Franchise Chris Simms?

[DanTurksGhost]

Can you franchise a guy that's not under contract?  I'm guessing you can't?  But that's a guess...

Simms is under contract.

[cheveliar]

Just until the end of the year...it was a one year deal so essentially he's done and can find another team at the end of the year...

[DanTurksGhost]

Yes, but you apply the franchise tag to a player so that you have the chance to do their next contract. It essentially prevents them from taking off in free agency. Of course all this is moot, because there is not one single, tiny, slight chance in hell that Simms will be franchised.

[cheveliar]

Yes, but you apply the franchise tag to a player so that you have the chance to do their next contract. It essentially prevents them from taking off in free agency. Of course all this is moot, because there is not one single, tiny, slight chance in hell that Simms will be franchised.

So you can franchise him right now and keep him from hitting the market when his contract is over.  But why when we have all of this grip, Grads in the wings, and Chris is on IR?  If we don't I guess we get nothing in return if someone else offers one of those poision pill contracts?

[DanTurksGhost]

So you can franchise him right now and keep him from hitting the market when his contract is over.  But why when we have all of this grip, Grads in the wings, and Chris is on IR?  If we don't I guess we get nothing in return if someone else offers one of those poision pill contracts?

You're missing the point. The franchise tag allows you to prevent a player from leaving via free agency. It's sort of an "exlusivity" arrangement. However, to franchise a player you must pay him the average of the top 5 highest paid players at his position. That's the trade-off you make in franchising a player. Obviously, the Bucs aren't going to franchise Simms to keep him from leaving because they've have to pay him Manning/Vick-ish money.

Ain't happening.

[mjs020294]

So you can franchise him right now and keep him from hitting the market when his contract is over.  But why when we have all of this grip, Grads in the wings, and Chris is on IR?  If we don't I guess we get nothing in return if someone else offers one of those poision pill contracts?

If we franchise him Chev, Chris could just sign the offer and we are stuck with him.  Coming off IR with a less than impressive start to the season, he might just take the $8-$9 million guranteed money for one season.

[cheveliar]

I wasn't missing the point I was trying to get the intricacies of the move or the franchising thought process.  I understand the consequences and repercussions of doing it or not at this point.  The timing was really the biggest question in my mind.  I guess what I'm really asking is do we have to do it before his contract is up?

This thread has brought comedy to an otherwise dreary morning. If we were to franchise Simms, he's sign that contract b4 the ink was dry!!!

A player who is in the unrestricted category will have his free agency rights restricted if he is designated as either a Transition Player or a Franchise Player. Each club was allowed a total of three transition player designations in the first two years of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. No additional designations will apply until the last year of the CBA, when each club is allowed one more transition designation. A player subject to the transition designation must be offered the average of the top ten salaries (league-wide) at his position, and he is subject only to a right of first refusal by his old club. The franchise player category can be used throughout the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but clubs can only have one franchise player at a given point in time. This designation requires an offer equal to the average of the top five salaries league-wide in the player's position. If the club does not want to make this tender, it can make a transition player tender, and retain only a right of first refusal. Once the named franchise player signs, the club loses the designation and cannot use it on another player until the franchise player's contract expires or he receives a career-ending injury. The 1998 Extension Agreement provides for a salary guarantee for any franchise player who accepts the one-year tender. This is a significant improvement for the player, since he is assured of receiving the entire tender amount for the next season even if the club decides not to keep him and that also provides an incentive for the club to sign him to a longer-term contract with a big signing bonus.

[cheveliar]

This thread has brought comedy to an otherwise dreary morning. If we were to franchise Simms, he's sign that contract b4 the ink was dry!!!

ROFLMBAO!!!

[DanTurksGhost]

I wasn't missing the point I was trying to get the intricacies of the move or the franchising thought process.  I understand the consequences and repercussions of doing it or not at this point.  The timing was really the biggest question in my mind.  I guess what I'm really asking is do we have to do it before his contract is up?

Sorry, I guess I didn't get a good grip on what you were asking. To answer the question, you have to do it before the opening of FA.

[cheveliar]

It's all good Dan..thanks for the answer...

[spartan]

Due to his injury and horrendous start to the season, I think it extremely plausible that Chris could be brought back near to the vet minimum so why the heck even mention franchising him? Nothing like buying a donkey at a stallions price!!

[mjs020294]

Due to his injury and horrendous start to the season, I think it extremely plausible that Chris could be brought back near to the vet minimum so why the heck even mention franchising him? Nothing like buying a donkey at a stallions price!!

I like your choice of words 

[Huey Freeman]

Talented young QBs are assets.  I'm not suggesting that we should use a Franchise or Transition Tag on him, I just broached the question. 

[DanTurksGhost]

I would have no problem with him being re-signed for low end dollars.