The New York Giants have never been big on the franchise tag. That might remain the case in 2013.
Giants owner John Mara told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport that the team will "probably not" administer the franchise tag to any player.
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The Giants had several players who would qualify as legitimate possibilities for the tag, including offensive tackle Will Beatty, tight end Martellus Bennett and safety Kenny Phillips. In our franchise tag primer, Gregg Rosenthal speculated that Beatty would get tagged, though Rosenthal believes a long-term deal is more likely.
Along those lines, Mara's comment can be read as more of a goal rather than a definitive statement. If the two sides don't get a deal done by March 4, they still have the tag as a fallback option as they continue talks. A one-year tender for Beatty is projected to cost the team $9.66 million.
The Giants have used the franchise tag just three times, though they did use the tag last year on punter Steve Weatherford as the two sides worked toward a long-term deal.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.