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Chiefs apply franchise tag to Justin Houston; holdout expected

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the franchise-tag party Monday, applying their tag to outside linebacker Justin Houston. The tag will pay Houston a one-year deal worth about $13 million

Houston, a third-round pick in 2011, recorded an NFL-best 22 sacks last season and likely would have been named Defensive Player of the Year if not for J.J. Watt's historic campaign.

The Chiefs chose to use the non-exclusive version of the franchise tag, allowing other teams the opportunity to negotiate a long-term deal with Houston. Should he accept a deal with another team, the Chiefs will have the opportunity to match. If they choose not to match, the team signing Houston must send two first-round picks to the Chiefs as compensation.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reports Houston will wait to sign his tender, consider holding out until Week 10 and aggressively pursue a deal with another team. 

Non-exclusive franchise-tagged players very rarely reach deals with other teams, but perhaps Houston's 22 sacks will entice one to consider not only giving him a huge contract but also surrendering two premium draft picks. 

Possibly complicating matters is the fact that Houston was tagged as a linebacker. Florio reports Houston will consult the NFLPA on whether to file a grievance requesting to be reclassified as a defensive end. The franchise tag figure for defensive ends is projected to be worth over $1 million more than for linebackers. 

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