikely to have a choice this year. The Panthers last used the tag to keep right tackle Taylor Moton off the market in 2021; the sides agreed to an extension that offseason.
Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals)
Tag cost: $21.82MM
Seeing their hopes of capitalizing on the final year of Higgins’ rookie contract dashed due to Joe Burrow‘s season-ending injury, the Bengals look to be giving strong consideration to keeping the Burrow-Higgins-Ja’Marr Chase trio together for one last ride of sorts. The Bengals hold $59.4MM in cap space — fifth-most currently — and structured Burrow’s extension in a way that makes a Higgins tag palatable. Burrow’s deal does not spike into historic cap territory until 2025.
While a future in which Chase and Higgins are signed long term is more difficult to foresee, the Bengals still carry one of the AFC’s best rosters. It is likely Burrow’s top two weapons remain in the fold for at least one more year. Higgins, 25, did not come close to posting a third straight 1,000-yard season. Burrow’s injury had plenty to do with that, though the former second-round pick started slowly. A Bengals 2023 extension offer underwhelmed Higgins, but the Bengals kept him out of trades. A tag will give Cincinnati the option to rent him for 2024. A tag-and-trade transaction is viewed as unlikely, as the Bengals load up again.
How the organization proceeds beyond 2024 will be a key storyline, but the Bengals — who kept Jessie Bates in similar fashion in 2022 — are positioned well to run back perhaps the NFL’s best receiving tandem. While director of player personnel Duke Tobin stopped short of guaranteeing Higgins will be a Bengal in 2024, signs point to it.
Justin Madubuike, DL (Ravens)
Tag cost: $22.1MM
Seeing their defensive coordinator depart and once again facing questions at outside linebacker, the Ravens have the option of keeping their top 2023 pass rusher off the market. They are probably going to take that route. Madubuike raised his price considerably during an impact contract year, leading the Ravens with 13 sacks. While Mike Macdonald was able to coax surprising seasons from late additions Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, Madubuike drove Baltimore’s defensive engine and will likely be guaranteed a high salary by signing his franchise tender.
Perennially interested in hoarding compensatory picks, the Ravens have regularly let breakthrough pass rushers walk in free agency. This dates back to the likes of Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee and subsequently included Za’Darius Smith and Matt Judon. The Ravens have only been able to replace Judon with stopgap options — from Clowney to Van Noy to Justin Houston — and again must figure out a solution alongside Odafe Oweh on the edge. Madubuike, 26, proved too good to let walk; the former third-round pick will once again be expected to anchor Baltimore’s pass rush in 2024.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Buccaneers)
Tag cost: $17.12MM
We mentioned Winfield as the Bucs’ most likely tag recipient around the midseason point, and signs now point to that reality coming to pass. The Bucs want to re-sign Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. The bounce-back quarterback’s tender price would check in at nearly $36MM, and because Evans was attached to a veteran contract, his tag number would come in well north of Higgins’ — at beyond $28MM. As such, the Bucs cuffing Winfield has always made the most sense, and after the second-generation NFL DB’s dominant contract year, it would be stunning to see the team let him walk.
The Bucs have let their recent top free agents test free agency, only to re-sign Shaquil Barrett (2021), Carlton Davis (2022) and Jamel Dean (2023). Winfield may be on a higher plane, having secured first-team All-Pro acclaim last season. Davis and Dean have never made a Pro Bowl; Winfield’s productive and well-regarded 2023 stands to separate him. Winfield, 25, tallied six sacks and three interceptions while forcing an NFL-leading six fumbles. This included a pivotal strip of DJ Chark in the Bucs’ Week 18 win over the Panthers, which clinched them the NFC South title.
Winfield will undoubtedly be eyeing a top-market safety extension. Derwin James established the current standard, $19MM per year, just before the 2022 season. Last year’s safety market did not feature big-ticket prices, for the most part, but the Falcons made Jessie Bates (four years, $64MM) an exception. If Winfield were to reach free agency, he would be expected to eclipse that.
