Tag You're It

Players and agents HATE the Franchise tag, for the most part, and I'm not too sure why. No, I'm not stupid, I understand that it's not a long term deal and the if and buts are all about. Players say "if I have a long term deal w/ a huge signing bonus, which is guaranteed, and I get hurt I still get paid”. True. But what many fail to realize is that 1: if a player is good enough to get tagged, they will get another deal w/ their or another team once healthy. 2: if the injury is one they can't come back from, the long term deal with that huge bonus may have been forfeited anyway, or at least part of it. Being tagged means the team wants you and can’t come to terms for a longer deal. The Player gets a HUGE one year deal, in the TOP 5 at that position. Let me give a few examples. Suggs of the Ravens will get about 8 million in 2008. Stacey Andrews OL for the Bengals will make 7.5 million, while Dallas Clark TE Colts will be in the 4.5 million range. The HUGE one year pay is very similar to a big bonus, with the opportunity to agree on a long term deal the next year and get another huge deal w/ a true bonus. When a player signs a long term deal it’s front loaded w/ bonus money and a small yearly salary and back loaded w/ no guarantee and high pay. High pay late the player may never even see because the team will adjust the contract to make it more cap friendly. Long story short, in a perfect world a long term deal with huge money all over the place would make all players happy, but this as an alternative is a good, fair and profitable one.

Glenn Younes