2017 Franchise and Transition Tags

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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.

[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!!!

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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.

[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.