So it should come as no surprise that many of the league's franchise tags are being used on defensive backs. Yesterday, it was Brett Grimes, cornerback from Atlanta. This morning, it was Tyvon Branch (yes, I know he's a safety; I did say defensive backs) and then conflicting reports from NFL.com and ESPN that Cortland Finnegan, cornerback from the Titans, will also be receiving a franchise tag.
If it wasn't for the Stanford Routt signing by the Chiefs, I think the Chiefs would be doing everything possible to retain their second corner, Brandon Carr. And although the Chiefs higher-ups are claiming that bringing in Routt has had no effect on their efforts to bring back Carr, you have to believe that the price will be too high considering they grabbed a fairly inexpensive Routt.
With all teams wanting good defensive backs to try to slow down the juggernaut of the NFL passing game, it is fair to wonder what team's uniform Carr will be wearing next season. Here are a few rumored destinations:
Dallas Cowboys
According to multiple reports, the Cowboys would be considered the front-runner for Carr once free agency starts later this month. According to Pro Football Weekly, the Cowboys would love for Carr to hit the market and that the Cowboys could go "all in" to sign Carr and replace Terrance Newman at the left cornerback position.
With Jerry Jones and his seemingly infinite pockets, the Cowboys would make sense to land Carr, and would not be afraid of overpaying. So look for the Cowboys to go hard for Carr, especially coming off the 23rd ranked pass defensive effort in 2011.
Detroit Lions
This speculation is based off a couple of things. One: the Lions were the 22nd ranked pass defense in 2011 and gave up nearly 1,000 passing yards in their final two games, including a playoff loss to Drew Brees and the Saints and a regular season loss to Matt Flynn (!) and the Packers.
Two: Brandon Carr is from the area. He was born in Flint, Michigan, attended college at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and his family would be able to see the hometown kid play with the hometown team.
The catch is, with the Lions having had many high draft picks over the years, they are having salary cap troubles, and the cost of bringing in Carr might be out of the question. As Lions GM, Martin Mayhew, said late last month: “We don’t anticipate being in the top part of the (free agency) market."
Kansas City Chiefs
I know what you're thinking. I said above and in other posts on this blog that the Stanford Routt signing almost assuredly means that Carr will pursue free agency. But the Chiefs have yet to franchise any player yet, and if they are close to a deal with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, or even considering letting him test the market, then the Chiefs could still bring back Carr and feature one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL. So why not?
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