According to Mike Kaye, a league source says Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki and Browns TE David Njoku are viewed as potential candidates to be franchise tagged by their respective teams.
Over The Cap projects the 2022 franchise tag for tight ends to be $10.8 million, which is a few million short of the top of the market.
Cleveland is reportedly willing to go over $10 million a year for Njoku and Gesicki could probably make $11 million or more as a free agent on the open market.
The deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag this offseason is March 8.
Gesicki, 26, is a former second-round pick by the Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He just finished the final year of his four-year, $6,611,924 rookie contract that included a $2,888,962 signing bonus.
Gesicki will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
In 2021, Gesicki appeared in all 17 games for the Dolphins and recorded 73 receptions on 112 targets for 780 yards (10.7 YPC) and two touchdowns.
Njoku, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Browns back in 2017 out of Miami. He signed a four-year, $9.5 million contract with the Browns.
The Browns picked up Njoku’s fifth-year option last April for roughly $6 million for the 2021 season. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
In 2021, Njoku appeared in 16 games for the Browns and caught 36 of 53 targets for 475 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
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