1. A computer-implemented method for prioritizing data packets associated with applications running in a networked computing environment, comprising: accessing, in a computer data structure, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) associated with a particular application and at least one other SLA associated with at least one other application, the particular application and the at least one other application running in the networked computing environment; determining a proposed modification to a priority of a set of data packets associated with the particular application based on a comparison of a current performance of the set of data packets against a specified performance of the set of data packets as set forth in the SLA; evaluating a potential effect of the proposed modification on a capability of the particular application to meet a set of terms of the SLA, and of the at least one other application to meet a set of terms of the at least one other SLA; determining whether to implement the proposed modification based on the evaluated potential effect of the proposed modification; marking, by a device, the set of data with a mark comprising an indication of any implemented proposed modification; determining, by another device downstream from the device, any proposed modification implemented based on the mark; evaluating an actual effect of any implemented proposed modification; and determining whether another proposed modification to the priority of the set of data packets is safe to implement based on the SLA and the evaluated actual effect of the any implemented proposed modification.