Now that we’re a few days removed from the excitement of the Super Bowl, the off-season is beginning to get started, although things can only be described as tentative right now with the collective bargaining negotiations between the league and the players association expected to drag on, potentially into the summer.

Free agency won’t be the same as usual until the CBA is worked out, but the one part of it that the owners are planning on doing as normal is the use of franchise tags. The NFLPA is expected to do their best to prevent teams from being able to use them for the time being, potentially even taking it as far as a lawsuit, but that isn’t something the NFL seems to be too worried about.

With that in mind, here’s a run down of the players that are the most likely candidates for getting franchised this off-season. We’ll be updating things as more information becomes available and definitely want to hear what you think so feel free to leave any comments you have.

• Michael Vick (Eagles) - Never fear Eagles fans, Vick isn’t going anywhere this off-season. But depending on how things play out in the CBA negotiations, finalizing a new deal that will keep him in Philly long term could take a while so the Eagles will almost assuredly tag Vick first and finish an extension second.

• Vincent Jackson (Chargers) - It’s still unlikely that the Chargers will keep Jackson around long term, but given the fact that they’d get next to nothing if he walks via free agency, franchising him now makes the most sense as San Diego can either play out a full season with him in the fold or trade him away for a much more palatable level of compensation.

• Haloti Ngata (Ravens) - There is no doubt that the Ravens will do everything in their power to lock up Ngata this off-season with a hefty extension, but in the interim a franchise tag to ensure he doesn’t wander via free agency is a smart way to guarantee enough time to work something out.

• Tamba Hali (Chiefs) – I’d be surprised if Scott Pioli doesn’t find a way to get a deal done with Hali over the next few weeks, at a price that makes sense for both sides to boot. That said, using the tag to buy more time is a possibility as well, especially if the CBA negotiations hit a snag in the near future.

• LaMarr Woodley (Steelers) – Of all the candidates, Woodley is the one player that is almost guaranteed of getting tagged this off-season, as he’d undoubtedly be a hot commodity on the open market and the Steelers defense would suffer without him. He’s also young and versatile, two things Pittsburgh puts a premium on.