The NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone, and with it a number of notable players were given the non-exclusive franchise tag. Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Daron Payne, and Evan Engram are all among the players who have received the tag, and what it means for them and their teams is worth exploring.
When it comes to the NFL franchise tag, it’s important to understand the difference between exclusive and non-exclusive tags. With an exclusive tag, the contract must be no less than either the average of the top five salaries at that player’s position or 120% of the player’s salary the previous season, whichever is greater. Non-exclusive tags mean the contract must be no less than either the average of the top five cap hits at that player’s position or 120% of the player’s salary the previous season, whichever is greater. The big difference between the two is that with an exclusive tag, the player is not allowed to negotiate with other teams, and may not sign with another team should they reject the offer, while with a non-exclusive tag, the player is allowed to negotiate with other teams, and if they receive an offer, their current team has the chance to match.
It’s also important to understand the positional values for the 2023 NFL franchise tag. For quarterbacks, the value is $32.416 million, running backs $10.091 million, wide receivers $19.743 million, tight ends $11.345 million, offensive line $18.244 million, defensive end $19.727 million, defensive tackle $18.937 million, linebacker $20.926 million, cornerback $18.14 million, safety $14.46 million, and punter/kicker $5.393 million.
Finally, it’s important to understand the NFL transition tag. This tag is similar to the franchise tag in that it allows a team to retain one player set to be an unrestricted free agent and sign them to a set contract for another year. However, the contract must be no less than the average of the top 10 salaries at the player’s position, and there is no guaranteed compensation. Furthermore, players are allowed to negotiate with other teams, and if the initial team refuses to match an offer, it will not receive any draft picks.
In conclusion, the NFL franchise and transition tags can be valuable tools for teams to retain their best players. It’s important to understand the differences between the two, as well as the positional values for the 2023 season. With the franchise tag deadline now passed, teams have a better understanding of which players they’ll be able to retain and which ones they’ll have to let go.