The Bucs, who have used the tag three times in the 2020s, should not be considered likely to let Winfield follow Davis and Dean’s path by speaking with other teams. Tampa Bay has used the tag three times in the 2020s, cuffing Barrett in 2020 and tagging Chris Godwin twice. The team eventually re-signed both, and while the statuses of Mayfield and Evans (and All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs) create a crowded contract queue, the Bucs will certainly be interested in re-upping Winfield.
On tag radar
Saquon Barkley, RB (Giants)
Tag cost: $12MM
Barkley has said he wants to finish his career with the Giants, and the team will meet with the Pro Bowl running back’s camp at the Combine. But a recent report indicated the team is highly unlikely to tag the six-year veteran a second time. The Giants should not be ruled out from reversing course and keeping Barkley, given his importance to an otherwise low-octane offense, but it appears they are prepared to move on if the talented RB does not accept their extension offer this time around. A host of talented backs await in free agency, though Barkley would likely be the top prize were he to reach the market.
Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape
This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.
One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.
The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:
2022 OC hires
- Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
- Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
- Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
- Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
- Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
- Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*
Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.
Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.
Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.
2023 OC hires
- Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
- Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
- Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
- Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
- Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
- Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
- Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
- Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
- Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*
Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.
Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.
Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.
Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.
2024 OC hires
- Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
- Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
- Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
- Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
- Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
- Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
- Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
- Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
- Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
- Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
- Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
- Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
- Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
- Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
- Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
- Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*
The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.
Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.
Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.
Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.
* = denotes play-calling coordinator
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/13/24
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- OL Chandler Brewer, DB Tevaughn Campbell, DL D.J. Coleman, OLB De’Shaan Dixon, DB Erick Hallett II, LB Dequan Jackson, DB Amani Oruwariye, DL Esezi Otomewo, DB Ayo Oyelola, TE Josh Pederson, OL Keaton Sutherland, OL Darryl Williams, WR Seth Williams
Kansas City Chiefs
- DT Isaiah Buggs
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Sebastian Gutierrez, DB Kemon Hall, S Erik Harris, S Tayler Hawkins, WR Tay Martin, DL Sam Okuayinonu, LB Curtis Robinson, TE Jake Tonges, DL Spencer Waege
Oruwariye spent much of the 2023 season on the Jaguars practice squad, with the defensive back getting into just one game. The former fifth-round pick has more experience than your standard reserve/futures contract, as Oruwariye started 29 games for the Lions between 2020 and 2021. That latter season was one of his strongest, as he finished with 57 tackles, 11 passes defended, and six interceptions.
Latest On Danielle Hunter’s Impending Free Agency
The Vikings have a few pressing needs to focus on before they shift their attention to Danielle Hunter. Unfortunately for the organization, it doesn’t sound like the veteran pass rusher will be easy to retain. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the impending free agent is expected to have “a very strong market” this offseason.
With the Vikings eyeing an uphill battle following Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending injury, there were reports that the team took calls on Hunter leading up to the deadline. The organization rejected those inquiries, but Fowler notes that plenty of teams expressed interest, and those teams will surely be in the hunt again with Hunter hitting free agency.
Fowler throws out a handful of potential suitors. The Bears could look to pair a veteran opposite Montez Sweat, and the Jaguars could also be in the market (although they first have to figure out Josh Allen‘s future with the organization).
The Vikings will also make a push to keep their star defensive lineman. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes that a new Hunter deal isn’t atop the front office’s list of priorities. Rather, the organization is naturally navigating Cousins’ impending free agency and their questionable future at the quarterback position. The organization can obviously juggle multiple negotiations at once, but the team would probably like some clarity on their QB salaries before committing big money elsewhere.
Hunter maxed out his incentive package this season, collecting an extra $3MM by reaching the 14-sack plateau. These bonuses were part of a recent restructure that saw the 29-year-old earn $17MM in guaranteed money this past season. More notably, that restructuring also prevents the Vikings from slapping Hunter with the franchise tag, meaning the nine-year veteran will be free to test the market.
