The New Orleans Saints recently used the franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees to avoid losing him via free agency. The two sides were reportedly millions of dollars apart in negotiations. Unfortunately for Brees, under the NFL's new franchise tag policy, teams now have more power than they have in the past and can now use the tag to retain players at salaries significantly lower than true market value.
Before the league's new collective bargaining agreement was established last offseason, franchise tag salaries were based on an average from the prior season. Now, however, tag amounts are taken from an average of the previous five seasons. Current worth aside, Brees lost a potential $1.6 million right off the bat, as the quarterback tag amount dropped from $16 million to $14.4 million.
If a team is using the franchise tag for the right reasons, mainly to keep the face of a franchise in that city, then I completely support this procedure. As a lifelong baseball fan, I grew up admiring players like Cal Ripken, and I miss the days when athletes started and ended careers with the same teams. I'm positive that many New Orleans Hornets fans regret that the NBA does not have a franchise tag policy, one that could have been used to prevent Chris Paul's exit this year. The franchise tag is great for teams and for fans, and the fact that Brees will play at least another season for the Saints is comforting.
The problem is that teams may now use the tag to take advantage of players, signing them to long-term deals based mainly on potential tag numbers. ESPN's John Clayton points to the recent contract of tight end Jermichael Finley as a great example. Like the quarterback tag totals, the tight end salaries also suffered a large drop, from $7.2 million to $5.4 million. To avoid remaining under team control for another year at a much lower price, Finley, one of the top tight ends in the league, agreed to a two-year deal for $14 million.
Brees seems content to stand his ground, although he has repeatedly voiced his feelings about playing under the tag. Fans do not blame him for asking for a fair salary, as we all would do in our own careers. Playing the season under the franchise tag, though, offers Brees no security and does not show much loyalty from the team.
With recent penalties handed down from the NFL, due to the Saints' participation in a bounty program, New Orleans will lose head coach Sean Payton for all of the 2012 season. Fans would love to see Brees receive a contract extension and, at this point, would not mind if the team had to pay more than fair value. An extension would offer much-needed stability to the franchise and would also reinforce to Drew Brees that the Saints do not need a tag to tell us something we already know: Brees is the franchise player.
Mike Patton is a sports fan who grew up in New Orleans cheering for the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Cubs, and LSU Tigers. As a kid in 1987, he made his first trip to Wrigley Field and also slept outside of the Louisiana Superdome to purchase playoff tickets for the Saints' first postseason appearance. Follow Mike on twitter @MikePattonGBS.
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