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http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20070222/1062525.asp
Bills won't utilize their franchise tag
By ALLEN WILSON
News Sports Reporter
2/22/2007
INDIANAPOLIS - If the Buffalo Bills are going to keep their top free agents, they will have to outbid other teams for them.
As expected, the Bills will not designate a franchise player. Today is the deadline for NFL teams to use the tag.
This means the Bills' most prominent free agents - cornerback Nate Clements, middle linebacker London Fletcher and defensive end Chris Kelsay - will be allowed to hit the open market when free agency begins one week from Friday.
The Bills franchised Clements last season and signed him to a guaranteed one-year contract worth $7.2 million. But the team promised Clements it wouldn't slap the tag on him again.
By franchising a player, a team agrees to pay the player the average of the top five players at his position, or a 20 percent raise over his 2006 salary, whichever is greater. The cost of tagging Clements a second straight year would have been slightly more than $8.7 million. That's a 20 percent increase from last year's tag and more than this year's cornerback tag of $7.8 million.
Because of the promise the Bills made to Clements, General Manager Marv Levy said there was no discussion on using the franchise tag on someone else. Tagging Fletcher would have cost $7.2 million in 2007, while Kelsay would have gotten $8.6 million if he were franchised.
Like Clements, Fletcher and Kelsay, the contracts of fullback Daimon Shelton, offensive guard Mike Gandy, running back Anthony Thomas, cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas and wide receiver Andre' Davis will expire March 1. Place-kicker Rian Lindell and linebacker Coy Wire would have been unrestricted free agents as well but both have re-signed.
Levy said none of the team's free agents, besides Clements, was worthy of receiving the franchise label and the huge salary that goes with it.
"It's a matter of somebody saying, "There's no better guy than him that we can possibly get,' " said Levy, who is in town for the NFL Scouting Combine. "It has to be a premier guy. That's why we used it on Nate. I don't know if there is anyone we feel we have to have that bad, considering what else we have to give up."
The Bills, New York Jets and Detroit Lions were the only teams to use the franchise tag last year. Offensive tackle Jeff Backus signed with the Lions, but the Jets traded defensive end John Abraham to the Atlanta Falcons.
As of Wednesday evening, six teams - Indianapolis (defensive end Dwight Freeney), Chicago (linebacker Lance Briggs), New England (cornerback Asante Samuel), New Orleans (defensive end Charles Grant), Cincinnati (defensive end Justin Smith) and Detroit (defensive tackle Cory Redding) - retained players with the franchise tag.
Levy concedes re-signing all the team's free agents will be a challenge. That's especially the case with Clements, who is coming off an outstanding season and will be one of the most coveted players on the open market.
"He's going to get a very attractive offer, whether he still wants to go elsewhere," Levy said. "He's already expressed from what I've read publicly that they are going to go out and test free agency, which is his right to do. He's also expressed to our coaches that he likes playing in Buffalo and he wants to remain a Buffalo Bill. So we'll see how it plays out."
Bills won't utilize their franchise tag
By ALLEN WILSON
News Sports Reporter
2/22/2007
INDIANAPOLIS - If the Buffalo Bills are going to keep their top free agents, they will have to outbid other teams for them.
As expected, the Bills will not designate a franchise player. Today is the deadline for NFL teams to use the tag.
This means the Bills' most prominent free agents - cornerback Nate Clements, middle linebacker London Fletcher and defensive end Chris Kelsay - will be allowed to hit the open market when free agency begins one week from Friday.
The Bills franchised Clements last season and signed him to a guaranteed one-year contract worth $7.2 million. But the team promised Clements it wouldn't slap the tag on him again.
By franchising a player, a team agrees to pay the player the average of the top five players at his position, or a 20 percent raise over his 2006 salary, whichever is greater. The cost of tagging Clements a second straight year would have been slightly more than $8.7 million. That's a 20 percent increase from last year's tag and more than this year's cornerback tag of $7.8 million.
Because of the promise the Bills made to Clements, General Manager Marv Levy said there was no discussion on using the franchise tag on someone else. Tagging Fletcher would have cost $7.2 million in 2007, while Kelsay would have gotten $8.6 million if he were franchised.
Like Clements, Fletcher and Kelsay, the contracts of fullback Daimon Shelton, offensive guard Mike Gandy, running back Anthony Thomas, cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas and wide receiver Andre' Davis will expire March 1. Place-kicker Rian Lindell and linebacker Coy Wire would have been unrestricted free agents as well but both have re-signed.
Levy said none of the team's free agents, besides Clements, was worthy of receiving the franchise label and the huge salary that goes with it.
"It's a matter of somebody saying, "There's no better guy than him that we can possibly get,' " said Levy, who is in town for the NFL Scouting Combine. "It has to be a premier guy. That's why we used it on Nate. I don't know if there is anyone we feel we have to have that bad, considering what else we have to give up."
The Bills, New York Jets and Detroit Lions were the only teams to use the franchise tag last year. Offensive tackle Jeff Backus signed with the Lions, but the Jets traded defensive end John Abraham to the Atlanta Falcons.
As of Wednesday evening, six teams - Indianapolis (defensive end Dwight Freeney), Chicago (linebacker Lance Briggs), New England (cornerback Asante Samuel), New Orleans (defensive end Charles Grant), Cincinnati (defensive end Justin Smith) and Detroit (defensive tackle Cory Redding) - retained players with the franchise tag.
Levy concedes re-signing all the team's free agents will be a challenge. That's especially the case with Clements, who is coming off an outstanding season and will be one of the most coveted players on the open market.
"He's going to get a very attractive offer, whether he still wants to go elsewhere," Levy said. "He's already expressed from what I've read publicly that they are going to go out and test free agency, which is his right to do. He's also expressed to our coaches that he likes playing in Buffalo and he wants to remain a Buffalo Bill. So we'll see how it plays out."
