Brees wins arbitration (1 Viewer)

[GregR]

Development in the Brees contract saga, as the arbitrator ruled that the Chargers having previously franchise tagged Brees counts towards the limit of 3 times a player can be tagged... and also gives a big bump to the salary he'd have to be offered should he be tagged for the 3rd and final time in 2013.

Definitely gives Brees some more negotiating power. Hopefully they get a deal done now.

From ESPN:

Drew Brees wins tag ruling

Updated: July 3, 2012, 12:27 PM ET

By Chris Mortensen | ESPN

Arbitrator Stephen Burbank has ruled in favor of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in his grievance over the designation of his franchise tag.

Burbank's ruling means if Brees does not sign a long-term contract this summer and plays out the 2012 season under his current franchise number, the 2013 season is the last time he can be tagged. In addition, a tag in 2013 would earn him a pay raise of 144 percent.

The NFL Players Association had asked Burbank to determine whether Brees has been hit with the franchise tag in 2012 for a first or second time, because the language in the collective bargaining agreement is vague.

The Saints placed their exclusive rights tag on Brees earlier this offseason, but his first team, the San Diego Chargers, placed the tag on Brees in 2005 after his rookie contract expired.

The union's position is the CBA intended for a player to be franchised no more than three times, regardless of which team places the tags.

In making his ruling, Burbank said all franchise tags will be viewed this way in the future.

Brees' current tag is worth $16.371 million, which won't change with the ruling. However, taking into account the 144 percent raise, a would-be tag in 2013 would put Brees' cap number at $23,574,240, according to ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton. If the Saints chose to use their exclusive-rights tag on Brees in 2013, that would put his two-year earnings at $39,945,240, or a little less than $20 million per year.

The NFL declined comment on Burbank's finding or whether it intends to appeal, which the league could do.

The Saints and Brees are locked in a protracted contract battle and have until July 16 to hammer out a long-term extension.

 

[David Yudkin]

While bad P.R., it seemingly makes more fiscal sense to tag someone like Brees or Wes Welker a couple of times. Tagging Brees twice would result in him getting a little under $20 million for two years of his services. At this point, they would have to pay him that (or more) per year anyway, but they avoid having to give him a lofty signing bonus and millions in guaranteed money. By the time Brees was a true free agent, he would be 35. The Saints could then start the negotiating process again having saved money the past two years and at that age the market may not be as high for a 35 year old QB. (True, he could opt to play elsewhere . . . but by then the Saints may want to force his hand to renegotiate at a lower contract value to free up salary cap dollars.)

Same thing with Welker. If the Pats tag him this year and next year, they would pay him way less money when you eliminate a huge signing bonus and a boatload of guaranteed money. He'd be 34 by the time he could leave town. How much money do 34 year old slot receivers make?

I realize that both players could have so much venom to their teams by then that they could refuse to play, but for someone like Welker that has not made tens of millions of dollars that would be shooting himself in the foot.

 

[mbuehner]

That franchise tag was a nasty trap the union walked into. Seemed reasonable until you see how it forces guys into one year contacts that one injury could make their last.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

RBs are the guys it really hurts. Enter the league at 22, play for four or five years under your rookie contract. Tagged once. Tagged twice. Now you're going into the next season at 28 or 29. Going to be very hard to get that second long-term contract.

ETA: A player like Doug Martin, who's 23 already and a first round pick, would be staring at 30 by the time his five year rookie deal and two tags are up.

 

[David Yudkin]

That franchise tag was a nasty trap the union walked into. Seemed reasonable until you see how it forces guys into one year contacts that one injury could make their last.

If memory serves, that was something the NFLPA asked for back in the day. And I also believe that at the time they wanted teams to have 3 franchise tags because they wanted players to be able to stay on their same teams rather than force them to go someplace else. Funny how that all worked out.

 

[todisco1]

That franchise tag was a nasty trap the union walked into. Seemed reasonable until you see how it forces guys into one year contacts that one injury could make their last.

If memory serves, that was something the NFLPA asked for back in the day. And I also believe that at the time they wanted teams to have 3 franchise tags because they wanted players to be able to stay on their same teams rather than force them to go someplace else. Funny how that all worked out.

And, to be honest, it's not like the franchise tag means they don't get paid -- they make a lot of money for that year if they're franchised. Maybe they could have made more, but it's not the worst problem to have in the world.

 

[GregR]

RBs are the guys it really hurts. Enter the league at 22, play for four or five years under your rookie contract. Tagged once. Tagged twice. Now you're going into the next season at 28 or 29. Going to be very hard to get that second long-term contract.ETA: A player like Doug Martin, who's 23 already and a first round pick, would be staring at 30 by the time his five year rookie deal and two tags are up.

Yes, while I like having the current rookie contracts more than how they were done previously... but I'd like to see a better mechanism at the end of the rookie contract to compensate guys who have been performing far above what they've been making. Something that would kick in years 4 and 5 definitely, and probably even year 3.Otherwise as you say, a position like RB with a short shelf life may never even get to their second contract. While franchise tag money isn't something to sneeze at, I don't like forcing the risk on the player of what happens if he's injured if you get a team who won't even negotiate with him and is just willing to tag him twice and let him go.

 

[sbonomo]

RBs are the guys it really hurts. Enter the league at 22, play for four or five years under your rookie contract. Tagged once. Tagged twice. Now you're going into the next season at 28 or 29. Going to be very hard to get that second long-term contract.ETA: A player like Doug Martin, who's 23 already and a first round pick, would be staring at 30 by the time his five year rookie deal and two tags are up.

That is a great point about the RB's. Given the direction of the league, i would venture even further that we won't see many more AP or Chris Johnson like contracts in the future. Guys like Forte are going to get hosed. Should be very interesting to see what happens with high first round picks like mathews, Mcfadden, Richardson, etc. after their respective rookie contracts.