Every year, teams have a two-week window within which to apply the franchise tag to keep players otherwise due to become unrestricted free agents from hitting the market unfettered.
This year, the window opens today — February 5. And it closes at 4:00 p.m. EST on February 19.
Most eyes are watching the Patriots and quarterback Matt Cassel. The prevailing thought is that the Pats will use the tag on Cassel, even though it will result in a guaranteed one-year salary of $14.65 million, and more than $29 million in cap space for two guys at one position.
But we still think that there’s a chance the Pats will work out a short-term deal that pays Cassel handsomely, and that permits him to eventually become the heir to Tom Brady.
It remains to be seen whether the Pats will have to use the franchise tag in order to make it happen.
Last year, the Patriots didn’t use the franchise tag on Randy Moss, eventually re-signing him after no significant market emerged for his services. It won’t work that way with Cassel, who likely would be flooded with big-money offers as of 12:01 a.m. on February 27, if he hits the market.
Other players and teams to watch (and we’re surely missing someone here) include the Ravens and linebackers Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, or Terrell Suggs; the Bengals and receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh; the Raiders and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha; the Chargers and running back Darren Sproles; the Eagles and tight end L.J. Smith; the Giants and running backs Brandon Jacobs or Derrick Ward; the Panthers and defensive end Julius Peppers or tackle Jordan Gross; and the Cardinals and linebacker Karlos Dansby or quarterback Kurt Warner.
Comprehensive background information about the tag appears after the jump.
The 1993 labor deal between the league and the NFLPA created the franchise tag as a way to help teams keep players who might otherwise leave via free agency.
Each team has one franchise tag that can be used per year.
By using the tag, the team must tender to the player a one-year salary equal to the average cap number from the prior season of the five highest-paid players at the position, or 120 percent of the franchise player’s salary from the prior year, whichever is greater.
A player who is restricted via the franchise tag may negotiate and sign with another team. If a new team signs the player to an offer sheet, the current team has seven days to match. If the current team chooses not to match, the current team receives two first-round draft picks as compensation.
Under the “exclusive” version of the franchise tag, the player is prohibited from talking with other teams. In that case, the salary is determined by the cap numbers of the five highest-paid players at the same position in the current year. As a result, the number can increase as new deals are done — especially if teams with plenty of cap space use current-year roster bonuses. (In 2008, the Raiders used the exclusive version of the tag on Asomugha.)
It’s rare that a team coughs up two first-round picks for a franchise player. Typically, a trade is brokered for something less than the two first-round picks. (Last year, however, the Vikings seriously pondered signing Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen to an offer sheet after the 2008 draft, which would have transferred to the Chiefs a first-round pick in 2009 and 2010.)
The current team and the player have until July 15 to work out a multi-year deal. Thereafter, the current team and the player can do a one-year deal only.
Until the player accepts the franchise tender, he’s not under contract and cannot participate in offseason workouts, mandatory minicamps, training camp, or the preseason. In past years, some franchise players have waited to sign the tender until the eve of the regular season. In such cases, the player still receives the full amount of the franchise salary, guaranteed.
The risk in waiting, however, is that the team could rescind the franchise tag, making the player an unrestricted free agent. If the tag is rescinded after the first wave of the free agency spending spree has ended, the player could be hard pressed to find a better deal.
In 2001, the Eagles yanked the tag on linebacker Jeremiah Trotter in June. In 2005, they pulled the same maneuver on defensive tackle Corey Simon.
Earlier that same year, Colts running back Edgerrin James signed his franchise tender at a time when he feared that the tag would be yanked. Charles Woodson of the Raiders did the same thing, prompting an angry reaction from the franchise.
And even though 2010 is scheduled to be an uncapped year, the franchise tag will survive. Which means that guys who think they’ll be in line for an unlimited windfall next year at this time might want to think again.