Broncos Should Franchise Tag Jason Elam

Free agency is set to begin with the new month, and the Broncos are still yet to sign their franchise leader in games played and points scored. Kicker Jason Elam is set to become an unrestricted free agent in just over a week, and the Broncos are still focusing on signing safety Hamza Abdullah to a new contract before they hammer out the details on Elam’s deal.

Jack Reale, Elam’s agent, reminds the Broncos that the kicker position is not another hole the Broncos need to fill.

“Kickers are like doctors: nobody wants them until you need one, and you then hope you have a good one – and Jason is definitely a good one.”

The quickest way to ensure that Elam stays a Bronco would be to do what they did in 2002 – designate him as the Broncos’ franchise player (otherwise known as the “franchise tag”). The Boston Globe reports that the cost of franchising a kicker would be a cool $2.15 million.

If the Broncos franchise Elam, they can still work out a long term deal; this just ensures that Elam doesn’t go elsewhere in the meantime. The deadline for designating the franchise tag is Thursday, so the Broncos will need to act swiftly to make sure their future Ring of Famer doesn’t get lost in free agency.