The Kansas City Chiefs will not apply the franchise tag to offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. for a second consecutive season, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
If the Chiefs had applied the franchise tag to Brown, it would have cost them over $20 million in 2023. Now, just because the Chiefs chose not to use the franchise tag on Brown doesn’t mean he won’t be back in Kansas City.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained why the Chiefs didn’t use the franchise tag on Brown.
Chiefs' decision to not tag Orlando Brown came down to, I'm told, their desire to lock in a long-term LT this offseason. Tagging Brown doesn't do it. It'd basically guarantee he's free in '24, make it harder to do a deal (bc of the $20M number) now.
They'll look at all options.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 6, 2023
This is something the Washington Commanders know all too well. Washington used the franchise tag twice on quarterback Kirk Cousins [2016 & 2017] and guard Brandon Scherff [2020 & 2021], only to see both players walk.
The Commanders applied the franchise tag on defensive tackle Daron Payne last week and would prefer to get a long-term deal done.
Washington badly needs help on the offensive line. Would the Commanders pursue Brown if he doesn’t re-sign with the Chiefs?
Former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is now Washington’s offensive coordinator. Would that help the Commanders if they choose to pursue Brown?
Yes and no. Ultimately, this all comes down to money. And, if we learned anything from ESPN’s report on owner Dan Snyder last week, the Commanders may be “cash-poor” at the moment, meaning signing a big-time free agent is not happening this offseason. However, anything is possible.
As for Bieniemy, how does he view Brown? Does he view Brown as an elite offensive tackle worth spending at least $20 million per season on? Brown is not in the same class as Trent Williams, but he is young [26] and would represent an upgrade. If Washington signed Brown, they could move Charles Leno to right tackle for 2023 and slide Sam Cosmi inside to guard.
If Brown hits free agency, Washington should be interested. Signing him as a free agent would open up more possibilities in the 2023 NFL draft. While the Commanders would still likely look for a center, it lessens the need to find a guard or tackle in the draft.
The Chiefs could still re-sign Brown before free agency begins next week. If they don’t get a deal done, Brown will have a robust market and Washington isn’t in the position to outbid anyone in its current state.
