The deadline for franchise tagged players to sign long-term contracts sits one day away.
Those tagged players not inked to a multi-year contract by July 15 at 4 p.m. ET will have to play under the one-year tender -- or choose to sit out the year with no pay. The one-year contract cannot be extended until the team's last regular season game.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that there are several players not expected to get long-term deals, per sources informed of the negotiations: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson; Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery; New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Let's take a quick look at each case:
**Trumaine Johnson**: Sides remain far apart on their positions of Johnson's worth. The corner would make $13.9 million on the tag. One prevailing thought when the Rams tagged Johnson instead of Janoris Jenkins was that it might be easier to get a deal done with Johnson. With a big jump to tag Johnson in back-to-back years, the Rams risk losing two starting corners in two years (Jenkins signed in New York this offseason).
**Alshon Jeffery**: With Jeffery's injury history, the Bears are skittish at giving the dynamite receiver a lot of guaranteed money. NFL Media's Mike Garafolo previously reported that the Bears want Jeffery at a deal closer to the $11 million per year contracts Allen Hurns and Keenan Allen signed than the $14.6 million franchise tag number. As the Bears' best player, Jeffery, has little incentive to cave.
**Muhammad Wilkerson**: Sides haven't appeared close on a new deal in a long while. With Making the Leap candidate Leonard Williams in-house, the Jets might feel they already have Mo's eventual replacement.
**Kirk Cousins**: Rapoport notes that both sides are comfortable playing it out and proving it for another year. Cousins was phenomenal down the stretch last season, but has only started one full season. One year at $19.9 million seems plenty fair for both sides. If Cousins repeats his 2015 performance, the Redskins won't be shy to give him a new big deal. If Cousins bombs, Washington saved itself from a potentially hamstringing contract.
NFL Media's Rand Getlin previously reported that Eric Berry and the Chiefs are unlikely to come to terms on a deal "unless there is a significant shift."
Could a shift happen Friday? Rapoport added that a deal hasn't been ruled out and that general manager John Dorsey's best offers to tagged players usually fall on the day of the deadline, according to sources informed of the negotiations. This sounds a lot like last year when Kansas City also came down to the wire with Justin Houston before agreeing to a long-term deal.
There are two players for which new deals remain more in play before the deadline, according to Rapoport: Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
**Von Miller** likely will become the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. Guaranteed money has been the sticking point thus far. Will general manager John Elway unstick the problem prior to the deadline?
Sources with knowledge of the negotiations told Rapoport on Friday the two sides are "closing in on a deal" that would include $70 million fully guaranteed by March 2018.
**Justin Tucker** is set to make $4.57 million on the tag. The Ravens would need to pay up on a long-term deal or face tagging one of the NFL's best booters again next season at an increased rate.
On Thursday, Tucker's agent, Rob Roche, made it clear Tucker would not play for the Ravens in 2017 without a long-term deal by Friday. "Justin's disillusioned with the process right now and the Ravens' position with him on his contract," Roche told ESPN. "If we don't get a long-term deal done by Friday, Justin will not entertain offers from Ravens after the season."
