Buffalo Bills: Breaking down options for the franchise tag
Quinton Spain
Franchise Tag Salary for OL: $16,102,000
The price tag would be hefty but if the Buffalo Bills were to use the franchise tag on any players this year it would likely be offensive guard Quinton Spain.
The Bills signed Spain to a one-year deal prior to the season and he stepped into the starting lineup and played well. There is no question that Spain played above his contract and finished the year playing every snap at left guard and not giving up a single sack in the regular season.
He was one of the main reasons that this offensive line dramatically improved in 2019 and helped give Josh Allen time in the pocket.
While a salary over $16 million would be substantially more than the $2 million he made this past year, it could be worth it to the Bills. He played at a high level and unlike at defensive tackle, the Bills don’t have any options on the roster to replace him.
If the Bills elect to use the franchise tag on any of these three players, it would cost a substantial part of their cap space this year. They do have nearly $90 million in available space so it would allow them to make other moves but the cost could be too steep to use on any player this year.