New York Giants unlikely to use franchise tag, but if they do …

If the cap-strapped New York Giants use the franchise tag this offseason, could veteran tight end Evan Engram be a candidate for the tag? 

The New York Giants would seem unlikely candidates to use the franchise tag, especially given the salary cap constraints facing new general manager Joe Schoen.

Schoen has previously vowed to trim $40 million in cap space as the Giants open this offseason projected to be approximately $12.02 million over the cap.

For the New York Giants, it is far more likely that Schoen and a new-look front office spend this offseason moving on from high-priced talent, restructuring the contracts of young players to create cap space, or perhaps shopping veteran players on the trade market, than continuing last season’s strategy of big spending during free agency.

However, Pro Football Focus suggests that if the New York Giants wind up using the franchise tag, as the window to use the tag opened Monday, tight end Evan Engram could be a candidate for the tag:

"Projected franchise tag number: $10,931,000Engram posted career-low grades pretty much across the board in 2021, but Giants owner John Mara recently said: “we’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here.” Mara was referring to quarterback Daniel Jones, but he might as well have been talking about Engram as well. The Giants reportedly received trade offers for Engram during the 2020 season and remained committed to their 2017 first-round tight end. New Giants head coach Brian Daboll saw Bills tight end Dawson Knox take a big step forward in 2021 and perhaps envisions the same for Engram. Last offseason, interior defender Leonard Williams turned a second-consecutive franchise tag into one of the strongest contracts for a player in the NFL, so perhaps the Giants cut spending a bit as they reload with a new regime."

Does it make sense for New York Giants to tag Evan Engram?

Continuing continuity for Daniel Jones and Engram, for the sake of Jones’ development is a compelling argument to tag Engram. Especially given the success Josh Allen and Dawson Knox had in Brian Daboll’s offense with the Buffalo Bills the past two seasons.

However, there might not be a player who would benefit more from a change of scenery than Engram, and this offseason’s crop of free agent tight ends is set to include Dalton Schultz, David Njoku, Mike Gesicki, and several others who could be better fits. Likewise, this spring’s NFL Draft class could feature starting caliber tight ends as late as round five.

Given the New York Giants’ cap constraints, forgoing tagging Engram in favor of more affordable options is likely the more likely outcome.