Franchise tag

In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms) and one transition tag. As a result, each team may only designate one player each year as that team's franchise player. It has been designed to reduce player movement (often to bigger markets) which is often evidenced in other major pro sports leagues.

Usually reserved for players of great skill or of high importance to the team, a franchise tag allows a team's general manager the privilege of strategically retaining valuable free-agent players while seeking talent through the NFL draft or other acquisitions without exceeding the League's salary cap. A team may also franchise tag a player with 2 or more years left on a contract.

The designated franchise player will have his one year salary guaranteed if he elects to play for the team that designated him with the franchise tag and if he does not negotiate a contract with another team.

If a club withdraws their offered contract the player immediately reverts to an unrestricted free agent.

Types of franchise tag
There are two types of franchise tag designations: the exclusive rights franchise tag, and non-exclusive rights franchise tag:


 * An "exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. Exclusive franchise players cannot negotiate with other teams. The player's team has all the negotiating rights to the exclusive player.
 * A "non-exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position for the previous year, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is less. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if he signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
 * Under the Capped years a team can designate one additional player only as a transitional tag. A transition player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player's position or 120 percent of the player's prior year's salary, whichever is greater. A transition player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

Franchise-tagged players

 * Buffalo Bills - Jairus Byrd S (Non-Exclusive)
 * Chicago Bears - Henry Melton DT
 * Cincinnati Bengals - Michael Johnson DE
 * Dallas Cowboys - Anthony Spencer LB
 * Denver Broncos - Ryan Clady OT
 * Indianapolis Colts - Pat McAfee P
 * Kansas City Chiefs - Brandon Albert OT (Non-Exclusive)
 * Miami Dolphins - Randy Starks DT
 * Source

Non-exclusive franchise player costs by position
Source

Franchise-tagged players

 * New York Giants - Steve Weatherford P (Non-Exclusive)
 * Philadelphia Eagles - DeSean Jackson WR
 * Detroit Lions - Cliff Avril DE (Non-Exclusive)
 * San Francisco 49ers - Dashon Goldson S (Non-Exclusive)
 * Oakland Raiders - Tyvon Branch SS (Non-Exclusive)
 * Atlanta Falcons - Brent Grimes CB
 * Washington Redskins - Fred Davis TE
 * Baltimore Ravens - Ray Rice RB
 * Chicago Bears - Matt Forte RB
 * Arizona Cardinals - Calais Campbell DE (Non-Exclusive)
 * Cincinnati Bengals - Mike Nugent K
 * Cleveland Browns - Phil Dawson K
 * New Orleans Saints - Drew Brees QB (Exclusive)
 * Denver Broncos - Matt Prater K
 * Dallas Cowboys - Anthony Spencer LB (Unknown)
 * New England Patriots - Wes Welker WR (Non-Exclusive)
 * Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Connor Barth K (Non-Exclusive)
 * Jacksonville Jaguars - Josh Scobee PK
 * Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe WR

Franchise-tagged players

 * New England Patriots - Logan Mankins G (Non-Exclusive)
 * Philadelphia Eagles - Michael Vick QB (Exclusive)
 * New York Jets - David Harris LB (Non-Exclusive)
 * San Diego Chargers - Vincent Jackson WR (Non-Exclusive)
 * Baltimore Ravens - Haloti Ngata DT (Non-Exclusive)
 * Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning QB (Exclusive)
 * Kansas City Chiefs - Tamba Hali LB (Non-Exclusive)
 * Minnesota Vikings - Chad Greenway LB (Non-Exclusive)
 * Cleveland Browns - Phil Dawson K (Non-Exclusive)
 * Carolina Panthers - Ryan Kalil C (Non-Exclusive)
 * Jacksonville Jaguars - Marcedes Lewis TE (Non-Exclusive)
 * Miami Dolphins - Paul Soliai DT (Non-Exclusive)
 * Oakland Raiders - Kamerion Wimbley LB (Non-Exclusive)

Franchise-tagged players

 * Pittsburgh Steelers - Jeff Reed K
 * Green Bay Packers - Ryan Pickett DT
 * Oakland Raiders - Richard Seymour DE (Exclusive)
 * San Francisco 49ers - Aubrayo Franklin DT
 * Seattle Seahawks - Olindo Mare K

Non-exclusive franchise player costs by position
Sources

Franchise-tagged players

 * Arizona Cardinals - Karlos Dansby OLB (Non-exclusive)
 * Atlanta Falcons - Michael Koenen P (Non-exclusive)
 * Baltimore Ravens - Terrell Suggs OLB (Exclusive)
 * Carolina Panthers - Julius Peppers DE (Non-exclusive)
 * Cincinnati Bengals - Shayne Graham K (Non-exclusive)
 * Houston Texans - Dunta Robinson CB (Non-exclusive)
 * Green Bay Packers - Ryan Pickett NT (Non-exclusive)
 * New England Patriots - Matt Cassel QB (Non-exclusive)
 * New York Giants - Brandon Jacobs RB (Non-exclusive)
 * Pittsburgh Steelers - Jeff Reed K (Non-Exclusive)
 * San Diego Chargers - Darren Sproles RB (Non exclusive)
 * Seattle Seahawks - Leroy Hill LB (Non-exclusive) (rescinded 4/27/09)
 * St. Louis Rams - Oshiomogho Atogwe FS (Non-exclusive)
 * Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Antonio Bryant WR (Non-exclusive)
 * Tennessee Titans - Bo Scaife TE (Non-exclusive)

Franchise-tagged players

 * Arizona Cardinals - Karlos Dansby LB (Non-exclusive)
 * Baltimore Ravens - Terrell Suggs LB (Non-exclusive)
 * Carolina Panthers - Jordan Gross OL (Non-exclusive)
 * Cincinnati Bengals - Stacy Andrews OL (Non-exclusive)
 * Dallas Cowboys - Ken Hamlin SS (Non-exclusive)
 * Green Bay Packers - Corey Williams DT (Non-exclusive)
 * Indianapolis Colts - Dallas Clark TE (Non-exclusive)
 * Kansas City Chiefs - Jared Allen DE (Non-exclusive)
 * Oakland Raiders - Nnamdi Asomugha CB (Exclusive)
 * Philadelphia Eagles - L.J. Smith TE (Non-exclusive)
 * Seattle Seahawks - Marcus Trufant CB (Non-exclusive)
 * Tennessee Titans - Albert Haynesworth DT (Non-exclusive)

Franchise-tagged players

 * Chicago Bears - Lance Briggs LB (Exclusive)
 * Cincinnati Bengals - Justin Smith DE (Non-exclusive)
 * Detroit Lions - Cory Redding DT (Non-exclusive)
 * Indianapolis Colts - Dwight Freeney DE (Exclusive)
 * New England Patriots - Asante Samuel CB (Non-exclusive)
 * New Orleans Saints - Charles Grant DE (Non-exclusive)
 * Seattle Seahawks - Josh Brown K (Non-exclusive)