Chiefs place franchise tag on DE Allen

NFL.com

The Chiefs have placed its franchise tag on defensive end Jared Allen, according to NFL Network's Adam Schefter. The move could keep Allen in Kansas City for one more year, but it will likely be the last one for Allen.
Defensive endsPlayerTotal
Julius Peppers
$12,437,500
Jason Taylor
$9,519,625
Justin Smith
$8,644,000
Jevon Kearse
$7,063,890
Michael Strahan
$6,728,285
Franchise: $8.879 millionTransition: $7.679 million
"If I play under the franchise tag, this will be my last year with the Chiefs," Allen told NFL.com at the Pro Bowl. "I would like to be a part of (the team) but there is a business aspect of this, too."
Allen was suspended for the first four games of the 2007 and later had it trimmed to only two games. Allen responded by having one of the best seasons of his career. Allen registered a career-high 15.5 sacks in only 14 games and almost single-handedly won a few games for the Chiefs with his defense, to earn his first Pro Bowl invitation -- the first for a Chiefs defensive player in five years.
The franchise designation will guarantee that Allen is paid $8.88 million next season, the average salary of the five highest-paid defensive ends. Teams can name a player an exclusive franchise tag, committing to a minimum offer of the average of the top five salaries at a player's position, a 20 percent raise from his 2007 salary or the average of the top five salaries at his position -- whichever is highest. That keeps other clubs from talking to the player.