The Vikings will also have to weight Hunter’s next contract with his impending dead cap charge. If Hunter ends up leaving Minnesota, the Vikings will be left with a $14.9MM dead-money charge. That isn’t a drop in the pan, and the Vikings front office may decide they’re willing to commit the extra money instead of being left with a hole on their depth chart and on their cap sheet.
The former third-round pick had one of the strongest seasons of his career in 2023. He finished this past season with a career-high 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus graded Hunter 28th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, including a top-20 pass-rush grade.
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.
Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.
With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.
The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.
While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Washington Commanders: 4-13
- New England Patriots: 4-13
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
- New York Giants: 6-11
- Tennessee Titans: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Chicago Bears: 7-10
- New York Jets: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 8-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
- Miami Dolphins: 11-6
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Green Bay Packers: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Detroit Lions: 12-5
- Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
- San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
Jaguars Give K Riley Patterson Futures Deal
Leaving Jacksonville due to a mid-offseason Sean Payton decision, Riley Patterson kicked for two teams this past season. The former Jaguars kicker has a chance to return to his old job in 2024.
The Jaguars gave Patterson a reserve/futures contract Monday, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco tweets. A Jaguar in 2022, Patterson kicked for the Lions and Browns in 2023. With Brandon McManus not under contract for 2024, Patterson is the only kicker signed to the Jags’ offseason roster.
McManus’ sudden availability changed the Jags’ plans at kicker last year. After the Broncos designated their longtime kicker as a post-June 1 cut, the Jags quickly signed him. They then traded Patterson back to the Lions. Patterson, who has been shuttling from Detroit to Jacksonville throughout his NFL career, kicked in 13 Lions games this season. Although he made 15 of 17 field goals with the Lions, an ongoing practice competition led the NFC North champions to cut him after giving Michael Badgley — their primary 2022 kicker — his job back.
Badgley finished the season as Detroit’s kicker, being memorably left on the sidelines as Dan Campbell opted to go for two second-half fourth downs in field goal range, while Patterson filled in for Dustin Hopkins in Cleveland. Patterson, 24, attempted just one field goal with the Browns.
Being cut by the Lions before the 2022 season, Patterson was 30-for-35 with the Jaguars — following a waiver claim — that year. He kicked a game-winning field goal to complete the team’s comeback win over the Chargers in the wild-card round. This season, McManus went 30-for-37; he missed five of his 10 attempts from beyond 50 yards. McManus, 32, is set to become a free agent in March.
Josh Allen Wants To Remain With Jaguars
One of the top priorities for the Jaguars this season will be deciding on Josh Allen‘s future with the team. As a pending free agent, Jacksonville’s sack leader is in line for a raise on either a franchise tag or a long-term agreement. 
General manager Trent Baalke recently made it clear the Jaguars will not let Allen reach the open market, meaning that, at a minimum, the team will use the franchise tag on him. Doing so would cost roughly $22MM (although the matter of classifying him as a defensive end or an outside linebacker would likely come into play), a steep rise from the $10.9MM he earned in 2023 on his fifth-year option. If a multi-year pact becomes an option, though, Allen will be open to working out an agreement.
During his second career Pro Bowl appearance, the former first-rounder confirmed his desire to remain in Jacksonville in 2024 and beyond (video link via Juston W. Lewis of the Florida Times-Union). Serious talks have not yet taken place, though, and Allen noted the “business” aspect of the NFL when it comes to free agency. Teams which use the tag are allowed to negotiate a long-term contract until mid-July, so it could be used in this case as a means of buying more time to hammer out a deal.
Allen had already established himself as Jacksonville’s top edge rusher entering the season, and his 2023 performance produced career highs in a number of categories. His 17.5 sacks put him in a tie for second in the league in that department, and he recorded a personal best with 46 pressures and 33 quarterback hits. At 26, Allen’s next deal will cover most or all of his prime, and a long-term deal will likely rank near the top of the edge market as a result.
