Cap question for Miguel or someone else who knows..

[patsfaninpa]

If Indy franchises Freeney and can't work a long-term deal, does his entire number count towards 07 Cap? Or can they spread it out someway?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Can't spread the tag, it all hits the cap as salary.

 

[Urgent]

Can't spread the tag, it all hits the cap as salary.

By definition, it's all salary. No bonus.

 

[nukin]

What exactly is Franchising a Player... maybe I understand it wrong?

 

[JoeSixPat]

What exactly is Franchising a Player... maybe I understand it wrong?

Simply a tool that allows team to keep players deemed vital to a team beyond their contract - but at a price.

Every position has a franchise $ value - based on the average top 5 salaries at that position.

That means that even if the Patriots can't reach an agreement with Samuel or the Colts can't reach a long term agreement with Freeney, the team can designate them as their 1 franchise player.

It's a bargaining chip, not played all that often by teams as it can geneate some animosity. The team enters into a 1 year contract albeit at a high amount. The player isn't exactly underpaid playing at a rookie contract minimum (like Branch was last year) but nor does he have the benefit of a long term deal with a huge guaranteed signing bonus.

If the player suffers a career ending injury, that's it - the team's only on the hook for one season - so in that respect while its a high one year salary, there's no long term risk for the team.

The team can even franchise a player year after year - though there winds up being a 20% increase each season. The player has no recourse except to sit - and the likelihood that Samuel or Freeney would sit and do without $8 million for a season is pretty low.