Here are the basics this year, from which players are candidates to get the franchise tag to the key dates to know.
The first major landmark of the NFL offseason is when teams assign franchise tags to their top free agents. On Feb. 19, teams can start placing the franchise tag on players they don’t want to hit free agency but who haven’t signed long-term deals yet.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know this year.
Remind me again: What’s the franchise tag?
In a nutshell, the franchise tag is a one-year deal that holds the player’s rights with a team. This prevents that player from becoming a free agent. Each team only gets one tag per year, but not every team uses it.
So why do teams use it?
Well, teams like to keep their best players rather than let them walk in free agency. If they can’t reach a deal, the tag gives the team the ability to keep that player. This also buys both sides more time to reach a long-term deal before the start of the season.
And there’s another tag?
There are three tags, actually: exclusive franchise tag, non-exclusive franchise tag, and the transition tag. Players can negotiate with other teams on the non-exclusive and transition tag, but not with the exclusive version. The salaries vary by position and which tag is applied.
As @RapSheet said, the salary cap for 2019 has been set at $188.2 million. Via a league memo, here are the official franchise and transition tag numbers sent to teams today ... pic.twitter.com/vBAozKu7OY
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 1, 2019
The exclusive rights franchise tag is a lesser used form of the tag and those values aren’t official until the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period ends.
So what IS the transition tag?
If the team that transition-tagged a player doesn’t match an offer from another team, the original team loses that player. This almost happened to the Bears and Kyle Fuller last offseason.
The Green Bay Packers tried to sign Fuller to a four-year deal, but the Bears matched the deal from the Packers and Fuller stayed in Chicago.
Didn’t Le’Veon Bell get the franchise tag and then not play?
He sure did. After getting the franchise tag for a second straight year, Bell decided to hold out the entire 2018 season — and didn’t get paid. The Steelers still hold his rights and can use one of the tags on him again this offseason.
One possibility was that they would use a transition tag this time around, but they decided not to give him any tag and he will become a free agent.
Can teams rescind the franchise tag after using it?
Yup. It’s rare, but it has happened before. In 2016, the Carolina Panthers used the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman, but then took it away. Norman became a free agent and then signed a deal with Washington.
Why do people say “slapped with the franchise tag”?
Don’t really know! Best guess is that when you put a tag on something you ... slap it on?
When does all this start?
Feb. 19 is first date that teams can put the franchise tag on players this year. The deadline for it is March 5, which is about a week before teams can negotiate with free agents on March 11.
Teams and players on the franchise tag will have until July 15 to work out a multi-year deal. If they can’t agree to terms, then that player will play the 2019 season under the one-year tag.
Well, unless the player decides to follow in Bell’s footsteps and sit out the season.
Who’s gotten the franchise tag so far this year?
So far, only two players have gotten the tag:
- Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end, Houston Texans
- Frank Clark, defensive end, Seattle Seahawks
- Dee Ford, outside linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs
- Robbie Gould, kicker, San Francisco 49ers
- Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle, Atlanta Falcons
- DeMarcus Lawrence, defensive end, Dallas Cowboys
- Donovan Smith, tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
But more will be coming soon.
Which other players are the best bets to get the franchise tag?
Here are a few names to keep an eye:
- Trey Flowers, defensive end, New England Patriots
- Landon Collins, safety, New York Giants
Eagles GM Howie Roseman said they will not tag Nick Foles, who will become a free agent.
There you have it. Those are the basics of this year’s franchise tag. Now it’s time to wait and see who gets the tag — and whether they make a corny joke about it.