[JaMarcus Hustle]

We've had one of these for the last few years, very handy to keep up to date on the latest personnel changes in the NFL.

The significant player moves so far have been:

Franchise Tags:

Cardinals tag Calais Campbell
Falcons tag Brent Grimes
Ravens tag Ray Rice
Bengals tag Mike Nugent
Raiders tag Tyvon Branch
Eagles tag DeSean Jackson
49ers tag Dashon Goldson
Redskins tag Fred Davis

Cuts:

Steelers cut James Farrior
Steelers cut Aaron Smith
Steelers cut Hines Ward
Steelers cut Chris Kemoeatu
Bears cut Anthony Adams
Bears cut Frank Omiyale
Ravens cut Lee Evans
Ravens cut Chris Carr

Re-Signings:

49ers resign Ahmad Brooks (6 years, $44.5m)
Browns resign D'Qwell Jackson (5 years, $42.5m)

Retirements:

Chargers Kris Dielman retires

Probably missing some obvious ones, so feel free to add more. Hopefully we'll have a nice little database of transactions and moves as the offseason progresses.

[Chucky the tree]

Cuts:
Raiders Stanford Routt

Signings
Chiefs Stanford Routt

[DDC1990]

I've been watching NFL for a good few years, and would know the ins and outs fairly well, but one thing i've always struggled to understand is the idea of Franchise tagging a player.

Would someone more knowledgable then me explain the whole system.

Is it a 1 year contract, where the player gets a lot of money guarenteed... or something?
I just don't see how it benifits the team.

Sorry if im coming across as stupid here!

[Chucky the tree]

Originally Posted by DDC1990

I've been watching NFL for a good few years, and would know the ins and outs fairly well, but one thing i've always struggled to understand is the idea of Franchise tagging a player.

Would someone more knowledgable then me explain the whole system.

Is it a 1 year contract, where the player gets a lot of money guarenteed... or something?
I just don't see how it benifits the team.

Sorry if im coming across as stupid here!

It's a 1 year contract where the players gets the average salary of the top 5 highest paid players on that position. Various reasons why it has a benefit. Gives extra time to work out a long term deal, chance to get one extra year out of a player, chance to tag and trade and player for compensation. If you've two big name players hitting the FA chances are you won't be able to sign both to longer term high contracts so tagging one allows you to sign the other.

[kmart6]

Retired:
Ricky Williams(Ravens)

[mikemac1]

If you have a player becoming an unrestricted free agent you can give them the franchise tag.
It gives both sides time to get a long term deal in place for example
Or maybe you hope to trade them away and get something for them. Matt Cassell is an example. You need lots of cap space to do this so you better be confident you can work a trade


In the past that player would recieve the average of the top five players in the league at that position.

This has been changed in the new CBA and now it's worked out in a formula averaging franchise tags over the last five years

Here is a list of positions and where it currently stands, it will change every year

QB: $14.4 million in 2012; down from $16.1 million in 2011

RB: $7.7 million in 2012; down from $9.6 million in 2011

WR: $9.4 million in 2012; down from 11.4 million in 2011

TE: $5.4 million in 2012; down from $7.3 million in 2011

OL: $9.4 million in 2012; down from $10.1 million in 2011

DE: $10.6 million in 2012; down from $13 million in 2011

DT: $7.9 million in 2012; down from $12.5 million in 2011

LB: $8.8 million in 2012; down from $10.1 million in 2011

CB: $10.6 million in 2012; down from $13.5 million in 2011

S: $6.2 million in 2012; down from $8.8 million in 2011

Teams can use a franchise tag three times. The first value is above

The 2nd year, it's 120% of the prior year or whatever the tag is, whichever is higher.

The 3rd year, it's the average of the top 5 players in the game, regardless of position.


