Ralph Vacchiano's post on New York Giants | Latest updates on Sulia

Starting tomorrow, teams can begin using the “franchise tag”. Will the Giants use it? Here’s a look …

… at some of their potential “franchise” candidates: T Will Beatty – From what I hear, re-signing Beatty is the Giants’ highest priority among their own free agents, which makes sense since he’s their left tackle and they don’t have a replacement ready. The franchise tag for an OL will be about $9.7 million, which is a very hefty price. The preference would be a long-term deal that’s a little more cap friendly. The Giants could slap him with the “tag” though if they’re close to a deal and sure they could work one out before free agency begins on March 12. TE Martellus Bennett – Impressed with his ability and potential, the Giants want to re-sign him, but it’ll depend on what the market is (the Bucs are already reported to be interested). He made $2.5 million last year and the “tag” for a tight end is about $6 million. That’s too much considering the Giants have a history of developing tight ends and there are some intriguing options for replacements on the free-agent market. S Kenny Phillips – This has been reported as a possibility because the “tag” for safeties is said to be “low”. Well, it’s $6.8 million. And that’s not “low” for a guy who hasn’t really been the same since major knee surgery a few years ago and who had more knee issues last year. When he was in the game, the Giants were better, but can they afford that much cap space on a player they can’t be sure will stay healthy? That's the question. Prediction: The Giants won’t use the tag. I think the numbers are too high to justify using it on Bennett or Phillips. And using it on Beatty is a big risk because if they don't sign him to a long-term deal he’ll be eating up 8% of their cap space. That’s a lot for a team that’s only currently about $5 million under the projected cap. When they use it, that’s usually why – to put a temporary hold on a guy they’re close to re-signing. But the numbers make that a difficult gamble this year. For a more detailed look at the Giants' 'franchise' options, read my Blue Screen blog entry here: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2013/02/a-look-at-giants-potential-franchise-options