"2024 NFL Franchise Tag Predictions: Top Candidates and Team Strategies"

The two-week window for applying the franchise tag in the NFL opens on Tuesday, marking the first major development of the 2024 offseason. This move allows teams to block one player from unrestricted free agency, keeping top players in the league from hitting the open market. The upcoming Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will unofficially serve as a platform for tampering discussions between agents and teams, setting the stage for the impending legal tampering period. Applying the franchise tag this week could preempt pre-legal tampering talks, and it's expected that one or two tags may be applied by the end of the week.