Lions Won’t Tender DL Kerry Hyder
The Lions will not tender defensive lineman Kerry Hyder, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hyder had eight sacks two years ago, but the Lions will allow him to explore the open market as an unrestricted free agent. 
Hyder, 27, missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn Achilles and only appeared in seven games last season. With just one sack last year and a limited sample of work, it’s not surprising the Lions didn’t want to give him the lowest tender, which would’ve paid him $2.025MM next season. The Texas Tech product was an undrafted free agent back in 2014, and it took him a while to find his footing in the league.
He initially signed with the Jets, but was cut after his first preseason and signed to the practice squad. He then latched on with the Lions the following year, and spent most of the 2015 season on their practice squad. He made the 53-man roster in 2016, and came out of nowhere to rack up eight sacks. But the Achilles injury derailed what looked to be a promising career, and he fell out of favor with new coach Matt Patricia.
He was inactive most of the year, and recorded his only sack in Week 17. Fortunately for him he’s still relatively young, and thanks to the potential he showed in 2016, he should be able to find a new home relatively soon. With the Lions also unlikely to retain Ezekiel Ansah, their defensive line will look a lot different next year.
Browns To Tender Rashard Higgins
The Browns will tender restricted free agent Rashard Higgins, according to GM John Dorsey (via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer). However, Dorsey did not indicate whether the Browns will employ the first- or second-round tender to cuff the wide receiver. 
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The first- or second-round tender will determine what pick a team would have to give the Browns if they were sign him. The first-round tender in 2019 is worth $4.407MM and the second-round tender is worth $3.095MM. It stands to reason that the second-round tender would be enough to scare away interested teams, even though this year’s wide receiver group in both free agency and the draft is underwhelming.
Higgins caught 39 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. More importantly, he developed a nice rapport with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield in the second half of the season. With Jarvis Landry entrenched in the slot, Higgins should have an opportunity to start outside next year.
Chiefs Use Franchise Tag On Dee Ford
Another franchise tag is official. The Chiefs placed theirs on Dee Ford, as has been long expected.
Kansas City’s pass rusher situation is far from certain, as free agency approaches. Both Ford and Justin Houston, who is still a Chief for now, have been dangled in trade talks. But the younger player appears likely to stay for the 2019 season.
The expectation now is Houston will be released before free agency commences. This would place a greater internal value on Ford, who has not been a consistent pass rusher but is nevertheless coming off his best season. Ford forced seven fumbles in 2018 and registered 13 sacks, finally delivering on the promise the Chiefs envisioned when they used their 2014 first-round pick on him.
Ford sticking around for 2019 would mean a switch to defensive end, with new DC Steve Spagnuolo converting the Chiefs to a 4-3 team. Ford, 28, may be set for a fight about his position distinction, with the Chiefs potentially arguing he should be tagged as a linebacker — since he played five years in their old 3-4 scheme. However, Ford’s camp will certainly counter he should be classified as an end, since that’s where he will play in 2019. The linebacker tag is $15.443MM; tagged ends receive $17.128MM.
Eagles To Decline Timmy Jernigan’s Option
Timmy Jernigan signed a four-year, $48MM extension late in the 2017 season. The Eagles are cutting bait after that deal’s first season.
The Eagles will not pick up the defensive tackle’s option, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This was rumored to be in the works, and it will save the team $7MM. However, because of the early dismissal, the Eagles will eat $6MM in dead money.
After missing a chunk of last season because of an offseason injury, Jernigan will not head to the market with much steam. The Ravens traded him to the Eagles in 2017, and he performed well enough the eventual Super Bowl champions authorized a high-end extension. Jernigan played just 100 snaps last season, suiting up for just three regular-season games.
Howie Roseman has been busy recently, having authorized a new deal for Brandon Graham and extended Jason Kelce and Isaac Seumalo. The Eagles, who entered the day with barely $4MM in cap space, are also shopping Michael Bennett and his $7.2MM salary. Jernigan would have made $11MM in base salary next season.
