Around the NFL: Playing Tag

Back in grade school, my friends and I used to play a lot of tag. This was a simple game that involved lots of running, some giggling from time to time, and usually ended with a fight. Twenty years later and it’s the same in the NFL. Guys run around all year, enjoy some laughs with some friends, and then they get the franchise tag and fight with management. This year, most of the players receiving the franchise tag haven’t been too upset about the whole deal, but one notable star is causing problems in a different way. Just to be clear, the franchise tag is essentially a tool for teams to use in the off-season in order to prevent one of their players from entering the open market of unrestricted free agency. Each team gets one franchise tag to use in each off-season (by a use-or-lose method) and they have until a certain date before the free agency period begins (this year the deadline was Thursday at 4:00pm). Once a player is tagged, another team must give up two first round draft choices in order to sign them, almost always too high of an asking price for one player. The tag is good for a one-year deal at the average salary of the top five players in the NFL at the designated player’s position. Usually, players don’t like to be stuck on a one-year deal and unable to shop around for a higher bidder, but this allows teams an extra chance to retain their star players. Let’s take a look at who’s received the franchise tag and any implications this might cause for the team and/or the player.

Million Dollar Legs

The Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals have chosen to use their franchise tag on Punter Michael Koenen and Kicker Shayne Graham, respectively. This is a great move, as the cost of applying the tag to these two unheralded positions is considerably less than at other spots on the roster, and both of these players are key cogs in the two teams. Koenen doubles as an outstanding kickoff specialist and Graham is one of the few consistent parts of the Bengals team. The only real impact here is that the Bengals chose not to tag star WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, making him free to sign elsewhere. This may have seemed like an error, but the top five WR’s make a great deal of money, and Houshmandzadeh is on the wrong side of 30.

The 14 Million Dollar Backup

Following a very good season stepping in for the injured Tom Brady after week one, Patriots backup QB Matt Cassel will receive over 14 million dollars in 2009 after receiving the franchise tag. This is big because the Patriots need to make sure they have an insurance policy in case Brady doesn’t come back strong from his injury, and they can’t afford to let Cassel go for nothing. While 14 million will be a hardship for the Patriots salary cap, what this does is allow them the time and flexibility to either sign Cassel to a long term contract, or to trade him to another team for a first round pick, which is likely what he would garner.

Secondary Priorities

The St. Louis Rams have franchised their up-and-coming safety O.J. Atogwe. This is a great move by the Rams, as he was likely going to be the most coveted safety in free agency this year, ranked just above the Miami Dolphins’ Yeremiah Bell. Another defensive back, Dunta Robinson of the Texans received the tag as well. Robinson was on his way to becoming an elite CB until injuries sidelined him for most of this season. He’s still the best player the Texans have in the secondary however, and it was important for them to lock him up with a full off-season of rest ahead.

David and Goliath

At 5’6, 180 pounds and 6’4, 265 pounds, respectively, Chargers RB Darren Sproles and Giants RB Brandon Jacobs don’t look to have very much in common. However, these two are both important parts of their team’s game plans and both received the franchise tag this off-season. Not only are the tags and the position a similarity, but also the impact of them receiving it. The Giants tagging Jacobs gives indication that fellow 1,000 yard rusher Derrick Ward may not be retained, and the tagging of Sproles might spell some difficult negotiations for longtime Charger great LaDainian Tomlinson, who’s coming off his worst year as a pro. Expect Tomlinson to restructure his contract and for Ward to sign a lucrative deal elsewhere.

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The Other Titan

With so much emphasis put on fellow Titans free agents, veteran QB Kerry Collins and all-pro DT Albert Haynesworth, many forgot about TE Bo Scaife, who led the team in receiving last year. Haynesworth has an agreement with the team that after being tagged last year he won’t be tagged again, so he wasn’t really an option. Collins is at an age and a position where franchising him wouldn’t be in the team’s best interest. Using the tag on Scaife is a great move because he’s quietly been one of the better pass-catching tight ends for the past two seasons. This move enables the team to focus on the contracts of the other key players, knowing that Scaife is locked up safe for 2009.

