Updated March 2, 11:50 a.m.
News that the Jets have assigned the franchise tag to Tuesday prompts thoughts of the team using its franchise and transition tags in the past. Here is a review of five instances of players being tagged by the Green & White:
WR Rob Moore, franchise tag, 1995 — Moore was the Jets' first-round chocie in the 1990 NFL Supplemental draft out of Syracuse. In five seasons (76 games, 73 starts) with the Green & White Moore had 306 receptions for 4,258 yards (13.9-yard avg.) and 22 touchdowns.
In February '95, the Jets placed the franchise tag on Moore. On April 21 they traded him to the Arizona Cardinals for first- and fourth-round picks the '95 draft and RB Ronald Moore. They used the first-round pick, 16th overall, to selected DE Hugh Douglas and the fourth-rounder to tab T Melvin Hayes.
Rob Moore went on to play five more seasons, all with the Cards, and finished his career with 628 catches for 9,368 yards (14.9 avg.) and 49 TDs.
TE Kyle Brady, transition tag, 1999 — Brady came to the Jets as their top draft pick, ninth overall, out of Penn State in the 1995 draft. In his first four pro seasons, the 6'6", 278-pounder was a big blocker who had 93 receptions for 949 yards (10.2-yard average) and 10 touchdowns in 63 games (56 starts).
The Jets placed the transition tag on Brady in February 1999. Jacksonville signed him to an offer sheet that the Jets declined to match. Brady spent the next eight seasons with the Jaguars, then finished his playing career with the Patriots in 2007.
DE John Abraham, franchise tag, 2006 — Abraham (6'4", 256) was the Jets' first-round choice, 13th overall, of the 2000 draft out of South Carolina — the second of the "four aces" the Jets spent in that draft. In his six Jets seasons (73 games, 64 starts) he posted 53.5 sacks, forced five fumbles, and scored on a fumble return against the Bills in 2001. He played in three Pro Bowls.
The Jets placed their franchise tag on Abraham on Feb. 21, 2006. A month later, Abraham was involved in a three-team trade among the Jets, Atlanta and Denver. The Jets received the Broncos' first-round pick, 29th overall, with which they selected C Nick Mangold, who's been their starting center for the past 10 seasons. Abraham added 68.5 sacks over the next seven seasons with the Falcons, then 11.5 more with the Cardinals in 2013. He played one game for the Cards in '14 before going on injured reserve.
MLB David Harris, franchise tag, 2011 — Harris (6'2", 243), the Jets' second-round choice out of Michigan, 47th overall, in the 2007 draft, has been good for a team-leading 100-plus tackles and has also contributed 10 forced fumbles, four recoveries, and six interceptions in his decade of patrolling the middle of the Green & White defense.
Harris was designated the Jets' franchise player on Feb. 15, 2011, signed his franchise tender a week later, then signed a long-term contract in August of that year.
K Nick Folk, franchise tag, 2014 — Folk came to the Jets as a free agent in February 2010 after having been waived by Dallas the previous December. He went on to establish himself as the Jets' kicker over the next five years, hitting 81.3% of his field goal attempts (148 of 182). He's hit 10 of 12 FG tries in the last two minutes of games or in overtime to tie the score or give the Jets the lead, and he has converted 16 kicks of 50-plus yards, including a franchise-long 56-yarder at Denver in '10.
The Jets placed the franchise tag on him on Feb. 28, 2014. Eleven days later, he and the team signed a long-term contract.
