NFL's Buried Treasure

Extensive Use of Franchise Tag Keeps Stars off Free Agent Market

The NFL's free agent market opens at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow and the availability of Randy Moss, Lance Briggs and Asante Samuel ensures that there will be a few big-money contracts and headline-generating moves in the coming days.

But general managers and coaches around the league mostly seem to be finding the list of unrestricted free agents lacking, given that NFL teams have devoted their time and abundant salary cap space in recent weeks to re-signing key players when they could, and using their franchise player tags on them when they couldn't.

"Everyone tried to keep their best players," New York Giants General Manager Jerry Reese said at the just-completed NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. "That's obvious with the tags."

Indeed, this free agent market is not what it could have been. The salary cap has risen considerably in recent years, thanks to the labor deal that guarantees the players 60 percent of the league's revenue. It's up to $116 million per team for next season, and clubs have been able to use their salary cap space to tie up their most productive players with contract extensions before they become eligible for free agency.

Even when contract negotiations on such extensions have broken down, the high salary cap has left teams unafraid to slap franchise tags on players. Such moves aren't cap-friendly; a player with the franchise tag gets a one-year contract with a salary equal to the average of the five highest-paid players in the league at his position. The use of the franchise designation often creates friction between the affected player and his team, but the reward usually is worth the headaches for the club. Rather than losing the player, the team gets the right to retain him by matching any contract offer he receives from another club in free agency, and the right to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation from the player's new club if the team does allow him to depart.

A dozen players, including would-be top free agents such as Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen, were given franchise tags this month. One of the 12, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, was designated an exclusive franchise player and cannot negotiate with other teams; another, tight end Dallas Clark of the Colts, signed a six-year contract extension the day after being named a franchise player.

"You're seeing fewer and fewer Pro Bowl-quality players out there available," Titans General Manager Mike Reinfeldt said at the combine.

Reese suggested at the combine that it is possible some of the players given franchise tags still might change teams this offseason. Teams are permitted to negotiate compensation for franchise players that is less than the two first-round picks stipulated by NFL rules, as long as the player's previous club agrees.

"Just because a guy got the tag doesn't necessarily mean it's over," Reese said.

Generally, though, most teams cross players with franchise tags off their lists and look elsewhere. That has made for a relatively shallow pool of free agent talent, and even a team known for its free agent excesses such as the Washington Redskins is pledging to be inactive this time around. Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations, made that vow last weekend and said he expects many other teams to take similar approaches.

"I would think a lot of teams have identified maybe one or two guys that they're going to go after," Cerrato said. "A lot of free agents will be overpaid. There will probably be some action early, and then after a week or so it will slow down."

Still, there will be available players. Moss just had one of the best seasons that an NFL wide receiver ever has had, with a record 23 touchdown catches for the New England Patriots. He agreed to a contract with a reduced salary as part of last year's trade from the Oakland Raiders, and NFL rules prohibited him from re-signing with the Patriots before tomorrow because his deal could not be reworked for a second time in the same league year.

He has said he wants to stay with the Patriots, and many in the league suspected that, when Moss wasn't given the franchise tag, there might be a tentative contract agreement in place for him to remain in New England. But even if there is, it's not binding and nothing official can happen before 12:01 a.m. There have been whispers in recent days about the Dallas Cowboys perhaps being interested in signing Moss to play alongside Terrell Owens, but most knowledgeable observers seem to be dismissing that as a long shot at best.

Samuel appears less likely to remain with the Patriots. He was called the best cornerback in the league by Patriots safety Rodney Harrison during Super Bowl week, and is said to be seeking a deal similar to the eight-year, $80 million contract that cornerback Nate Clements signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency last year. Briggs, the Chicago Bears linebacker pursued but not obtained by the Redskins in trade talks last spring, also should land a handsome deal and is thought by some in the league to be headed to San Francisco.

Trades also can begin after midnight, and several prominent players could change teams. The Atlanta Falcons are said to be shopping cornerback DeAngelo Hall. He reportedly could end up with the Giants in exchange for a first-round draft choice. In Indianapolis, Reese declined to comment on any conversations he was having with the Falcons regarding Hall but made it clear that the Super Bowl champions don't intend to stand pat.

"Nothing's in stone for us," Reese said. "Anything is possible. . . . We evaluate everybody. That season is over. It was a great run. But in personnel, you really have to reevaluate everyone on your team."