Who are the seven NFL players who received a franchise tag? Which player is likely to receive a multi-year deal before deadline?

The NFL is only a week away from reaching the deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players to multi-year deals. Currently, there are seven players on the franchise tag: Chris Godwin, Marcus Maye, Taylor Moton, Allen Robinson, Cam Robinson, Brandon Shreff and Marcus Williams.

What are the factors that led to these players being franchise-tagged, and which of these players are most likely to land a deal before the deadline?

NFL players currently franchise-tagged

#1 - Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Chris Godwin is the second wide receiver on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster. He's coming off a season in which he played a big part in helping his team win the Super Bowl. Last season, Godwin earned 840 yards and seven touchdowns. In the NFL, an offensive league, the Buccaneers need to do all they can to keep their offense intact.

One week remains for teams and franchise tagged players to negotiate multi-year deals. The 7 tagged players left: Chris Godwin, Marcus Maye, Taylor Moton, Allen Robinson, Cam Robinson, Brandon Scherff, Marcus Williams.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 8, 2021

#2 - Marcus Maye (New York Jets)

Marcus Maye is a safety for the New York Jets. Without him, the Jets would be one of the most vulnerable teams in the NFL deep down the field. Lamarcus Joyner is the other safety on the Jets roster. Joyner has struggled mightily since his time with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. In 2020, Joyner earned a 53.8 PFF grade.

Last season, Maye earned an 82.9 PFF grade and had two interceptions.

#3 - Taylor Moton (Carolina Panthers)

The Carolina Panthers need a solid offensive line to have any shot at success in the NFL. Taylor Moton is one of the players keeping the line together. Last season, Moton earned an 81.6 PFF grade and only allowed three sacks in over 1,000 snaps.

#4 - Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears)

The Chicago Bears are in the middle of Justin Fields' transition into a starting role. They need receivers around him to give him a fair shot at success in the NFL. Allen Robinson is coming off the second-best season of his career in which he earned over 100 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns, duly earning the franchise tag.

Put simply, without Robinson, Chicago would not have a passing offense at the same level in the NFL and could damage Justin Fields' acclimation to the NFL as a result.

#5 - Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Franchise tagging Cam Robinson shows what kind of state the Jaguars are in at the moment. While they need stability on the offensive line for Trevor Lawrence, Robinson doesn't reach the top-tier level that most NFL franchises would consider worth franchise-tagging.

In 2020, Robinson had five penalties and five sacks allowed in 973 snaps. He essentially averaged a penalty or a sack in almost every game last season. Additionally, he earned only a 61.7 PFF score. Without Robinson, however, the Jaguars would be setting up Lawrence to get pressured on most downs.

#6 - Brandon Scherff (Washington Football Team)

Brandon Scherff is an offensive guard for the Washington Football Team. In 2020, he earned an 84.1 PFF grade. In 857 snaps, he allowed three sacks and had two penalties. With the addition of the soon-to-be-39 Ryan Fitzpatrick, the team needs to keep him from getting hit as much as possible.

#7 - Marcus Williams (New Orleans Saints)

Marcus Williams is an outstanding safety for the New Orleans Saints. Last season, he had three interceptions and earned a 79.3 PFF score. Without Drew Brees, the Saints will need as much defensive help as possible in the event that Jameis Winston does not work out.

Who is most likely to earn a big new deal?

The more pressing question is which is the NFL team most desperate to keep its players happy? Put simply, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in win-now mode and the obvious answer to that quesiton.

They are throwing caution to the wind and simply need as much talent as they can get right now. Also, they are attempting to keep as much of the team together as possible, since they know they have a winning formula in the NFL for the first time in decades.

Chris Godwin

As a result, Chris Godwin has the most leverage since he knows that his exit could damage the team just enough to keep them out of Super Bowl contention this season. In the NFL, there are no greater bargaining chips than the hopes of a Super Bowl.