Falcons Use Franchise Tag On Grady Jarrett
Grady Jarrett will not be reaching the market. The Falcons will retain their standout defensive tackle via the franchise tag, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Falcons have said for months they hoped to keep Jarrett in the fold, and this tag — worth $15.209MM — will allow them to keep working toward that goal. No deal is imminent, however. The Falcons have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with their soon-to-be 26-year-old interior defender.
This is the first defensive tackle among 2019 free agents-to-be to receive a tag, but fellow pass rushers Jadeveon Clowney, DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark are being retained by their respective teams. So is Dee Ford. Jarrett would have been in line for a monster payday on the market, but the tag will still provide the 2015 fifth-round pick with a substantial raise.
One of the league’s top interior pass rushers, Jarrett is best known for his three-sack performance in Super Bowl LI. He has 14 career sacks, also forcing three fumbles last season.
Seahawks Use Franchise Tag On Frank Clark
Teams are settling their franchise tag business on Monday. The Seahawks are the latest team to do so, with Albert Breer of SI.com reporting (via Twitter) the team has made the decision to apply the tag to Frank Clark.
Decisions for Clark’s and DeMarcus Lawrence‘s tags have come within the past hour, and the Texans franchised Jadeveon Clowney earlier today. The Chiefs and Buccaneers are using their tags on Dee Ford and Donovan Smith, respectively. Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to use their franchise tags.
Like the other moves, Seattle’s Clark decision was expected. Pete Carroll confirmed at the Combine the 25-year-old defensive end would be a Seahawk in 2019. The sides are already progressing on talks, and this deal may be one that gets done before the July 15 deadline.
The Michael Bennett/Cliff Avril sidekick had consistently shown he had higher-end pass-rushing abilities off the bench, and in his first full season as a starter, Clark broke out for 13 sacks — more than Bennett or Avril recorded in a season during their Seattle stays. Clark has 35 career sacks, combining for 19 between the 2016 and ’17 seasons. Although the Seahawks let numerous Super Bowls-era bastions go last year, Clark appears part of the organization’s long-term plans.
Clark has not resisted the tag and appears likely to sign his tender and attend offseason workouts. Tagging Clark will cost the Seahawks $17.128MM, which will be deducted from the team’s $49.8MM in cap space.
Cowboys To Tag DeMarcus Lawrence
Another top-tier edge defender will not make it to the market. For the second straight year, the Cowboys will place their franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Lawrence follows Dee Ford and Jadeveon Clowney, with Frank Clark‘s Seahawks tag imminent. Dallas’ top pass rusher, though, comes with a higher price. A second Lawrence tag will cost the Cowboys $20.57MM, and the sixth-year defender is not likely to sign this tender anytime soon. However, after the Cowboys appeared to be set to rent Lawrence in 2018, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes the team wants to have a long-term deal in place by the July 15 deadline.
The 26-year-old dynamo said in the past he would not sign this tender if tagged again. This is still his stance, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Lawrence signed his 2018 tender quickly and attended Cowboys offseason workouts. As could be the case with Ezekiel Elliott as well, Lawrence is not expected to show for OTAs and minicamp this year — unless the sides reach a long-term extension. And that does not appear to be on the horizon. Lawrence, though, does not plan to miss regular-season time, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
Dallas does not believe Lawrence is worth a $20MM-per-year contract, Watkins adds, noting the team’s initial offers have not been for that amount. Only Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are $20MM-AAV defenders, but Lawrence’s new tag likely will prevent him from accepting a deal averaging less than that figure. Lawrence is not demanding a deal that eclipses Mack’s or Donald’s, per Watkins, but merely one that places him in the top five at his position.
The Cowboys proceeding cautiously with Lawrence in 2018 made sense. He had dealt with multiple injuries during his first three seasons before breaking out for 14.5 sacks in 2017. Last season, the former second-round pick proved it again, registering 10.5 sacks. Though Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are more comfortable with his long-term outlook, and the team has made an offer, this could be a long waiting game.
