The franchise tag sucks.
A product of the 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the franchise tag gives each team the ability to squat on one unrestricted free agent per year. It keeps him from getting to the open market. From getting fair value on a multi-year deal. From pushing the bar at his position higher, which will help the other players at the same position.
The owners love it. They’ll never let it go. And while it only affects a limited number of players every year, all of them should hate it.
There’s a very specific reason to hate it. For several positions, the franchise tenders don’t come close to reflecting market value.
Case in point: Cowboys receiver George Pickens. He’ll make $27.298 million under the franchise tag at his position. The top of the market, however, is $40 million per year.
There’s a similar discrepancy at the multiple other positions.
At quarterback, the tag costs $43.895 million. The top of the market is $60 million.
At running back, the tag has been set at $14.293 million. The top of the market is $20.6 million.
At defensive end, the tag is $24.34 million. The top of the market is nearly twice that, at $46.5 million.
At cornerback, the tag is $21.6 million. The top of the market is $30.1 million.
For other positions, the gap isn’t quite as big.
At tight end, the tag is $15 million. The top of the market is $19.15 million.
For offensive lineman, the tag is $25.773 million. The top of the market is $28.5 million.
For defensive tackles, the tag is $27.127 million. The top of the market is $31.75 million.
At safety, the tag is $20.149 million. The top of the market is $25.1 million.
Linebacker is an odd position. The tag is $26.865 million, but the top of the market is $21 million. (That’s the result of some players who are more accurately described as edge rushers landing in the linebacker category, for tag purposes.)
For kickers and punters, the $6.649 million tag exceeds the market. The top of the market for kickers is currently at $6.4 million; for punters, it’s at $4 million.
At the positions where the tag lags behind the top of the market, it becomes a no-brainer for teams to use it. Where the tag approaches the market, it’s a closer call. When the tag outpaces the market, it’s a no-brainer to not use it.
Case in point: Because all offensive linemen land in the same bucket, the Ravens weren’t going to tag center Tyler Linderbaum. The top of the market at center is $18 million, more than $7 million below the tag amount.
The formula for determining the tag changed in the 2011 CBA. (It’s based on the cap percentage consumed by the franchise tag at the position on a five-year rolling average.) For the next CBA, here’s hoping that the union pushes for a revised calculation that results in a smaller gap between the tag and the top of the market, for all positions.
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