Panthers coach Ron Rivera confirmed Thursday on PFT Live that he plans to use the franchise tag this year.
“We will,” Rivera said. “We’re in the middle of discussions trying to make sure we get everything set and when we decide to put it on the right guy. I think for one reason or the other we’ve got some obvious candidates, some guys that we truly like on our football team and guy that we want to most certainly keep, and unfortunately there’s only one tag you can use, so we’re trying to decide on that.”
So let’s try to guess who the obvious candidates are. [Editor’s note: I suppose I just should have asked him.]
Running back DeAngelo Williams: His talent is worth the tag, but the team has two other talented backs on the roster with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson.
Center Ryan Kalil: One of the best at his position in the league. The franchise number for an offensive lineman could be north of $10 million, which is huge money for a center.
Defensive end Charles Johnson: He’s coming off a breakout season.
There are other options like cornerback Richard Marshall or linebacker James Anderson, but we don’t think they will be taken seriously.
For Rivera’s complete interview, head over to the PFT Live homepage.
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