2017 Franchise and Transition Tags

[Guiness]

So only two pass rushers have tags applied yet (CJones and Short). If Ingram gets tagged, then Perry might be best combo OLB/DE left on board. Not only pass rush though, as there are DEs and DTs left.

The question is where does the market land? We need to know the actual tag number and someone needs to sign a deal. That way we know whether the tags are high end of market or low end this year.

If he's the best left out there, I would think that means a $10M+ deal

[pbmax]

He will pocket at least 44 million over the last two seasons now

It could still go up if he signs a new deal. 24 million for this season is now the starting point for any new deal

The best part of this is that they COULD have locked him up long term for same guaranteed cost last year. So they would be on hook for same money as last two tags, but be paying him less per year for 3 more years.

Before diving into the civil strife, let’s absorb the logistics of finance that are in play now for Cousins. On Tuesday, he received a franchise tag that will amount to a one-year deal for $23.94 million in 2017. This means Cousins will be on the books in Washington for a two-season total of $43.89 million in guaranteed money.

After following this situation for the last year and speaking with multiple sources familiar with the negotiations, this much is unequivocal: If Washington had offered Cousins a multiyear deal last offseason that included $44 million guaranteed and base salaries of $20 million, he would have taken it. Anyone who says otherwise (on either side of this negotiation) is either lying or trying to rewrite history with alternative facts.

Without a shred of doubt, Cousins would be under a multiyear deal now, with the bulk of his guaranteed money set to expire after the 2017 season, given that the Redskins could have done the deal in a manner to take the same financial gut-punch that they’re already sustaining.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/this-is...010853506.html

[pbmax]

If he's the best left out there, I would think that means a $10M+ deal

Yeah, I would guesstimate $10.7 based on salaries now. But that doesn't include a stupid figure from someone else.

Still find it hard to believe he gets a blockbuster deal given his history. But teams will want that guaranteed number to be low, and might give him large salaries instead.

[pbmax]

Cousins future deals get even more absurd (same Yahoo article as above):

• Tag Cousins and trade him – a move that will draw far less of a draft pick or player compensation now than ever because NFL teams can see the flames lapping against the windows of the negotiation room.

• Cousins plays out the season at a similar pace of the last two seasons. The option here is the Redskins let him go after 2017, blowing through $43.89 million and having no long-term answer to show for it. Or Washington can franchise tag him for a third season at a clip of $34.47 million for 2018. After that? They’d have sunk $78.36 million into Cousins for three seasons – significantly more guaranteed money than any player has ever made over a three-season span. And they’d be forced to let him go to free agency, having nothing to show for one of the biggest financial negotiation blunders in NFL history.

• The Redskins can transition tag him ($28.78 million) in 2018, paying out $72.67 million over three years – still more than any player has ever earned in three years. But under the transition tag in 2018, Cousins would have the right to negotiate with other clubs. And if the Redskins matched, they’d be on the hook for a brand-spanking new deal likely to come with at least $50 million in guaranteed money. And with the salary cap climbing, that $50 million guaranteed figure in 2018 is very conservative. This means Washington pays out $43.89 million for 2016 and 2017 and then, if its hand is forced, matches a transition offer sheet that delivers potentially another $50 million in guaranteed money, most of which will likely be paid in the first two years of the deal. That would put Cousins at likely more than $93.89 million in guaranteed money for four years of work.

To put that digit in perspective, the New Orleans Saints will have paid Drew Brees and his massive, mismanaged, back-end contract just over $71 million the last four years of his deal. The Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck just signed a deal that if it goes as planned, will pay out about $88 million in cash over the next four years. To recap: Brees, $71 million over four. Luck, $88 million over four. Cousins, $93 million (or more) over four.

[red]

Lol

[Cheesehead Craig]

#ThanksTed

[Guiness]

Cousins future deals get even more absurd (same Yahoo article as above):

Something brought up in that quote, and I always see when talking about a player (maybe potentially) getting tagged multiple times, a line similar to this one
That would put Cousins at likely more than $93.89 million in guaranteed money for four years of work.
It wasn't guaranteed for four years, that's the point. The tag is four 1 year deals!!!

[gbgary]

wash just needs to bite the bullet and sign the guy. good qbs are hard to find and they have one. wth are they thinking?

[Bretsky]

DANG...ALL those pass rushers tagged; makes Nick Perry a more wanted man and will hike the ching up.

[hoosier]

wth are they thinking?

This is the franchise that signed Albert Haynesworth to that ridiculous contract. There's your answer.

[pbmax]

Something brought up in that quote, and I always see when talking about a player (maybe potentially) getting tagged multiple times, a line similar to this one
That would put Cousins at likely more than $93.89 million in guaranteed money for four years of work.
It wasn't guaranteed for four years, that's the point. The tag is four 1 year deals!!!

Yeah, from the players perspective, the tag is 50% less (roughly) of the guarantee and less than half the length. So there is some definite downside for Cousins.

I think that is why the article points out that the Redskins last year could have signed him for less than those numbers, because doing year by year franchise deals wasn't really his ideal plan either.

But since its happened, it favors the player if he is healthy.

Washington, despite paying a boatload, has no control over the asset long term and no cost savings. They are paying a premium to be able to treat him as replacement level.

[pbmax]

Ian Rapoport‏ @RapSheet 2m2 minutes ago
The #Rams have franchise tagged CB Trumaine Johnson, source said. Second year in a row, like Cousins.

[pbmax]

Here is the list and the costs:

[pbmax]

Tender prices:

Jason_OTC‏ @Jason_OTC 3h3 hours ago

Had some questions on the RFA tenders. They should be

1st round- $3.910M
2nd round- $2.746M
ROFR- $1.797M

[Guiness]

Yeah, from the players perspective, the tag is 50% less (roughly) of the guarantee and less than half the length. So there is some definite downside for Cousins.

I think that is why the article points out that the Redskins last year could have signed him for less than those numbers, because doing year by year franchise deals wasn't really his ideal plan either.

But since its happened, it favors the player if he is healthy.

Washington, despite paying a boatload, has no control over the asset long term and no cost savings. They are paying a premium to be able to treat him as replacement level.

He's been lucky in that he's stayed healthy and has continued to play well. In that situation, the tag definitely favours the player.