someone with franchise tag knowledge

[trapezeus]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ApFGGCF1ZDf34j5zHmnsMs9DubYF?slug=jc-cole_drew_brees_saints_bounty_contract_sean_payton_032112

at the bottom of this article it says that brees has not signed the franchise tag that the saints put on him and that he could conceivably sit out 2012 if he doesn't get what he wants. obviously with the saints in the position they are in, they kind of have to give brees what he wants or there is nothing to gain from this season.

if a player doesn't sign the franchise tender, does he have to sit out that year until his next year of free agency? or could a team like say (cough cough) the bills offer a boat load of picks to the saints and sign the contract that brees wants.

not saying this is likely, but that would be a mario-like upgrade to the offense that i think would make up for a lackluster line of depth.

if the bills are thinking, "what the hell, let's try and win it this year for the old man." wouldn't think be the exciting move? do the bills have cap space to sign $23MM a year for 5 years?

[ddaryl]

1st Brees is an exclusive rights franchise tag. Nobody can talk to him

different levels of franchise tags . One is exclusive rights franchise, and the other is non exclusive franchise which means a team like NO could match an offer to retain Brees.


but if Brees does not sign the tender he is NO property, and I believe he could sit out and get re-franchised next year if NO chooses to do so.

[stuckincincy]

1st Brees is an exclusive rights franchise tag. Nobody can talk to him

different levels of franchise tags . One is exclusive rights franchise, and the other is non exclusive franchise which means a team like NO could match an offer to retain Brees.


but if Brees does not sign the tender he is NO property, and I believe he could sit out and get re-franchised next year if NO chooses to do so.

If he sits - does NO have to pay him per his current contract?

I'm trying to recall Carson Palmer vs. Mike Brown. I think there is some sort of "did not report" status, but after several weeks, Palmer would have to been put on the roster (and paid), or he was cut free with no strings attached. So the trade with OAK occured.

I'm scratching at thin air here - I really don't know.

[trapezeus]

again, i know this is all pipe dream stuff, but my question is, can a bills team go up to the saints and say, "we heard he is angry and you guys are in a stalemate. would you trade us brees if we gave you the right compensation in draft picks? and if you say yes, could you let us talk to him to see if we can actually work out a deal that would make him happy?"

[Stewie]

a. brees is an exclusive rights FA, so no, his agent cannot negotiate with other teams. "cannot".

b. NO is going to give him all the money they would have paid Payton, as a "financial apology" for screwing up the season

c. he's not going to buffalo

[Philagape]

If he sits - does NO have to pay him per his current contract?

He doesn't have a current contract. A tag is not a contract. He still has to sign it.

[trapezeus]

i get his agent can't, but the bills and the saints could theoretically talk, right. How else could trades happen in this league? i know it's not realistic, but i'm trying to understand the franchise tag bit.

i always assumed a player had no say in the matter. once you are franchised, it has happened to you and you are screwed with a one year deal. this is the efirst time i read a player having to sign a piece of paper to agree to it. i now understand he has the right to not sign it, but that he remains property of the team.

i agree, i think the saints have a PR coup on their hands. they probably got a call from Tom and Larry. "when we lost briere and drury, we gave vanek just stupid money. we had no choice. we recommend they same for you, new orleans."

but at the same time the NO owner has been known as a penny pincher. the season in a lot of ways might already be lost for them, and a 33 yr qb isn't ideal for a rebuild. And you already have taken some big losses, might as well package them and start over if a good deal comes your way. If a team is willing to trade you a ridiculous number of picks, why wouldn't you at least entertain that idea?

[stuckincincy]

He doesn't have a current contract. A tag is not a contract. He still has to sign it.

Thanks.

Does that mean that if he doesn't sign the NO tag, he would be denied employment as a player elsewhere in the NFL? A tag sure smells like a binding document - like a contract.

[methos4ever]

Thanks.

But does that mean that if he doesn't sign the NO tag, he is unemployable, as far as the league is concerned?
It means that until he signs it, while he is in limbo, he's still the property of the Saints.

[SquishDaFish]

Basically if e sits out he doesnt get paid and can be franchised again next season

[ddaryl]

again, i know this is all pipe dream stuff, but my question is, can a bills team go up to the saints and say, "we heard he is angry and you guys are in a stalemate. would you trade us brees if we gave you the right compensation in draft picks? and if you say yes, could you let us talk to him to see if we can actually work out a deal that would make him happy?"

of course the Bills could

if they get permission then it's all good

[Philagape]

Thanks.

Does that mean that if he doesn't sign the NO tag, he would be denied employment as a player elsewhere in the NFL? A tag sure smells like a binding document - like a contract.

Contract = mutual agreement to play and be paid.

But the answer is yes. Either he signs the tag and plays for the Saints, or he sits and doesn't get paid.

[ddaryl]

Thanks.

Does that mean that if he doesn't sign the NO tag, he would be denied employment as a player elsewhere in the NFL? A tag sure smells like a binding document - like a contract.

Yes he can not negotiate with any other team without the permission of the NO Saints 1st, becausze they made him an exclusive rights franchised player

He has to sign the franchise tag offer if he wants to get paid.

[trapezeus]

just think about it from a cheap owner perspective. what good are you getting out of paying an allstar money you didn't want to give him just 3 weeks earlier?

sure, your fans will be like, "thank god, he did something right after all this disaster." but you lose early and the fans will still hate you. so you really haven't cured the PR issue. you've just spent more money and kept expectations high.

instead you kill everyone's expectations and bag the money. you get the picks and you spend the money on a new GM. You lure a new GM in with "pick your coach, use this unusual number of draft picks i got, and i'm willing to open the amount of cap space to build a new winner under your guidance. please don't make morally poor choices to make a winner because we saw the consequences of that."

in your mind as an owner in that situation, which is the better long term manner of building a winner again? hold on to the old guard to try to appease the masses, or start fresh and build again?

[chernobylwraiths]

Basically if e sits out he doesnt get paid and can be franchised again next season

Can a team franchise a player twice if he sits out for a season? I was wondering that because I thought it was agreed upon that a team cannot franchise tag someone twice in a row.

I think worse case scenario is that he sits for the first several games and comes back to get his season in.

[DrGraves]

Plug in Bress into this team I would say we have a GREAT chance to go to the SB

[trapezeus]

^exactly. if the bills are buying their own bravado, you have to at least explore that option and see what can maybe be agreed on. the bills could go to win now if they made a big trade for brees.

i think brees excels in what chan would want to do.
i think fitz is an unbelievable qb to have if we have an injury.
i think brees has made unknown receivers very good.

you'd have to see what the bills locker room thinks though. the offense is fiercely loyal to fitz. so if fitz can be on board, it would make a lot of sense.

i think brees can deal with a line that may have ups and downs with injuries.

if i'm a bills front office person, i just make the call to see what the price is if i know we have cap space.

[Ickybaluky]

Does that mean that if he doesn't sign the NO tag, he would be denied employment as a player elsewhere in the NFL? A tag sure smells like a binding document - like a contract.

It is collectively bargained, though. He would have a case that his employment rights were being violated, but the tag is part of the CBA.

[stuckincincy]

It is collectively bargained, though. He would have a case that his employment rights were being violated, but the tag is part of the CBA.

Yep - I thought that was the case. Thanks