This offseason will also include a Lawrence shoulder surgery as well, so without a contract in place, he will not be eager to return to the team. In fact, Watkins reports a procedure will not be scheduled until Lawrence has an extension in place. This would stand to make it more difficult for Lawrence to be ready on time for training camp.
Having a $20.57MM tag on its cap sheet will slice Dallas’ $47MM-plus in cap space almost in half, making it, for the time being, more difficult to add outside free agents or work with its litany of extension candidates on deals.
Texans Franchise Tag Jadeveon Clowney
The Texans have franchise tagged outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, according to a team announcement. If no long-term deal is reached between now and the July extension deadline for franchised players, Clowney will be cuffed by a one-year, $15.443MM tender. 
The Texans used the non-exclusive tag on Clowney, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. With this designation, Clowney can shop his offer sheet around, but an unmatched offer sheet would result in the new team sending two first-round picks to the Texans as compensation. The non-exclusive version used more commonly than the exclusive tag in the NFL and only occasionally results in a trade. Last year, however, the Dolphins and Browns swung a tag-and-trade involving Jarvis Landry, though the compensation was much lower than two first-round picks.
Teams have rankled players in the past by tagging them as outside linebackers rather than defensive ends, but it won’t make a huge difference for Clowney. Last year, the Texans gave Clowney an extra $1MM to settle a dispute over his fifth-year option, so the 120% rule on the tag would give him a $15.967MM salary for 2019. Therefore, the difference between Clowney’s tag and the tag he’d get as a defensive end ($17MM) is minimal.
Clowney likely would have preferred to test free agency before coming to the table with the Texans, but, like the other top edge rushers, Clowney will be held back by the tag. The 26-year-old would undoubtedly cash in as an unrestricted free agent, but the Texans are reportedly unwilling to go “anywhere near” the market-resetting deals signed by Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald last summer. For what it’s worth, GM Brian Gaine says the team’s “goal is to continue to work with his representation on a long-term contract.”
For his part, Clowney is expected to take his sweet time when it comes to signing the tender. Without a long-term deal or a signed tender, the defensive end will have the right to abstain from offseason activities, training camp, and even games. An in-season holdout would cost Clowney $900K+ for every missed game.
Titans Release Jonathan Cyprien
The Titans are expected to release safety Jonathan Cyprien sometime this week, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the Titans would like him back at a cheaper rate.
Tennessee pulled the trigger on this transaction on Tuesday, doing so with a failed-physical designation, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
Cyprien, 29 in July, was set to resume his role as the Titans’ starting strong safety in 2018. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in August that sidelined him for the entire year. Cyprien is talented, but injuries have held him back in recent years. In 2017, a hamstring ailment limited him to just ten games.
Cyprien joined the Titans in 2017 on a four-year, $25MM free agent deal. The pact had just $9MM guaranteed, however, and the Titans will save $5.25MM against just $1.5MM in dead money.
In his first year with the club, Cyprien had 57 total tackles and one sack in his ten games. He graded out as one of the ten worst qualified safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, though PFF’s metrics have never been particularly high on him.
Bucs To Franchise Tag Donovan Smith
The Buccaneers will place the franchise tag on left tackle Donovan Smith between now and the March 5 deadline, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. At the same time, Stroud hears extension talks are going well, so a long-term deal could be hammered out between now and the extension deadline for franchised players on July 15. 
Smith, 26 in June, has started in every single game for the Bucs since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2015. He not exactly a star on the offensive line, but the Bucs do not want to lose him at a time when it is hard to find reliable tackles.
Smith graded out as just the No. 46 ranked tackle in the NFL last year, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. His so-so 66.4 score was roughly in line with his scores from the previous three seasons.
Tagging Smith would cost the Bucs $14.077MM for the 2019 season. A long-term deal, presumably, would call for upwards of $10MM per year. That’s a big chunk of change for an average starter, but Dolphins free agent Ja’Wuan James is also expected to clear that hurdle if he reaches the open market in March.