Jacksonville used the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft on Travon Walker, and he took a notable step forward (10 sacks, 30 QB pressures) this year after a quiet rookie campaign. While Walker will likely be in place for another three seasons, maintaining his partnership with Allen for years to come would be a welcomed development for the Jags’ defense. Improvement in the pass rush department will be a target for Jacksonville this offseason in any case after the team tallied 40 sacks (25th in the NFL).
The Jaguars currently sit mid-pack in terms of cap space, but plenty of financial moves will be made in the coming weeks as teams prepare for free agency. Jacksonville also has wideout Calvin Ridley among the players in need of a new contract, but Baalke’s stance suggests Allen will be a higher priority. Talks between the latter and the front office will be a key storyline to follow as the new league year approaches.
Titans To Hire Nick Holz As OC
Not long after meeting with Nick Holz, the Titans have landed on him as their new offensive coordinator. The Jaguars passing coordinator has been tapped for Tennessee’s OC position, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Holz interviewed with Tennessee on Monday as part of the team’s search for a Tim Kelly replacement. Now, he will make an intra-divisional move and take on a new position with the Titans’ new-look coaching staff. Despite not doing so during his time with the Bengals, new head coach Brian Callahan will call plays on offense for Tennessee.
Holz, 39, and Callahan worked alongside each other with the Raiders in 2018, making them a logical pair to reunite in Tennessee. The former held a number of titles during his Raiders tenure, which lasted from 2012-21, but his only OC experience came in 2022 when he served on UNLV’s staff.
Following that one-year stint, Holz returned to the NFL on Jacksonville’s staff. The Jaguars did not meet expectations during the latter part of the season in particular on offense, leaving the the team out of the postseason. While quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s injuries were a factor, Holz will head to Tennessee with a number of challenges and no OC experience in the pro game. He will nevertheless be a key member of the Titans’ efforts to develop Will Levis.
The 2023 second-rounder took over for an injured Ryan Tannehill midway through the campaign, and he is now in place atop Tennessee’s depth chart. A number of other moves will no doubt be coming on offense for the team – with improvement along the O-line and in the skill-position corps needed for a return to the playoffs – but Levis’ Year Two growth will be a central storyline in Nashville.
Tennessee met with Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis as part of the team’s OC search, and the Titans also submitted an interview request with Dolphins associate head coach Eric Studesville. After a relatively brief process to find a Kelly replacement, Holz will now take on a key position on Callahan’s initial staff. The Titans have been busy this offseason, but several major vacancies on the sidelines have now been filled.
Earlier this week, the Titans worked out an agreement to hire Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their new defensive coordinator. He, too, does not have NFL DC experience, just as Callahan has never been a head coach at the pro level before. An inexperienced staff will be in place in Tennessee for the 2024 season as the team looks to rebound from the struggles of the past two years.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke On QB Trevor Lawrence
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, who now has three years of service time under his belt, is eligible for a contract extension. Our Sam Robinson, however, suggested at the end of December that Jacksonville may wait to enter into extension talks with the former No. 1 overall pick, who did not take the leap forward that many had anticipated when the 2023 season began. Jags GM Trent Baalke did not put a timetable on those dicussions, but he did imply that a new deal for Lawrence is not exactly at the top of the agenda at the moment.
“As far as Trevor and the long-term relationship with this team, there’s no doubt in that,” Baalke said at a press conference on Thursday (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk). “We’re going to get something done at the appropriate time.”
The Jaguars will surely exercise Lawrence’s fifth-year option sometime before the May 2 deadline. That will lock in a fully-guaranteed salary of $21.98MM for the 2025 season, and when combined with the $1.06MM salary he is due to make in 2024, Jacksonville essentially has Lawrence under club control for two more years at an $11.5MM AAV. Even if the Clemson product is not yet a top tier signal-caller, that qualifies as excellent value.
