Aaron Schatz

The deadline for announcing franchise tags is Tuesday, March 9. Today the first franchise tag was announced. We'll keep track of the players who have been tagged and discuss them in this thread.

March 5

DEN FS Justin Simmons

J.J. Watt has picked his new team, and it's not one of the teams that had been rumored. Watt will head to Arizona for a two-year, $31 million contract with $23 million guaranteed.

Let's go back in time with another dominant 80s San Francisco squad and Dan Marino enjoying one of the greatest quarterback seasons in NFL history. Plus, the legend of the Chicago defense begins, Eric Dickerson sets the all-time rushing yardage record, and the Rams score three safeties in one quarter.

The cost: a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 pick that starts as a second-rounder but goes up to a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps next season or plays 70% of the snaps and the Colts go to the playoffs.

The Texans and J.J. Watt agreed to a mutual separation. Like an old married couple! It's a bit of a surprise that Watt wasn't traded somewhere, although his contract was pretty high and not really at any kind of discount.

Something we've never tried before: projections in February. Based solely on simple regression, a few injury returns, and adjusting for weird COVID games, who looks good for 2021?

Last year on the podcast, we said that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a good all-around team with huge holes at the quarterback and tight end positions. Do you think two future Hall of Famers helped? Off The Charts reviews Super Bowl LV, giving props not just to the Tampa Bay pass rush but also their coverage and their offensive strategy. (Click for audio link.)

Marty Schottenheimer passed away last night. Seventh all-time on the list of regular-season wins. I’m busy with personal responsibilities today so no long commentary by me, but here’s a place for readers to discuss and appreciate the legacy of Martyball. 

Now that we know the Hall of Fame class of 2021, it's time to start debating the class of 2022. Our own Mike Tanier has his picks, seeing it as a year where the voters will be able to clear some logjams at positions including the offensive line, linebacker, and safety.

In the end, the Kansas City Chiefs flipped the switch the wrong way. An impressive Tampa Bay victory leads to a mea culpa and provides evidence that close victories still have something to teach us.