It is a busy day in the NFL, with a 1 p.m. PT deadline to designate players as franchise or transition players. We have three new tags coming in, according to various reports. The Denver Broncos are designating outside linebacker/defensive end Von Miller as their franchise player, the Carolina Panthers are doing likewise with cornerback Josh Norman, and the Buffalo Bills are doing the same thing with offensive tackle Cordy Glenn.
The Miller news is not surprising, but it does mean Brock Osweiler will hit the market if he does not get a deal done. And if Peyton Manning does in fact retire (or is released), the Broncos will be in the market for a quarterback. That certainly opens the door to some options with Colin Kaepernick. And I imagine the 49ers will be connected to Osweiler in the rumor mill.
In other news, the Miami Dolphins are designating defensive end Olivier Vernon as their transition player. The transition tag offers up a right of first refusal for the Dolphins, but no compensation if they do not match a contract. The franchise tag offers up two first round picks if a team does not match an offer sheet. The Dolphins lost Charles Clay a year ago when they designated him their transition player, so we'll see if it happens again.
In other AFC East news, the Buffalo Bills have released defensive end Mario Williams. He has been unhappy, particularly with his use as a defensive end in their 3-4. When the Bills switched to a 3-4 under Rex Ryan, Williams wanted to play outside linebacker. However, back in October he was one of several players unloading their frustration about the scheme. Williams has a load of talent, but it seems like he is better suited for 4-3 defensive end than 3-4 OLB. It will be interesting to see what kinds of offers he gets. If the 49ers stick with their 3-4, it doesn't seem like he would make a lot of sense, unless they plan on spending a lot of time in their nickel defense.