Tag starts today; Vikings don’t often play

Teams can start placing the franchise tag on pending free agents today, but the Vikings have rarely used that tag and aren’t expected to this year either.

In the NFL, given the relatively shot careers of players, getting paid the contract that will set a player and his family up for life is always the goal. Talent gets paid in the NFL, but today begins a two-week window that most players never want to be part of.

Starting today and running through March 1, teams can apply the franchise tag designation on players. Simply stated, the franchise tag greatly restricts, if not eliminates, a chance for a player to hit the open market.

It does come with a reward – the player is guaranteed the salary…