When asked to assess Lawrence’s performance in 2023 and how to improve his production moving foreard, Baalke said, “I think Trevor had another learning year, right? Like we all do when we’re a third-year guy in this league. I think there are some areas he made great strides in. You look at this season, one thing we’ve got to do is we’ve got to — two things, it works both ways — we’ve got to do a better job of keeping him safe and protected and he’s got to do a better job of protecting himself.”
Baalke referenced the myriad injuries that Lawrence faced in his third year in the league, including a concussion, a knee sprain, an ankle sprain, and a sprained AC joint. Although Lawrence was able to play through the first three of those ailments, they certainly affected his performance, and the sprained AC joint forced him to sit out Jacksonville’s Week 17 contest against the Panthers. That was the first game that Lawrence had missed in his career.
In his final four games of the 2023 campaign, Lawrence failed to post a quarterback rating above 83.9 and completed 60% of his passes for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Jacksonville lost all four of those contests, including a Week 18 matchup with the 5-11 Titans that was meaningless for Tennessee but that would have put the Jaguars in the playoffs as AFC South champions if they had won it. In all, the Jags lost five of their last six games to drop them from contention for the conference’s top seed to a postseason non-participant (the only game the club won in that stretch was the Week 17 contest that Lawrence missed).
Now 24, Lawrence still has time to live up to the vast potential that made him such a coveted prospect when he entered the professional ranks. It may even be fair to write off his rookie season in 2021, which was spent primarily under the disastrous stewardship of then-HC Urban Meyer. Nonetheless, Baalke may want to see a step forward in 2024 before making any significant contractual decisions.
In 2023, Lawrence completed 65.6% of his passes for 4,016 yards and 21 TDs against 14 interceptions, good for a QB rating of 88.5. He did run for 339 yards on 70 carries (4.8 YPC), tallying four rushing touchdowns in the process.
Titans To Interview Jaguars’ Nick Holz For OC Job
A top candidate has emerged to become the new offensive coordinator under first-time head coach Brian Callahan in Tennessee. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Titans will be interviewing Jaguars passing game coordinator Nick Holz on Monday for their officially open offensive coordinator position. Tim Kelly was the incumbent for the position, but following the firing of Mike Vrabel, plenty of the Titans’ offensive staffers have explored interview opportunities elsewhere, seeing the writing on the wall that often comes with a change at head coach. 
With Callahan in place as the team’s next head coach, the Titans’ focus will now shift to filling out the rest of the staff. They recently made their first request to the Ravens to interview defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson for their defensive coordinator position. Now, we get an idea of who the new head coach likes as a potential coordinator on the offensive side of the ball. This is Holz’s first request to interview for a coordinator job this offseason and, according to our records, the first NFL coordinator interview of his career.
Holz has a strong connection to Callahan that makes him an obvious candidate to assist the new head coach in Tennessee. Holz’s extensive experience in the NFL all comes from the Raiders organization. After assistant coaching jobs at the college level, Holz spent 10 years in Oakland and Vegas. After three years as an offensive assistant, Holz alternated between roles as an offensive quality control coach and an assistant wide receivers coach. When Callahan spent a year in 2018 as the Raiders quarterbacks coach before joining Zac Taylor in Cincinnati as offensive coordinator, Holz was an offensive quality control coach in Oakland.
With Holz as passing game coordinator, the Jaguars finished in the top-10 for passing yards, though quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a slight step back in 2023. While averaging more passing yards per game, Lawrence fell four touchdowns short of last year’s total and threw an unappealing 14 interceptions after limiting himself to eight in 2022. Callahan reportedly plans on calling plays for the Titans after not calling plays during his time as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, so it will be interesting to see what plans the team has at offensive coordinator. Regardless, Holz’s history working with Callahan makes him a top candidate for the position as Tennessee moves forward with the hiring process.