It appears Bucs defensive end Michael Bennett has pretty good timing

[chace1986]

Was speaking logically, not just purely financially. Sure, we will have room, but just because we have the cap room, doesn't mean we have to vastly overspend. We have already done that with Davin, Wright, Black..etc...luckily Wright and Black can be let go scott-free this offseason...but Dom has a bad habit of overspending. I'm for keeping Bennett, for the right price. Giving him Charles Johnson money would be a mistake, IMO. Besides, we are still gonna need to have some cap money to go acquire some DBs and will need to resign Mike Williams at some point.

[BucBalla85]

I wouldnt over pay for Bennett. For some reason I have some doubts about him with a big contract. Im not sure he is a 9 sack guy. More like a 6 or 7 guy. Which is about what I think Clayborn is. Clayborn and Bowers may be able to get more than that but Im not so sure about Bennett. If we resign Bennett its because he was a big reason for our run defense.

[JDouble]

So instead of signing a deal for $7M a year, he gets $11M from being franchised. And? As fans, why would you care? We have the cap room and it's not your money. All that should matter to a fan is that we keep our only solid pass rusher. Complaining that he got $4M too much seem pointless.

Then, if we don't franchise him and he goes somewhere else, all you same folks will complain all year that we can't get any pressure because the Glazers are too cheap and wouldn't retain Bennet.

[The Freeman]

Cameron Wake   Defensive Lineman   5/6/2012: Signed a five-year, $34.53 million contract. The deal contains $17 million guaranteed, including a $7 million signing bonus and all of Wake's first three base salaries. Another $15 million is available through escalators based on sacks. 2013: $3.565 million, 2014: $5.82 million, 2015: $8.2 million (+ $3 million roster bonus due in March), 2016: $8.275 million, 2017: Free Agent

Red Bryant   Defensive Lineman   3/13/2012: Signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The deal contains $14.5 million guaranteed, including a $5 million signing bonus. 2012: $3 million, 2013: $6.5 million, 2014: $4.5 million (+ $3 million roster bonus), 2015: $6 million, 2016: $7 million, 2017: Free Agent

Chris Clemons   Defensive Lineman   7/23/2012: Signed a three-year, $22 million contract. The deal contains $10 million guaranteed -- a $6.5 million signing bonus, Clemons' first-year base salary, and $1.5 million of his second-year salary. Another $4 million is available through sack-based escalators. 2012: $2 million, 2013: $6 million, 2014: $7.5 million, 2015: Free Agent

Kamerion Wimbley   Defensive Lineman   3/20/2012: Signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The deal contains $13.5 million guaranteed, including a $9 million signing bonus and all of Wimbley's first-year base salary. 2013: $4 million, 2014: $6 million, 2015: $6.5 million, 2016: $7 million, 2017: Free Agent

John Abraham   Defensive Lineman   3/16/2012: Signed a three-year, $16.72 million contract. The deal included a $2.25 million signing bonus. Abraham is eligible for $2.156 million in annual per-game roster bonuses throughout the contract's life. Another $4 million is available through escalators. 2012: $1.5 million, 2013-2014: $3.25 million, 2015: Free Agent

rotoworld.com


MD should offer a deal similar to the one Red Bryant & Kamerion Wimbley received from the Seahawks & Titans...

[chace1986]

So instead of signing a deal for $7M a year, he gets $11M from being franchised. And? As fans, why would you care? We have the cap room and it's not your money. All that should matter to a fan is that we keep our only solid pass rusher. Complaining that he got $4M too much seem pointless.

Then, if we don't franchise him and he goes somewhere else, all you same folks will complain all year that we can't get any pressure because the Glazers are too cheap and wouldn't retain Bennet.

Where are you getting the $11mil? As I brought up earlier, wouldn't it be either $13.4mil or $16.7mil?

[JDouble]

http://www.spotrac.com/top-salaries/nfl/2013/cap-hit/defensive-end/

I was wrong. I was looking at 2012 numbers instead of 2013 and I thought it was the average of the top 10 players, which would still be $14.8M

If it is the top 5 then yeah....it would be $16.7M. Yikes.

[chace1986]

Yea, I'm just not sure if they base It on base salary or cap hit. Based on what peppers got a few years back on his tag...I would guess it would be the $16.7 mil salary.

[JDouble]

I'm not sure either. I'm going by total cap hit, but it could very well be the base salary. Base salary actually make more sense.

The transition tag is probably what we would use. It uses the average of the top 10 players at that position from the previous year. He can still negotiate with other teams, but we get first refusal rights. Good way for him and us to gauge his true value to the rest of the league. If he actually played under that tag, which isn't likely, it would pay him $10.8M in 2013.

I had my tags mixed up. Transition is what we would use for sure. Hopefully they strike a deal before FA starts and this is all for not.

[chace1986]

Then10.8 is definitely a lot more reasonable.

[The Anti-Java]

Good player and I hope they resign him.  But no way would I tag him.  That is really a last resort to keep a great player. And for all that tag money,  all you get is one year of service.  Then if you want to tag him again its 120% pay raise.

[BucBalla85]

I didn't think you could tag twice. Thought they took it away after the last lockout.

[The Anti-Java]

I didn't think you could tag twice. Thought they took it away after the last lockout.

I believe a team can tag 3 times, but its a huge pay raise each time.   120%

[BucBalla85]

I didn't think you could tag twice. Thought they took it away after the last lockout.

I believe a team can tag 3 times, but its a huge pay raise each time.   120%

I don't know why, I thought I heard that was one of the things they changed when they came to a deal with the players.

[The Anti-Java]

I didn't think you could tag twice. Thought they took it away after the last lockout.

I believe a team can tag 3 times, but its a huge pay raise each time.   120%

I don't know why, I thought I heard that was one of the things they changed when they came to a deal with the players.

Franchise tag no longer quick fix
 
Because designation eats up significant cap room, teams must rethink strategies
 

Originally Published: July 6, 2012
 By John Clayton | ESPN.com
 

Saints quarterback Drew Brees cleared up a vague part of the franchise-tag rules this week.

 With his successful challenge to the franchise rules, no player can be franchised more than three times during his career, no matter if he moves to another team. Brees was franchised once with the San Diego Chargers and this year by the Saints, who felt they also had the ability to franchise him next year at 120 percent of his 2012 salary and possibly a third time in 2014.

[BucBalla85]

Ok thanks for clearing that up.