This week, several NFL teams are deciding whether to use their franchise tags on their top pending free agents. In most cases, the tag ensures that a player doesn't depart in the offseason—though at a considerable cost.
Teams that don't want to deal with difficult tag decisions can typically avoid them by signing players to early extensions. The Philadelphia Eagles, for example, gave quarterback Carson Wentz a three-year deal last offseason, keeping the 2016 first-round pick off the market until 2025.
Not only did the Eagles lock up Wentz for the next half-decade, but they did so at what could be a bargain rate just a couple of years from now because of ever-growing player salaries.