With the NFLPA extending the window for voting on the proposed collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by two days to Saturday, there was much speculation that the NFL would have to do the same for the deadline to apply franchise and transition tags to players. After all, it is tough to strategize your moves without knowing what rules will be in place.

A new CBA would mean just one tag can be used. Should the agreement be voted down, both tags can be used during the same year.

Initially scheduled for Thursday, the NFL announced on Tuesday that the deadline for both tags has indeed been delayed until Monday, March 16, at 8:59 a.m. PT, just before when NFL teams are allowed to begin negotiating with the representatives of impending free agents.

This is the second time the deadline has been pushed back. It was initially scheduled for Tuesday.


That means the San Francisco 49ers have some time to decide whether or not to use the franchise tag on defensive end Arik Armstead. It was reported last week that the team is working with the defender's representatives to get a new deal done and keep him in San Francisco for the near future.

"Arik's an excellent player. He had an excellent year," general manager John Lynch said last month when asked if the 49ers would consider using the franchise tag on the player. "I think everything is on the table. We want to find a way to keep him and make him a part of the Niners for a long time."

Armstead, 26, racked up a team-high 10 sacks in 2019 while playing on his fifth-year option. He added another two sacks during the playoffs and is scheduled to become a free agent on March 18 at 1 p.m. PT.
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