Packers Calendar: Franchise Tags Start Today

Today is the first day the Packers could place the franchise tag on a player like tight end Jermichael Finley or quarterback Matt Flynn.

NFL teams can start placing franchise and transition tags on players beginning today.

For the Green Bay Packers, that has implications for two players, tight end Jermichael Finley and quarterback Matt Flynn. However, there's no guarantee the Packers will place a tag on one of them today.

Finley is the most likely candidate to receive the franchise tag. He's set to be a free agent at season's end, and even though he had a few issues with immaturity drops this past season, he's still young, talented and another team would snatch him up in a second.

The only question is whether he'll get paid like a tight end or a wide receiver, as Finley said he'd seek. Players with franchise tags get paid the average of the top five players at their position, wide receivers get paid about $4 million more than tight ends.

A less likely scenario is that the Packers go the "tag and trade" route with Flynn.

They might consider it if they could receive a first round draft choice and change in return for Flynn, but it's highly unlikely any team would be willing to give up that much when they know if they sign him in free agency, they don't have to give up any draft picks.

And the Packers wouldn't place the tag on him without the parameters of a trade already worked out ahead of time.

Plus, there's the salary cap ramifications to work out as well.

Teams have two weeks to make a decision on franchise tags. The deadline is Monday March 5.

 

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Comments (5)

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Wisconsin German's picture

February 20, 2012 at 03:34 pm

They were just saying on ESPN (for whatever THAT's worth) that if Flynn is franchised not only is he going to get 14 million, but it's an unwritten rule that you don't franchise and trade.

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Packers Fan in Atlanta's picture

February 20, 2012 at 06:48 pm

Unwritten rule that is frequently ignored. Thompson did it in 2008 and Bellicheck did it for Cassel. Just because he is guaranteed 14 mil, doesn't mean the Pack is going to be the team that pays it.

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wgbeethree's picture

February 21, 2012 at 02:23 am

"Players with franchise tags get paid the average of the top five players at their position"

Not quite how it works anymore under the new CBA....

Under Article 9, Section 2(a)(i) of the CBA, the franchise tender for each position arises from a formula that takes the value of franchise tags for the last five years, adds them up, divides them by the total value of the salary cap for the last five years, and multiplies the resulting percentage by the salary cap for the current year.

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PackerAaron's picture

February 21, 2012 at 08:56 am

That is correct wgbeethree.

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Satori's picture

February 22, 2012 at 09:52 am

I see Mr Finley wants to be considered a "WR" for tag purposes. That's fine, but when it comes to actual compensation, I bet he and his agent sing a very different tune

If we look at Finley's production and compare it to other Wide Receivers- he is positively average and would be due a contract similar to the one James Jones just signed. They had very similar production.
If we instead consider his production as a top end TE, he will be paid a lot more than if he is compared to other WRs on the stat line

So, Mr. Finley- what's it gonna be ? Would you like to be paid like an average WR or as an above average TE ?

Can't have it both ways, but I don't blame you for trying.

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