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Best and worst franchise tag uses

Matt Forte and Ray Rice were both given the franchise tag by their respective teams. AP Photo

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With the 4 p.m. Eastern deadline come and gone, 21 teams used their franchise tag this year. While the franchise tag wasn't used on premier players like Mario Williams, Carl Nicks or Vincent Jackson, plenty of players were tagged. Let's take a look at some of the best and worst uses of the franchise tag this year.

Best uses of the franchise tag

RB Matt Forte, Chicago Bears -- While it's somewhat risky to potentially irk Forte further after his contract situation went unaddressed last offseason, keep in mind that running backs can dive off a cliff quickly.