Just one last thing, some players don't always slot into a defined position.
This came up with Terrelle Suggs argueing for the DE value and the Ravens arguing he was a LB
Or Jamarcus Finlay who is classified by the team as a TE but his agent pushed for WR
In these cases it's just compromise realy, they'll work out some deal and maybe split it down the middle

[Chucky the tree]

Originally Posted by mikemac1

Just one last thing, some players don't always slot into a defined position.
This came up with Terrelle Suggs argueing for the DE value and the Ravens arguing he was a LB
Or Jamarcus Finlay who is classified by the team as a TE but his agent pushed for WR
In these cases it's just compromise realy, they'll work out some deal and maybe split it down the middle

AFAIK on this an independent panel review each snap and play and see where the player lines up and they make a decision on which position he should be tagged with. Supposedly it was one of the reasons Packers worked out a deal with Finley because they felt he'd end up with the WR tag.

[DDC1990]

Thanks guys.

Makes sense for the Packers to Franchise Matt Flynn, but they have decided against it. Interesting. They could have made a substantial amount.

[Chucky the tree]

Originally Posted by DDC1990

Thanks guys.

Makes sense for the Packers to Franchise Matt Flynn, but they have decided against it. Interesting. They could have made a substantial amount.

Not really on that one. If they get stuck with him then they'd have to pay him $14m to sit on the bench, can't afford to be giving your back up QB that kind of money. Teams would have known this so their bargaining position would have been severely weakened.

[spiralism]

The three lads the Steelers released would all do very nicely at the Broncos. Aaron Smith is notably from Colorado too, it works for him and we get Ty Warren back next year too. Defensive line would be in great nick if we got them and kept them fit.

[nerd69]

Originally Posted by spiralism

The three lads the Steelers released would all do very nicely at the broncos

ya im surprised there cutting 3 very good players gona be nice pickups somewhere

[frostie500]

Originally Posted by spiralism

The three lads the Steelers released would all do very nicely at the Broncos. Aaron Smith is notably from Colorado too, it works for him and we get Ty Warren back next year too. Defensive line would be in great nick if we got them and kept them fit.

The thoughts of having a LB corp of Elvis Dumervil (presuming he gets resigned), Farrior and Von Miller would be pretty scary. The thoughts of their pass rush if they did happen to get Smith, and he was fully healthy, as well they would have an unreal pass rush. Saying that though Smith has played 16 games in the last three years so his injuries are clearly a major problem. Talk is that he is considering retirement though

[Chucky the tree]

Farrior is 37 as well. Not sure how much he has left in the tank.

[spiralism]

Originally Posted by Chucky the tree

Farrior is 37 as well. Not sure how much he has left in the tank.

We're still getting good mileage out of Dawkins at 38 and our LB corps would do well to have a 37 year old vet leader imo. He was still able to perform at an elite level this year. They're not cutting him because they think he's past it at all imo, he's a cap casualty and his age sealed the deal.

Ward would be a great coup, suits our offence perfectly, hard hitting blocker, tough cúnt and an excellent receiver to complement Thomas. Decker could move to the slot where he belongs.

Word on the street with the Broncos is that Matt Prater will be getting our Franchise Tag. Excellent decision if it transpires.

[Chucky the tree]

Originally Posted by spiralism

We're still getting good mileage out of Dawkins at 38 and our LB corps would do well to have a 37 year old vet leader imo. He was still able to perform at an elite level this year. They're not cutting him because they think he's past it at all imo, he's a cap casualty and his age sealed the deal.

Ward would be a great coup, suits our offence perfectly, hard hitting blocker, tough cúnt and an excellent receiver to complement Thomas. Decker could move to the slot where he belongs.

Word on the street with the Broncos is that Matt Prater will be getting our Franchise Tag. Excellent decision if it transpires.

Dawkins is pretty terrible though, he does provide excellent leadership but that's about it. At this stage you're team has to start getting younger at those positions and start building for the future. I think guys like that would suit your team if it was close to a superbowl but when you are re-building might as well start over. Farrior might be a decentish one year stop gap to train up a rookie though, it will depend on what money he wants.