At free agency or franchise tag time, the slightest news nugget or rumor tends to set social media on tilt.

A simple tweet by Adam Schefter of ESPN denoting the start of the franchise tag period Tuesday did this when all he intended was to mention how it’s expected to be a quiet tag period and he mentioned four possible “options” for getting the tag.

“Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins, Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr., Kansas City Chiefs OG Trey Smith,” were his list.

They’re only “options” and he made this clear. However, it is worth noting his other tweet was not good news if you’re the Bears.

In response to one tweet saying it would be surprising if Smith received the franchise tag, Schefter said, “Agreed. Hard to imagine the Chiefs franchise tag Trey Smith. A transition tag is more palatable and plausible.”

The transition tag doesn’t force the signing team to give up compensation to the player’s former team. It does give the player’s original team the right to match an offer.

In a sense, Schefter normally would be right. However, no tag or franchise tag make the most sense in this case because there are going to be teams with the money available to help Smith set the guard market the way Christian Kirk did with the receiver market several years ago.

Since the Chiefs wouldn’t get draft pick compensation with a transition tag, it makes little sense to waste time using it. The Chiefs would find it all but impossible to come up with the kind of money necessary to keep Smith considering their cap space or lack thereof.

Nevertheless, the Bears need to be prepared in case the Chiefs did somehow come out of it still with Smith or if teams like New England or the Raiders are involved in a bidding war. Those teams have far more cap space available than the Bears and quarterbacks on their first contracts. In a bidding war, the Bears wouldn’t have much chance with those teams as Smith could set the market.