Reiss proposes transitional tag for High

[long distance]

Reiss hit quite a buzz with this “transitional“ idea (though he did mention it a few days ago already)..

Miguel's tweeter timeline offers lot's of context:

Why TT is not used more often?


In case someone forgot how crazy the first days market is (like patchick said it is underrated advantage if you can stay out/delay deals for a week)


A reminder about cash flood this year..


"Nice“ example of trickery from both parties w TT and matching offers

 

[long distance]

continues..


Correct.




And the uncertainty about even a comp. pick..

 

[Ring 6]

The Transition tag is how we lost Curtis Martin to the jets. Parcells knew that he was one of, if npt THE, most important player on the roster and created a "poison pill" offer that New England simply could not match. The Jets had more cap room and could suck up the cost/ It was a final FU to new England, and especially Robert Kraft, when Parcells left for the Jets HC position.

I think it worked out ok for us.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Transition tag is how we lost Curtis Martin to the jets. Parcells knew that he was one of, if npt THE, most important player on the roster and created a "poison pill" offer that New England simply could not match. The Jets had more cap room and could suck up the cost/ It was a final FU to new England, and especially Robert Kraft, when Parcells left for the Jets HC position.

This is incorrect. Martin was a restricted free agent when he was signed by the Jets to the contract that contained the "Poison Pill".

The contract was a 1/4/1 deal. Sounds complicated. Well, that's because of the poison pill. The 4 years were at the player's option ONLY if he was on the Patriots. So it was a 5yr/$28m deal with a Club Option for a 6th at $8M bringing it to 6/$36M.

The "Poison Pill" specifically stated that if the Patriots matched the deal, they would owe Martin a 3.3M Roster bonus immediately in addition to the $8.15M signing bonus he was getting. Furthermore, Martin could void the deal after the 1st year and become an Unrestricted Free agent and the Patriots could not use the Franchise tag on him. Voiding the deal would

So, if the Pats had matched the contract, the cap hit would have been Martin's salary for the 1st year plus there'd be the $3.3M Roster bonus and 1.358M Signing Bonus Amortization. If he were to void the contract after the first year, the Pats would have taken a $6.79M hit in 1999 because of the Amortization being accelerated.

 

[DaBruinz]

Wasn't Curtis Martin signed away as a RFA? I don't believe transition tags even existed back then.

In either case, of course, poison pills are now illegal -- you can't include terms in a matchable offer sheet that would materially differ in consequences to the two teams. So a transition designation does seem like a reasonable option for Hightower, if only to make him a smidgen less attractive to another team. (In the premium FA market, the 7 day waiting period for the current team to decide to match can handcuff the offering team.)

The Transition and Franchise Tags were implemented as part of Free Agency in 1993. I looked it up..

 

[DaBruinz]

Was there a provision in Hogan's contract that made it materially different for the two teams? I thought the issue was just that Buffalo had no cap space and so made the mistake of giving him the low RFA tender, then couldn't afford to match. Was there something trickier about the contract details?

All the Patriots did with their contract to Hogan is front load it so that the Bills wouldn't be able to match it without some serious cap management.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

High will turn 27 next month, so he has plenty of peak years left. One way or another he is going to get paid and he deserves it.

Mayo was done by age 30.

It is likely that Hightower has plenty of peak years left, but considering his injury history, it's not as solidly a given as one might think.

 

[Jimke]

I'm beginning to feel the Patriots made their final and best offers before
the season began. They will give Butler a first round tender and let all
their other free agents test the market. Of course, this is how I feel every
year.

 

[patchick]

I'm beginning to feel the Patriots made their final and best offers before
the season began. They will give Butler a first round tender and let all
their other free agents test the market. Of course, this is how I feel every
year.

OT, but oes anybody think that a team with a low 1st-round pick and a lot of cap space, like Oakland, might make a run for Butler even with that tender?

 

[RobertWeathers]

High will turn 27 next month, so he has plenty of peak years left. One way or another he is going to get paid and he deserves it.

Deserve has nothing to do with it.

Age, health, projected production, market & team value does.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Agreed but the reason you pay High is for what they think he will do and not for what he has done.

I have to disagree slightly. There's an interesting video of Gilbert Arenas saying the exact opposite. He got paid mega dollars and never did anything significant in the NBA except become a locker room distraction who was injury prone. I'm not suggesting that there isn't a projection involved, but that projection is largely based on what you've already accomplished.

 

[Bledsoehasaring]

Deserve has nothing to do with it.

Age, health, projected production, market & team value does.

Are we really parsing language now. Maybe by saying he "deserves" it... he was just shorthanding your math formula for market value. Either way hightower is going to get laid by us or someone and no complex equation is needed to know that.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I have to disagree slightly. There's an interesting video of Gilbert Arenas saying the exact opposite. He got paid mega dollars and never did anything significant in the NBA except become a locker room distraction who was injury prone. I'm not suggesting that there isn't a projection involved, but that projection is largely based on what you've already accomplished.

Clearly a team needs to see a level of production that warrants a mega deal.

Besides..The NBA is a good example of overpaying for potential.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Are we really parsing language now. Maybe by saying he "deserves" it... he was just shorthanding your math formula for market value. Either way hightower is going to get laid by us or someone and no complex equation is needed to know that.

Hey- there are tons of fans who say a player deserves money based on the past. I assume nothing.

Hell I remember a bunch who said VW deserved $5m/yr from the Pats after 2014 and keeping Revis for $20m.

 

[ALP]

if we did sign him to transition tag, and another team matched it, if we didn't want to match it wouldn't we be getting 2 1st rounders???

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Rewatch the Super Bowl sound effects if you have any doubt about what Hightower means to this team. Pay him what he deserves, don't risk exposing him to Free Agency.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

if we did sign him to transition tag, and another team matched it, if we didn't want to match it wouldn't we be getting 2 1st rounders???

No, that's the (non-exclusive) franchise tag.

If a team doesn't match the transition tag, they get nothing, absolutely nothing. Possibly not even a 2018 compensatory pick.

That's why it's a risky play. You save ~$3m in salary versus the franchise tag, but you have a very strong risk of losing him. Teams don't use the transition tag that often.

Reiss is suggesting it (not sure if inside info or a hunch on his part) because the franchise tag cost for linebackers doesn't distinguish between ILBs and OLBs, and he thinks the Pats want to pay him ILB money and not OLB money. From my perspective, Hightower's versatility in being able to play off the edge (like, say, a certain strip sack I seem it recall recently) makes him worth OLB money on a one-year franchise tag basis. And it gives the team an extra year to plan if Hightower wants to play extreme hardball and potentially walk after 2017.

 

[Ivan]

I think it will have to be a franchise tag, the poison pills are too risky. This is one of those situations where you pay the man without screwing around. Give him Keuchly money and if he passes then franchise him and draft a LB in the first round. If he leaves you have the replacemebtband if he stays you have a really good LB corps for years.

 

[long distance]

Yep, not even a comp pick. This would certainly be agains BB economics.

I understand BB would be unwilling to pay full tag because he'd hate to be on the wrong side of salary/tag anomalies (paying 15M tag for MLB when it should be around 11M) so I can understand where Reiss is going - but to use an option where he loses all control and leaves him with absolutely nothing (giving him seven days delay as the only leverage) also doesn't sound like BB business.

Tag keeps all options open . including trade or letting him taste the market..

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think it worked out ok for us.

LOL

Sarcasm at its finest.