There won’t be a meaningful NFL snap for another 206 days.

206 days feels like an eternity and to people who follow the NFL, it is. Now, the NFL off-season is upon us. Sometimes, the off-season gets more interesting than the regular season. Do you remember the chaos last off-season? If not, let me remind you of some transactions and when they became official:

• March 16 — Carson Wentz Traded to Washington Commanders
• March 16 — Khalil Mack Traded to Los Angeles Chargers
• March 16 — Amari Cooper Traded to Cleveland Browns
• March 16 — Russell Wilson Traded to Denver Broncos
• March 17 — Davante Adams Traded to Las Vegas Raiders
• March 21 — Matt Ryan Traded to Indianapolis Colts
• March 23 — Tyreek Hill Traded to Miami Dolphins
• April 28 — AJ Brown Traded to Philadelphia Eagles
• April 28 — Marquise Brown Traded to Arizona Cardinals
• July 6 — Baker Mayfield Traded to Carolina Panthers

By the way, those are just the significant trades that happened. We also had massive extensions and free-agent contracts signed. 564 players signed new contracts that were worth a combined $4.1 Billion.

As mentioned earlier, the off-season is a few months of constant commotion. Buckle in; the landscape of the league can change in the blink of an eye:

Tuesday, February 21 – March 7: Franchise Tag

The Franchise Tag is a common practice in the NFL. For a variety of reasons, a team may place a franchise tag on any player that they had on their roster the previous season.

A player cannot refuse the franchise tag, but players have refused to sign it, held out of training camp, and ultimately missed the upcoming season because they didn’t sign it.

The franchise tag varies at different positions. With the surging salary cap, the franchise tag has increased in price.

The NFL informed teams of the 2023 franchise tag numbers today. And here they are …

QB: $32,416,000
RB: $10,091,000
WR: $19,743,000
TE: $11,345,000
OL: $18,244,000
DE: $19,727,000
DT: $18,937,000
LB: $20,926,000
CB: $18,140,000
S: $14,460,000
K/P: $5,393,000

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 30, 2023

Who will get Franchise Tagged?

Many names have been mentioned when it comes to the franchise tag.

Lamar Jackson is very likely to be franchise tagged by the Baltimore Ravens. Both sides have discussed a potential contract extension, but haven’t been able to come to an agreement. Baltimore will franchise tag him, sparing time for negotiations. If the two sides end up too far apart on a deal and negotiations don’t go anywhere, could he be a potential trade candidate?

Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones could be franchise tag candidates. If one is tagged, the other cannot be. Barkley could be tagged to buy more time for negotiations on an extension. Jones is where it gets tricky. At 25 years old, Jones, the franchise’s quarterback, is wedged right in between players who have earned a long-term contract and players who still have question marks. New York could use the franchise tag for Jones to actually play out on a “prove-it” deal.

Another name to watch to be franchise tagged — Tony Pollard. Pollard emerged as the Dallas Cowboys’ top back in the 2022-23 season, rushing for his first 1,000-yard season long with 12 total touchdowns (3 receiving). Though he has shown much promise, Pollard suffered a fractured left fibula vs the 49ers in the playoffs. Questions will arise soon. Will he make a full recovery? Will he be the same? Will he be 100%?

Among other potential franchise tag candidates — Orlando Brown Jr, Josh Jacobs, Jessie Bates III, Tremaine Edmunds, Geno Smith, and Da’Ron Payne.

Tuesday, February 28 – Monday, March 6: Scouting Combine

The NFL scouting combine is always one of the most exciting events of the NFL off-season. You find out what players are all about. You watch players skyrocket up draft boards and you watch some slide down draft boards.

Some of the Draft Prospects that are the most intriguing — Bryce Young, Jalen Carter, Will Levis, Will Anderson, and Bijan Robinson.

Among players who could have skyrocketing draft stocks — Parker Washington, AT Perry, Steve Avila, Zay Flowers, and Lukas Van Ness.

Wednesday, March 15 @ 4pm EST: Free-Agency Begins

As aforementioned, Lamar Jackson could be franchise tagged by the Ravens, but if he isn’t, he will be set to hit unrestricted free agency.

Many impact players will hit the free agent market this offseason:

• Orlando Brown Jr.
• Deion Jones
• Marcus Peters
• Brandon Graham
• Javon Hargrave
• Yannick Ngakoue
• Jessie Bates
• Dalton Schultz
• DJ Chark

Thursday, April 27 – Thursday, April 29: NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is the final “landmark” of the NFL off-season.

After the Draft, you will be able to fully understand the direction that teams are headed in the future. You will begin to understand the plans of every franchise post-draft.

For more insight on the NFL Draft, visit our Mock Draft put together by our NFL Draft expert — Lincoln Heimbach.

Soon after players are drafted, they will begin to work out with their teams. Training Camp begins a few weeks after that and before you know it, the NFL will be back and better than ever!

What I’m Hearing

• Free-Agent running back Alexander Mattison, who has spent time with the Vikings, is expected to have multiple suitors this off-season, per a league source, who, like all sources listed in this story, was granted anonymity so that they could openly speak.
• Teams are “back and forth” on NFL draft prospect Anthony Richardson, league sources tell The Sports Place. Richardson could be a potential first-round draft pick, but there are concerns.
• Parker Washington, a wide receiver out of Penn State University, and AT Perry, a wide receiver out of Wake Forest, are two names to watch as the Draft nears, sources said.
• The New Orleans Saints are expected to express interest in multiple veteran quarterbacks during free agency, a source said. Acquiring a young quarterback in the NFL Draft is an option, but New Orleans is still expected to pursue a veteran.