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We're talking $10 Million at most for top-10 picks (14 for QBs) and about half that for other first-rounders. Rejoice if your team has a young stud from that draft.
It sucks for players. More evidence in the owners having won the labor dispute.
For instance, standout defensive ends Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson project to have fifth-year salaries of only $5.25 million in 2015, according to Spotrac.com figures. While several executives said the number will probably be a little more than $6 million by the time new figures come in, the salary is still relatively small.
And not guaranteed. Beyond that, those players can be franchised in 2016, giving teams ample control of them through the 2016 season.
In the case of Watt, who is due to make just over $1.9 million this season, if his fifth-year option is $6 million and the franchise tag is $12 million for him in 2016, the Texans essentially have him under contract for three more years at only $20 million. On the open market, Watt might be worth double that.
“If I was Houston and had Watt or I was the Jets with Wilkerson, why do anything right now?” one executive said. “What’s the pressure on the team? Sure, if you get a good deal and you can buy out three or four more years, essentially buy his whole career, maybe.”
Thus, a player like Watt would be lucky to get $20 million guaranteed on a six-year, $60 million deal that would mean the first nine years of his career would be with Houston. Compare that to defensive ends Jared Allen (six-year deal for $73.2 million with $31 million guaranteed) or Mario Williams (six years, $96 million with $50 million guaranteed).
I was all ready to on the Pats but they got Nate Solder that year so i can't complain.
Good news is that if Carolina is smart, they won't bend to Cam's demands. They have a ton more leverage with him that most teams have with "franchise" QBs.
Definitely wanted the Colts to take him over Castanzo back then, but the Pats picked before us or traded up, can't remember. Not disappointed with Castanzo at all, probably the best o-lineman the Colts have right now by a mile, but I preferred Solder.
What I hate about the Franchise Tag, is that you can continuously use it on the same player year after year. Even though if they use that tag, it goes up every year percentage wise, but it's still not close to the potential worth of the player if he's elite. That's something they should have never allowed to occur.
Under the new CBA, a player can only be tagged three times in their careers. Also remember that the second tag is 1.2 times greater than the first and the third is 1.44 times greater. Since the first tag was already essentially top-three money, the players are probably the highest-paid for their positions those last two seasons.
I'm inclined to think there is no signing bonus though, maybe I'm wrong there. And possibly less guaranteed money (?).
Indeed, no bonuses. But the tag is fully guaranteed if the player signs their tender. It could be less guaranteed money than on a long-term deal, but three tags would be by far more guaranteed money than most players could get in any deal.
Like for Watt, three years of tags would be more than $43 Million. That's more guaranteed than he'd get on a long-term contract. After that, he could still get a big deal with a bunch more guaranteed cash. He could also leverage the tag to get more guaranteed money, as it would be obvious the team were desperate to keep him.
The tag doesn't hurt stars, even though they hate it. It hurts flash-in-the-pan players who'd trick teams into giving them big-money deals for one good season.
It could hurt stars if they get injured in that single season they are tagged. But that's probably not likely.
Even if they get hurt, it's still a ton of guaranteed money. If they prove they're healthy the next year, they'll be in line for another payday. If they never return to form, then it's not like they can claim they deserved more. Teams give out guarantees expecting a certain level of performance for multiple seasons. Player who get hurt in the first year of big contracts and never recover hurt their teams greatly and are certainly being overcompensated.
Tags, especially of used repeatedly, are well over market value for guaranteed money per season. And remember that almost no star who's tagged actually plays under the tag that season. While Watt COULD be tagged for only $12 Million, the Texans would be wise to work out a long-term deal during the off-season rather than having to tag him again for an above-market price the next season.
That's a good point there. Pretty much makes the injury issue irrelevant. As the bonus in a long term deal would be robbery.
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