The New England Patriots reportedly are not leaning toward using the franchise tag on free-agent cornerback J.C. Jackson this offseason.
Mike Reiss of ESPN suggested Jackson is "the likely only candidate to strongly consider in New England" when it comes to the franchise tag, but he guessed the odds of that happening are "low" barring a belief from the team it could then trade him.
The cornerback tag is projected at approximately $17.3 million for the upcoming season.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.