Talk » three times against Scherzer.THE GRANDY MAN

Some of the NFL’s most valuable stars are coming to the end of their contracts, which could spark a bidding war of eye-watering numbers. What is an exclusive franchise tag? A one-year offer to a player. It must be at least the average of the top five salaries at the players position, or 120 percent of the players previous salary, whichever is greater. The players team has all negotiating rights to the player. But Tuesday marks the opening of a window where teams can place a franchise or transition tag on players that are soon to become free agents. March 1 is the deadline, meaning owners will be forced to get the cheque book out to keep their star men.Heres a list of valuable commodities whose contracts are nearing their end… Ins & outs Follow our live updates of the NFL market Von Miller, Denver Broncos Von Miller sacks Carolinas Cam Newton before Denver score a touchdown No player in the NFL has the bargaining power that the aggressive pass rusher currently has at the negotiating table. A stunning Super Bowl 50 performance resulted in the MVP award and helped the Broncos defeat Carolina Panthers. No individual was more influential in that result than Miller.Understanding his own worth as the lynchpin of the leagues best defence, Miller has been vocal about his demands to become the NFLs highest paid defensive player. The Broncos have no intention of losing him, meaning they might apply a franchise tag then negotiate a long-term deal, which will see Miller laugh all the way to the bank. What is a non-exclusive franchise tag? A one-year offer to a player. Like the exclusive franchise tag, it must be at least the average of the top five salaries at the players position or 120 percent of the players previous salary, whichever is greater. Unlike the exclusive franchise tag, the player can negotiate with other teams. The players current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation. Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos Brock Osweiler hits CJ Anderson for a touchdown against the Patriots The young quarterback briefly usurped the legendary Peyton Manning as the Broncos main man before relinquishing the position as the team won Super Bowl 50. With Mannings future in doubt, Osweiler would be the leading contender to replace him as Denvers starter, but he must first work out his contract.The elephant in the room is Miller, the Broncos star defensive player, whose contract also runs out and who will be their priority. Osweiler may have to be sacrificed.Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins Kirk Cousins finds DeSean Jackson for a 63-yard touchdown A franchise tag on the Redskins quarterback would cost them $19.6 million, according to NFL.com. Worth the money? Cousins just set a Redskins single-season record for passing yards (4,166) and total touchdowns (34). His rapid development into one of the NFLs rising quarterbacks has perhaps caught his employers off guard and retaining him will be their biggest concern this off-season. What is a transition tag? A one-year offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs Eric Berrys was one of the stories of this or any NFL season The return of Berry to the field after being after being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in December of 2014 was the most uplifting story in the NFL in 2015. To return at a Pro Bowl was truly remarkable and he was crowned AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year as well as being named First-team All-Pro.Berry headlines a host of impact Chiefs defenders scheduled to hit free agency with cornerback Sean Smith, linebacker Derrick Johnson, edge rusher Tamba Hali and defensive tackle Jaye Howard also free agents. The Chiefs defense is one of the best in the NFL and general manager John Dorsey will be keen to keep together a unit that propelled Kansas City into the playoffs.The market for safeties has been set by recent deals for Earl Thomas, who received a four-year, $40m deal from the Seattle Seahawks and Devin McCourty who signed a five-year, $47.5m contract with the New England Patriots. This is what Berry will aim for and the two sides have already begun negotiations according to NFL.coms Ian Rapaport.If the sides cannot reach an agreement, franchising Berry will not be cheap. The tag cost $9.6m to apply to a safety in 2015 and that figure is projected to rise well above $10m for 2015.Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati Bengals Reggie Nelson of the Bengals hits Owen Daniels of the Broncos Age can inevitably affect a players worth, as Nelson could find out this off-season. The safety will soon be 33, which isnt an attractive proposition, but in the 2015 season, he made eight interceptions, which was the joint-highest in the NFL. The Bengals wont want to let him walk away but would be loath to hand him a long-term, big-money deal. Spending $10.6 million on a franchise tag is the obvious option, keeping Nelson for another season before they can reassess.Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears Will we see Alshon Jeffery in a Chicago Bears uniform again? Theres a Daniel Sturridge-at-Liverpool situation developing in the Windy City. Jeffery, when fully fit and firing, is a wide receiver who posts the kind of numbers that the Bears would be looking for. But he missed most of 2015 and with his contract winding down, is it worth shelling out for another year when his fitness isnt guaranteed? The Bears must consider if the outlay is better spent elsewhere.Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets Muhammad Wilkerson could be franchised by the New York Jets The Jets unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a contract extension with Wilkerson prior to last season and his value has only gone up after a career year in 2015. Wilkerson racked up a career-best 12 sacks, which was the most by a Jets player since 2003.The 26-year-old was asked to play more off the edge on passing downs following the addition of number six overall pick Leonard Williams in the 2015 draft and flourished in that role. Williams has been as good as advertised and that means the Jets will likely choose between extending Wilkerson or Sheldon Richardson, who is a free agent after the 2016 season and also likely to command a huge pay day.Outstanding against the run and the pass, Wilkersons scheme versatility - he can excel in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 - and his position flexibility would make him an extremely coveted player on the open market.The starting point for any negotiations would be the five-year, $55m contract ($11m per season average) signed by New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan last June. Wilkerson is likely to argue he deserves something closer to the six-year, $95.1m deal ($15.85m per season average) signed by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in September.The franchise tag for defensive ends was $14.8m in 2015 and that figure will go up next season. That is a big hit for a Jets team that will be operating with limited cap space following the high-priced acquisitions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Brandon Marshall last offseason.The Jets appear likely to franchise Wilkerson but may be willing to listen to trade offers for him if they cannot hammer out a deal before the deadline to agree extensions for franchised players in July.Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Doug Martin ran 84 yards from the 10 yard line but just missed out on getting the touchdown. The 2015 All-Pro is already mid-way through contract renewal talks with the Bucaneers but pen hasnt yet been put to paper. The finest year of his career so far means he can play hardball in the boardroom, but a franchise tag for the running-back is expected to be $11.5 million, a figure that is easily affordable for his employers.Cordy Glenn, Buffalo Bills Cordy Glenn (r) #77 of the Buffalo Bills has been a big part of the successful Bills rushing attack Cordy Glenn has been a mainstay at left tackle for the Buffalo Bills since being taking in the second round of the 2012 round, starting 61 of 64 games during that period.The Bills rushing attack was the best in the NFL last season as they finished number one in yards (2,432) and joint first in yards per attempt (4.8) and Glenn was a huge part of that. Buffalo were most successful running to the left behind Glenn, who is a dominating run blocker, and left guard Richie Incognito - who is also a free agent.Glenn has also shown himself to be very solid in pass protection during his four seasons in the NFL and that well-rounded skillset, combined with his age - he is 26-years-old - and the fact he plays a premium position has set him up to cash in this offseason.The 2015 franchise tag for an offensive lineman was $12.9m and that figure will climb north of $13m for next season. That is going to be a difficult number for the cash-strapped Bills to meet but they can create $12.9m in cap space by cutting defensive end Mario Williams, a move which is expected to happen.Trent Williams of the Washington Redskins is currently the NFLs best-paid offensive tackle after signing a five-year deal last season averaging $13.6m per year. Dallas Tyron Smith ($12.2m), Clevelands Joe Thomas ($11.5m), Indianapolis Anthony Castonzo ($10.9m) and Denvers Ryan Clady ($10.5m) round out the top five.Glenn is likely to demand more than Castonzo at the very least. Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers Josh Norman made his mark this season with several stunning displays The 28-year-old was one of the leagues most impressive cornerbacks this season and Carolina must pay $13.7 million to put a franchise tag on him. In the context of the NFL, that could easily be seen as a no-brainer for the Super Bowl runners-up. The Panthers are not shy to spend the cash to keep their top players. Two years ago they got another season out of Greg Hardy using a franchise tag.Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks Jeremy Mincey, of the Dallas Cowboys, battles Russell Okung The defensive player is a perfect example of how a player can fetch a salary well above his worth if another area of his team is under-performing. The Seahawks offence has misfired, meaning the last thing they want to do is lose a starting pass protector. Time for Okung to buy himself a congratulatory gift? Not quite. A dislocated shoulder on the last day of the season means a five-month recovery period, which he has informed all 32 teams about. Suddenly the ball is back in the Seahawks court. Also See: NFL Video Rookies: Tops & flops Ins & outs NFL on Sky Sports Fake Bruins Jerseys . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Boston Bruins Shirts . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. https://www.cheapbruins.com/ . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Bruins Jerseys 2020 .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Bruins Jerseys 2019 . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. WASHINGTON -- With a lineup that was already sputtering, it was no surprise the New York Mets failed to bust out against Nationals ace Max Scherzer.Daniel Murphy homered twice, tormenting his former team yet again, and Washington completed a three-game sweep of the Mets with 4-2 victory Wednesday night.New Yorks offense did little against Scherzer (9-5), who allowed two hits with 10 strikeouts over 7 1/3 shutout innings.Were just not even giving ourselves chances, said Mets manager Terry Collins, who earlier in the day called it a game his team needed to win.After taking an early lead in Mondays series opener, New York went 23 innings without scoring before James Loneys two-run homer in the ninth off Shawn Kelley.The Mets have lost four straight and fallen six games behind first-place Washington in the NL East. Awaiting them is a four-game series against the major league-best Chicago Cubs to begin an 11-game homestand.Obviously, you wanted to come in here and have different results, outfielder Curtis Granderson said. Youve still got a lot of games to play plus a lot of games against this team and everybody else in our division.Scherzer retired 18 in a row before Brandon Nimmos single in the eighth and finished with at least 10 strikeouts for the fourth straight outing.Murphy homered off Logan Verrett (3-5) in the second for a 1-0 lead and golfed a two-run drive in the eighth against reliever Sean Gilmartin. The second baseman matched his career high with 14 homers as Washington won its fourth in a row.Hes doing the damage against everybody, Collins said. Weve just got to make better pitches. You cant miss on the inner half of the plate to Dan Murphy right now. Logan hung a slider and Gilly got a changeup down and in.Murphy is batting .428 (15 for 35) with four home runs and 11 RBI against New York. He signed a $37.5 million, three-year conttract with Washington last offseason after spending his first seven seasons with the Mets and powering them into the World Series last year with a record-setting postseason.ddddddddddddIts just obvious he wants to beat them up, Scherzer said.Kelley got four outs for his fourth save. He threw a called third strike past Nimmo with a runner on second to end it.Scherzer walked Kelly Johnson in the second, the same inning in which Asdrubal Cabrera registered New Yorks first hit. The Mets didnt reach base again until Nimmos hit on the final pitch from Scherzer, who left to a standing ovation.Granderson entered as a pinch hitter and singled off reliever Oliver Perez, giving New York two baserunners.Kelley, Washingtons fourth pitcher of the inning, whiffed Alejandro De Aza with the potential tying runs in scoring position to end the eighth.Making a spot start because Steven Matz was pushed back a day, Verrett lost his fifth straight decision. He allowed two runs and four hits with four walks over five innings.I felt like I kept us in the game, gave us a chance to come back and win it, Verrett said.Yoenis Cespedes struck out three times against Scherzer.THE GRANDY MAN CANGranderson was a late scratch from the starting lineup one day after being removed from Tuesdays game with right calf tightness. He said after the game hes day to day.TRAINERS ROOMMets: RHP Noah Syndergaard, who struggled in Mondays series opener, confirmed he has a bone spur in his elbow. He called it pretty insignificant.UP NEXTMets: Matz (7-3, 3.29 ERA) faces Chicago Cubs RHP John Lackey (7-4, 3.29) on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Citi Field, a rematch of last years NL Championship Series that the Mets won in a four-game sweep. ' ' '