Eagles Expected to Use Franchise Tag on Michael Vick

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to use the franchise tag on Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick next month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Schefter adds that with Vick franchised, the Eagles will listen to trade offers on quarterback Kevin Kolb.

After spending two years in prison, and one season as a back-up to Donovan McNabb, Vick started 12 games for the 2010 Eagles, completing 62.6% of his 372 pass attempts for 3,018 yards, 21 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, resulting in a career-high 100.2 passer rating and a fourth Pro Bowl appearance.

Vick added 676 yards and a career-high 9 rushing touchdowns, all while earning $3.75 million in base salary in leading the Eagles to an NFC East title.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid intended for Kolb to be the long-term starter, signing the former second-round pick out of University of Houston to a one-year, $12.222 million extension after the 2010 NFL Draft. Kolb's extension included a $10.7 million signing bonus, and as Schefter points out, a desirable base salary of $1.392 million for 2011.

What may not be desirable, at least not to a team looking to use the franchise tag on Vick in 2011, is Kolb's $5.357 million salary cap number for next season. A new collective bargaining agreement, which will be required before the Eagles can trade Kolb this off-season, is expected to include a salary cap.

Vick's franchise tag would be worth around $17.1 million, and in a capped season, having $22 million wrapped up in quarterbacks, with a quarter of that in an unhappy one looking for his opportunity to start, might not give the Eagles as much leverage as they'd like in trade talks.

Rough Estimates on Franchise/Transition Tag Amounts

These are unofficial estimations on what this year's franchise (F) and transition (T) tag numbers will be.

Quarterbacks: *$17.09 million (F); $14.78 million (T)
Running Backs: $9.87 million (F); $8.07 million (T)
Wide Receivers: $12.09 million (F); $10.3 million (T)
Tight Ends: $7.39 million (F); $6.3 million (T)
Offensive Line: $10.58 million (F); $9.52 million (T)
Defensive Ends: $13.77 million (F); $10.92 million (T)
Defensive Tackles: $11.84 million (F); $9.27 million (T)
Linebackers: $10.29 million (F); $9.05 million (T)
Cornerbacks: $14.57 million (F); $12.9 million (T)
Safeties: $9.69 million (F); $8.5 million (T)
Punters/Kickers: $3.21 million (F); $2.96 million (T)

*-Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's contract voids, making him a free agent after the season. If the Colts use the franchise tag on Manning, which they did in 2004, his non-exclusive franchise tag would be 110% of his 2010 salary number, or $21.193 million. That figure would rise to $23.1 million (120% his '10 salary) if Indianapolis retained exclusive negotiating rights with Manning.

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