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2021 NFL Franchise and Transition Tags, Explained

February 23rd, 2021 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday, February 23rd marks first day that teams can apply the franchise tag to free-agents-to-be for 2021. While no clubs have designated franchise players yet, there will likely at least a handful of players receiving the tag before the March 9 deadline, so it’s worth taking an in-depth look at what exactly it means to be designated as a franchise player.

Essentially, the franchise tag is a tool that a team can use to keep one of its free agents from freely negotiating with rival suitors on the open market. Designating a franchise player means tendering that player a one-year contract offer. The amount of that offer changes every year and varies from position to position. The number will also differ lightly depending on what sort of specific tag the team employs. Here’s a breakdown of the three types of franchise/transition tags:

Exclusive franchise tag:

The amount of the one-year offer is either the average of the top five highest-paid players at the player’s position in the current league year or 120% of the player’s previous salary, whichever is greater. The top five highest-paid players at the position are determined once the free agent signing period ends, so the exact amount isn’t known until then.
The player isn’t allowed to negotiate with other teams.
The player and his team have until mid-July to work out a multiyear agreement. After that date, the player can only sign a one-year contract.
The exclusive tag is typically only used for extremely valuable free agents, such as franchise quarterbacks.

Non-exclusive franchise tag:

The amount of the one-year offer is determined by a formula that includes the salary cap figures and the non-exclusive franchise salaries at the player’s position for the previous five years. Alternately, the amount of the one-year offer can be 120% of the player’s previous salary, if that amount is greater.
The player is free to negotiate with other teams. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, his current team has five days to match the offer.
If the offer is not matched, the player’s previous team will receive two first-round draft picks as compensation from the signing team.
As is the case with the exclusive franchise tag, the deadline will also come in mid-July.
Due to the attached compensatory picks, the non-exclusive franchise tag is generally sufficient for free agents. Few rival suitors are willing to sacrifice multiple first-rounders in order to sign a free agent to a lucrative deal, so there’s not much risk for a team to give up exclusive negotiating rights.

Transition tag:

The amount of the one-year offer is either the average of the top 10 highest-paid players at the player’s position in the previous league year or 120% of the player’s previous salary, whichever is greater.
The player is free to negotiate with other teams. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, his current team has five days to match the offer.
If the offer is not matched, the player’s previous team does not receive any compensatory draft picks.
Because it does not include any draft compensation or exclusive negotiation rights, and is only slightly more affordable, the transition tag is rarely used. However, it can be an effective placeholder for teams.

The exact amounts of these tags won’t be known until sometime after the salary cap number for 2021 is announced. Of course, this year’s cap is expected to drop from last year’s figure, though it will be no lower than $180MM, the agreed upon floor for the coming year.

This year’s candidates for the franchise tag include Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson, and Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin. Here are a few other notes to keep in mind as the franchise tag period gets underway:

A team can withdraw a franchise or transition tag at any time once when the free agent period begins, but it would immediately make the player an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to sign with any team.
If a player is designated a franchise player for a third time, the amount of his one-year offer is equal to the exclusive franchise salary for the highest-paid position (QB), 120% of the five largest prior-year salaries at his position, or 144% of his previous salary. That’s generally a non-starter, but there are no 3x-tag candidates in this year’s class anyway.
Teams are allowed to designate one franchise player and one transition player per offseason. A team can also designate two transition players if it doesn’t designate a franchise player, but can’t designate two franchise players.
Restricted free agents can be designated as franchise players.
If a player chooses to sign the one-year franchise tender, his salary is essentially guaranteed. The CBA notes that if a team releases the player due to a failure “to establish or maintain his excellent physical condition,” the team may recoup his salary. However, a franchise player released due to poor performance, injury, or cap maneuvering will receive his full salary.

Note: Information from OverTheCap.com was used in the creation of this post.

This Date In Transactions History: Panthers Release Mike Tolbert

February 21st, 2021 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

After making a name for himself in San Diego, Mike Tolbert moved on to the Panthers and became an integral part of their offense. But, after the 2016 season, the Panthers released the multiple-time Pro Bowler in a cost-cutting move.

