When the Kansas City Chiefsslapped the franchise tag on premier pass rusher Dee Ford on Monday, they did so willing to part with the linebacker if a market developed for his services.
It appears one has.
Two NFC rivals, the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, have expressed interest in acquiring Ford, a source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Saturday.
Rapoport reported Tuesday that Kansas City was willing to trade Ford for a second-round pick, as the 3-4 outside linebacker might no longer be as big a factor in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's 4-3 defense.
Green Bay has openly been in the market for an edge rusher, and Ford could be a defining member of Mike Pettine's defense with the Packers. San Francisco boasts a burgeoning defensive line, but similarly lacks an explosive pass rusher on the ends.
Whether a trade for Ford can be executed remains to be seen. Trading franchise-tagged players goes against the spirit of the tag and could result in a player grievance over a team's unwillingness to participate in a good-faith effort to negotiate a new deal if the traded player so chooses. But such a transaction has happened before.
The Miami Dolphins placed Jarvis Landry on the receiver tag just six days before trading him to the Cleveland Browns during last year's free agent frenzy. Landry had no problems with and in fact welcomed the swap; he signed a long-term extension with the Browns less than one month later.
With the top-tier pass rusher market dry as a desert well following Monday's franchise-tag blitz, Ford will remain a unique and desirable bargaining chip and trade target up to and until the July 15 deadline to sign tagged players to long-term deals.