The Wayward Soul

Tampa Bay WR Antonio Bryant finally showed up this year after stops in Dallas, Cleveland, and San Francisco yielded mixed results and off-the-field incidents. This year he showed what he’s capable of, being almost dominant at times during the later part of the season on his way to 83 catches, over 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the last four games alone, he amassed 512 yards and four touchdowns on 26 receptions. Still, I’m not convinced that Bryant will be worth the money he’ll command with the franchise tag. At least he’ll only be on a one-year deal, which we’ll keep him hungry. In the past, he’s been inconsistent, so the Bucs will be watching him carefully to see if he warrants a long-term deal.

The Benchwarmer

While it’s true that Steelers Left Tackle Max Starks has been a starter for a Super Bowl championship team… twice… he still leaves a bad taste in my mouth as a franchise player. Receiving the tag guarantees that he’ll be overpaid, and I’m not convinced he’ll improve enough to make him worth it. He’s been an underachiever since he arrived, and it’s no secret that one of the only weaknesses on the Steeler’s team was the offensive line. I think the Steelers should’ve offered Starks a fair and reasonable contract, along with RT Marvel Smith, and just let another team overpay for their services. The draft is loaded with excellent O-Line prospects and the money they spend on Starks could be better spent on a free-agent like Baltimore C Jason Brown or a trade for Miami C/OG Samson Satele who’s rumored to be available for relatively cheap (I’ll bet a third or fourth rounder would do it). Still, for a team that’s won two of the last four Super Bowls, it’s hard to argue with the decisions they make.

The Hitters

Three high profile LB’s received the franchise tag: Arizona’s Karlos Dansby, Seattle’s Leroy Hill, and Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs. Dansby received it for the second year in a row and is a key member of the Arizona defense. He was the obvious choice for the defending NFC Champion Cardinals. Losing Dansby would put a huge hole in their emerging secondary.

Hill is coming off a great year where he arguably outperformed his star teammates Lofa Tatupu and Julian Peterson at the LB position. Even though he had an off-season incident last month involving marijuana possession, it was still important for the Seahawks to lock him up. This enables Seattle to focus on key need positions along the Offensive and Defensive Lines as well as at RB and WR in the draft instead of spending an early choice on an OLB.

Suggs was the obvious choice in Baltimore. Ray Lewis would’ve simply cost too much money, especially for someone who turns 34 in May, and Bart Scott is less of a cog than Suggs, though Scott is a valuable member of the defense whom the Ravens will try hard to retain. It seems unlikely that the Ravens will keep all three of these players, but Suggs would be the one to keep if you could only keep one. Complicating things further are the expiring contracts of C Jason Brown (a rising star) and SS Jim Leonhard who was a star during the playoffs opposite Ed Reed. The Ravens will struggle to keep these two, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with them after free agency begins.

The Star

Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers has publicly stated that he will not return to the Panthers next season and wants to play elsewhere for a little while now. The Panthers did the smart thing by signing RT Jordan Gross to a six-year deal this week, freeing up their ability to use thefranchise tag on Peppers. This will ensure that they don’t lose Peppers for nothing. Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs received a first round pick and two third round picks for pass rushing star DE Jared Allen, and it’s likely that Peppers will garner the same kind of compensation. Complicating things however is that Peppers has supposedly stated that he’ll only play for four teams. Speculation has run rampant as to which teams these are, but he’s stated he wants to play in a 3-4 defense, it’s been heard that one of the teams doesn’t have the ability to deliver a first round pick, and supposedly the Panthers cancelled off two of the teams. This has left people thinking that Dallas is one of the teams (only Dallas and Carolina are missing their first round picks this year). Also, because the Panthers have said no to two teams, it’s believed they are division rivals such as Tampa Bay and Atlanta. That leaves speculation on the fourth team. Miami, New England, and Denver have been thrown into the discussion, but nothing is confirmed. This is a terrible thing that Peppers is doing to the Panthers. By limiting their options for trade partners, Peppers has taken leverage away from Carolina and this could result in either a trade where the Panthers don’t receive sufficient value or a long standoff between the two parties. Good luck Panthers, and I’ve now lost considerable respect for Julius Peppers.

Next week, I’ll talk about some of the roster moves that have already been made. Enjoy the weekend!

By Brandon Niles
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer