Buffalo Bills: Signing Yannick Ngakoue hits potential road block
If reports are true that the Jacksonville Jaguars appear heading towards using the franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue, then if the Buffalo Bills hope to add the young defensive end it will likely cost them draft picks.
If there was a number one free agent target for the Buffalo Bills this offseason, it would likely be defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. He fills a major need, possibly the only need on this defense, he has been highly productive with 37.5 career sacks and never finished a season with less than eight sacks.
These points, combined with the fact that he will be 25 years old to start the 2020 season, are reason enough for the Bills to really go after Ngakoue in free agency.
However, the problem appears to be the Jacksonville Jaguars may not let Ngakoue even get to free agency this year. According to Matt Verderame, the Jaguars appear set to use the franchise tag on the defensive end if a long term deal is not able to be reached.
While a franchise tag doesn’t shut the door completely on the Bills adding him, it certainly makes it much more complicated. It also makes it even more costly than initially thought.
The reason being that the Bills would then need to compensate the Jaguars with a draft pick, possibly as high as their first round pick. Regardless of what pick it is, the Bills would likely need to get something done before July 15th. This is the deadline to negotiate long term deals with players on franchise tags.
The last thing the Bills’ front office would like to do is end up in a situation the Seattle Seahawks are in with Jadeveon Clowney. The Texans used the franchise tag on Clowney last offseason but didn’t trade him until the end of August to the Seahawks. This didn’t give them a chance to work out a long term deal and Clowney is not set to be a free agent and could potentially leave Seattle.
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The Buffalo Bills appeared to be in great position to sign Yannick Ngakoue with ample cap space and the opportunity to play on one of the best defenses in the league. If the Jaguars do franchise tag the defensive end, this will be one of the toughest decisions Brandon Beane will have to make in his time so far as general manager.