Tolbert wasn’t the fastest guy in the NFL, but he was a wrecking ball who knew how to move the pile. In 2016, he collected the third Pro Bowl selection of his career, adding to a resume that also included two First Team All-Pro nods (2013, 2015).

However, there were some signs of decline and he had slipped in the Panthers’ pecking order. Historically, the Panthers gave Tolbert a decent amount of work. In 2016, he had just 35 carries – the lowest total of his Panthers stretch. He was still an adept lead blocker with goal line ability, but the Panthers opted to save $1.725MM against the books while carrying a $2.075MM cap charge.

Tolbert, entering his age-32 season, landed with the Bills in free agency. Other teams — like the Jets — considered the veteran, but other fullbacks with sharper run blocking skills like Patrick DiMarco received more attention. Tolbert made the cut, opened the year behind LeSean McCoy on the depth chart, and averaged 3.7 yards per carry in a limited sample. That would prove to be his final year in the NFL — fullbacks had mostly gone the way of the dinosaur in the 2018 offseason, and Tolbert did not sign another NFL deal.

This Date In Transactions History: Ravens Sign Rod Woodson

February 20th, 2021 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

By the late 1990s, Rod Woodson went from perennial All-Pro as a Steeler to 49ers cap casualty. The Hall of Fame defender began a memorable second act on this date 23 years ago.

The Ravens swooped in and signed Woodson on Feb. 20, 1998, landing the then-11-year veteran cornerback on a four-year, $11.5MM deal that came with a $3MM signing bonus. Woodson would soon become a critical piece of one of the NFL’s all-time great defenses.

A year earlier, Woodson became a free agent and signed with the 49ers. San Francisco added both Woodson and fellow ex-Steeler Kevin Greene for the 1997 season. The 49ers led the league in total defense and secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed that year; they lost to the Packers in the conference championship game. Both players became cap casualties on the same day in 1998. Shortly after Woodson’s Ravens agreement, Greene re-signed with the Panthers.

Baltimore used Woodson as a cornerback in 1998, but in one of the best position-change decisions in modern NFL history, the five-time All-Pro corner moved to safety a year later. This shift coincided with the Ravens’ defensive ascent. After ranking 22nd in total defense in a 6-10 1998 season, Baltimore ranked second in ’99 — an 8-8 slate. Woodson led the NFL with seven interceptions and returned two for touchdowns in his first season as a safety. That began a run of four straight Pro Bowls for the veteran, who would go on to become an 11-time Pro Bowler.

In 2000, the Ravens elevated their performance considerably. Woodson, then 35, started 16 games for a defense that allowed just 10.3 points per game — the fewest in the 16-game era, breaking the 1986 Bears’ previous mark (11.7) — and lifted the team to a 12-4 record and Super Bowl XXXV championship. The Ravens blended a mix of homegrown young talent — headed by Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware and Chris McAllister — with veterans to assemble that storied defense, with Woodson spearheading the latter contingent. He finished the 2000 season with four picks and 77 tackles.

The Ravens held onto Woodson through the 2001 season. He signed with the Raiders in 2002 and played a pivotal role in that team advancing to the Super Bowl, leading the NFL with eight INTs. Woodson wrapped his 17-year career after the 2003 season and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Marcus Williams

February 17th, 2021 at 9:17pm CST by Rory Parks

Though he has yet to earn a Pro Bowl nomination, the Saints’ Marcus Williams has established himself as one of the best young safeties in the NFL. A member of New Orleans’ loaded 2017 draft class that also included Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Alvin Kamara, and Trey Hendrickson, Williams’ presence in the secondary has been instrumental in the Saints’ defensive success over his first four years in the league.

Williams, a free safety, is a prototypical centerfielder and ball-hawker whose one true weakness coming into the 2020 season was his tackling ability. But he made great strides in that regard, as Pro Football Focus charged him with just two missed tackles last year. PFF ranked Williams as the seventh-best safety in the game in 2020, and while it was especially bullish on his run defense, he also scored well in coverage.

Between that and his playmaking abilities — he has recorded 13 interceptions and 30 passes defensed over his first four years in the league — Williams will be a hot commodity if the Saints let him hit the open market. And New Orleans might not have a choice. The club’s salary cap problems have been well-documented, and we heard over the weekend that re-signing Hendrickson — whose 13.5 sacks were the second-most in the NFL last season — may not be possible.

The same goes for Williams. The Utah product will justifiably be aiming for the top of the safety market, which is currently headed by the Cardinals’ Budda Baker‘s $14.75MM average annual value. The Bears’ Eddie Jackson ($14.6MM) and the Titans’ Kevin Byard ($14.1MM) are not too far behind in terms of AAV, and all three players landed guarantees north of $30MM. Theoretically, GM Mickey Loomis could backload a Williams contract in an effort to fit him under the 2021 salary cap, but Loomis will have a number of difficult decisions to make, and even a backloaded deal might be too rich for the Saints at this point.

It seems that the franchise tag, which would carry a projected value of about $10.5MM, is definitely out of the question since the Saints would need to carry that entire amount on their cap in 2021. So if the Saints can’t bring back Williams, where might he end up?

The Raiders are one obvious potential landing spot. Las Vegas recently hired Gus Bradley as its new DC, and Bradley was one of the architects of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom secondary that saw Earl Thomas playing centerfield against opposing offenses. The Raiders’ offense is in pretty good shape, and after a series of straightforward cuts, they will have enough cap space to sign a quality free agent or two. Williams would team with Johnathan Abram to form a young and talented safety tandem.

The Lions and Jaguars were the two worst teams in the league in 2020 in terms of total defense, and while both clubs are very much in the rebuilding phase, Williams is young enough that he could still be a part of the next competitive outfits in Detroit or Jacksonville. Those teams have plenty of areas of need, but a strong back-end defender is a worthwhile target for any defense.

One way or another, Williams is about to get paid. He might not be the most talked-about FA at this point, but assuming the Saints don’t hit him with the franchise tag, he will be one of the first players off the board when free agency officially opens next month.

This Date In Transactions History: Raiders Release Sebastian Janikowski

February 14th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago today, Sebastian Janikowski‘s 18-year Raiders run came to an end. The kicker was out-of-contract but, this time around, the Raiders informed him that he would not be re-signed.

Janikowski’s Raiders tenure was nearly capped one year earlier. In 2017, he initially rebuffed the team’s request for a pay cut — he later caved to keep his place on the roster. Unfortunately, a preseason back injury would sideline him for the rest of the entire season.

Seabass was synonymous with the organization. After being selected in the first round of the 2000 draft, Janikowski appeared in 268 games for the Raiders, a franchise high. And, before 2017, he had only missed a total of four games throughout his career.

Despite his long-running history with team, the Raiders had concerns about his age and possible decline. In 2016, Janikowski sank 82.9% of his field goals and 37-of-39 extra point attempts. He has not cleared the 83% mark on field goals since 2014. At this time, he was on the cusp of his 40th birthday. It’s possible that the Raiders would have cut him in ’17, if it weren’t for the bad PR that would have come along with it. After announcing the move to Las Vegas, losing Janikowski would have made things especially ugly in Oakland.

With Janikowski out of the picture, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was left as the only player from the 2000 Draft to remain with his original team. The kicker moved on to the Seahawks, unseated Jason Myers, and made 81.5% of his regular season kicks. His final play would come in the Wild Card game against the Cowboys — Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal and suffered a hamstring injury. In April of 2019, Janikowski announced his retirement, capping his NFL career after 19 seasons.

This Date In Transactions History: Chargers Extend HC Anthony Lynn

February 13th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Ben Levine

Oh, how much can change in a year. On this date literally last year, the Chargers officially signed head coach Anthony Lynn to a one-year extension that would keep him in Los Angeles through the 2021 season. If you’ve been following along at home since the end of the regular season, Lynn is no longer the head coach of the Chargers.

Let’s recap where the Chargers were on February 13, 2020. The team was coming off an ugly 5-11 campaign, the worst record of Lynn’s (then) three seasons with the team. Naturally, the head coach found himself on the hot seat, but the organization quickly killed that narrative by handing Lynn a one-year extension. The vote of confidence made a bit of sense; Lynn had some success during his first two years at the helm, guiding the Chargers to a 21-11 record and a playoff victory. Plus, as GM Tom Telesco noted following the 2019 season, the team’s abysmal play shouldn’t have been attributed to coaching. Rather, the 2019 Chargers dealt with a long list of injuries and inconsistent quarterback play from Philip Rivers.

Of course, in hindsight, the one-year extension should have been the writing on the wall. If the organization was truly committed to their head coach, they would have given him a lengthier extension. Instead, they effectively made the 2020 campaign a “prove-it” season for Lynn (or, if the organization hadn’t ultimately fired him, they basically just delayed his lame-duck status for one year). In other words, the front office was clearly already preparing for a potential coaching change when they handed Lynn his extension last year.

The Chargers would get off to a brutal 3-9 start to begin the 2020 campaign, with six of those losses being decided by less than a touchdown. Naturally, those close losses landed on the lap of the head coach. Despite a four-game winning streak to end the season and incredible play from rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, Lynn was fired by the Chargers back in January.

It didn’t take long for Lynn to find another gig. After discussing a role with the Seahawks, the 52-year-old ended up joining the Lions as the offensive coordinator on Dan Campbell‘s new staff. The Chargers pivoted to a defensive-minded coach to replace Lynn, hiring Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to be the 17th head coach in franchise history.

On this date in 2020, maybe there was some optimism that Lynn could end up sticking around in Los Angeles (although the comment section of our article tells a different story). In reality, it was a clear sign that the Chargers were already planning for a future with a different head coach.

This Date In Transactions History: Browns Sign Kareem Hunt

February 11th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Two years ago today, the Browns made a controversial move that has (so far) paid off for the organization. On February 11, 2019, Cleveland announced that the signing of running back Kareem Hunt.

From an on-the-field perspective, the move made plenty of sense. Hunt ran for 1,327 yards as a rookie in 2017, and he followed that up with a 14-touchdown season in 2018 despite playing in only 11 games. The talent was (and still is) undeniable. Hunt also had a relationship with former Browns GM John Dorsey that dated back to their stints in Kansas City.

From an off-the-field perspective, the move was divisive. At the time of the signing, Hunt was under investigation for three separate 2018 events — most notably an incident captured on video that showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland complex. Hunt was released by the Chiefs following the release of the video. That transaction took place before the NFL could react, and following his signing with Cleveland, Hunt was promptly placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list.

The literal signing also proved to be a topic of contention. Hunt inked a one-year deal that could be worth up to $1MM. This was an increase from the $678K he was set to make with Kansas City in 2019. While a subsequent suspension would reduce any salary, Hunt still took home more money than if he had been retained by his former team.

Hunt was ultimately banned for the first eight games of the 2019 season, and he was reinstated by the league in early November. He naturally slid in as a backup behind Nick Chubb, who would soon complete a Pro Bowl season that saw him rush for 1,494 yards and eight touchdowns. Hunt ultimately appeared in eight games (three starts) for the Browns in 2019, collecting 464 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

The running back was slapped with a second-round tender after the season, and he ended up getting a two-year, $13.25MM extension from the organization this past September. Hunt saw a much larger role during his second season in Cleveland, compiling 1,145 yards from scrimmage and 11 scores. Hunt also saw time in two playoff games, collecting three total touchdowns. The running back remains under contract through the 2022 season, which is especially relevant considering Chubb’s impending free agency after next season. While the two-headed monster should return in 2021, Cleveland’s backfield could look a whole lot different in 2022.

Hunt’s past continues to make him a controversial figure, and both the player and the Browns will have a tough time shaking this notion as long as Hunt’s in Cleveland. Still, when coupling the player’s production with the future flexibility he’ll provide, there’s no doubting that the move has worked out for Cleveland.

This Date In Transactions History: Colts Hire Frank Reich

February 11th, 2021 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago today, the Colts wrapped up one of the strangest sagas in league history. Earlier in the offseason, the Colts agreed to hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. Then, soon after they announced McDaniels’ arrival, he left them at the altar.

The Colts were forced to restart their head coaching search in a hurry. Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier were among those considered in the second act, but general manager Chris Ballard ultimately chose Frank Reich, the Eagles offensive coordinator who helped guide the franchise to its first ever Super Bowl championship. Reich had previously interviewed for the Bills’ and Jets’ head coaching vacancies in 2015, but went a few years without HC buzz.

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but the Colts felt that Reich could help them salvage things. In addition to the SB ring on his resume, Reich’s offense had just placed third in scoring, seventh in total yards, and eighth in DVOA. Not bad for a last minute scramble.

Under Reich’s watch, the Colts have reached the playoffs twice in three years. His 11-5 record in 2020 was his best to date, though they were stopped by the Bills in the opening round. Reich will now look to build on that with yet another quarterback running his offense — and it just might be old pal Carson Wentz.

The NFL’s Post-June 1 Cuts, Explained

February 10th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL teams will often use contract bonuses as a way to spread out a cap hit that might otherwise be exorbitant. For example, if a player’s four-year deal includes a $8MM signing bonus, that money can be paid immediately but spread out over four years for cap purposes. This way, the cap charge for the bonus amounts to $2MM per year for cap purposes, rather than $8MM in year one.

There’s an obvious benefit to kicking the can down the road, but it can also hurt teams if they want to terminate that deal. If a team in the above scenario wanted to release the player in Year 2 of his contract, it would still have to account for remaining prorated bonus money. Rather than counting against the cap as $2MM/year for two seasons, that dead money “accelerates,” and applies to the cap for the league year in which the player is released. In other words, the remaining $4MM in prorated bonus money immediately counts against the cap.

Although these rules apply to many cuts, a different set of rules is in place for players released after June 1. In that case, a team can spread the cap hit across two seasons rather than one — for the current season, the prorated bonus figure stays at its original amount, with the remaining bonus balance accelerating onto the following season. Referring again to the above scenario, that means the player would count against the cap for $2MM in the league year in which he was cut, with the remaining $4MM applying to the following league year.

The guidelines for pre-June 1 and post-June 1 cuts are fairly straightforward, but things become a little more complicated when we take into account that teams are allowed to designate up to two players as post-June 1 cuts even if those players are released before June. Last offseason, we saw a handful of players designated as post-June 1 cuts, including cornerback Trumaine Johnson (Jets) and running back Todd Gurley (Rams).

In the case of Johnson, the Jets were initially slated to pay him $11MM in base salary for 2020. Under typical circumstances, the release would have left Gang Green with a $12MM dead money obligation. However, through the post-June 1 designation, they unlocked $11MM in cap space with just $4MM in dead money for the coming year. In 2021, they’ll pay the remaining $8MM charge.

Typically, by June, most of the big-name free agents are off the board. However, cutting a player in the spring and designating him a post-June 1 cut can be mutually beneficial for both parties. The player gets to hit the market while potential suitors still have cap room and vacancies. The team, meanwhile, gets to spread out the cap charge without having to actually wait until June 1 to release him. Otherwise, waiting until that point usually means paying roster or workout bonuses in the interim.

This Date In Transactions History: Lions Hire Matt Patricia

February 5th, 2021 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

In 2017, Jim Caldwell led the Lions to their third winning campaign in four seasons. It wasn’t enough to save his job. The Lions fired Caldwell and replaced him with Patriots defensive guru Matt Patricia, three years ago today.

Patricia had lots of hype heading into this cycle. He also had a longstanding relationship with Detroit GM Bob Quinn, who previously worked in New England. After working his way up through the Pats’ ranks, Patricia served as their DC for six seasons. During that period, the Patriots’ defense never ranked lower than tenth in points allowed. And, of course, his final day with the team nearly ended in yet another Super Bowl ring, before Nick Foles got in the way.

It seems like just yesterday that Patricia was regarded as the perfect fit. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL. After a combined 13-29 record and an ugly Thanksgiving Day loss, the Lions sent the 46-year-old packing. Now, he’s going back to New England to serve in multiple assistant coaching roles on Bill Belichick‘s staff. Meanwhile, the Lions are moving forward with Dan Campbell, who will have Jared Goff leading his offense.

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