In early spring, in mid-March, Lu Ke started his offseason training at UCLA; at the same time, the offseason preparations for the 32 teams also officially started, and the rookie training camp will start in two weeks. , by then, the free market will also be opened at the same time, which also means that the smoke of preparations for the new season will be ignited.
Should we strengthen in the free market or find gold in the draft? Which positions can you invest in rookies, and which positions should you look for veterans to fill? Are there any eye-catching players in the draft who are willing to "stock up" for development even if they are not needed? Are there any eye-catching players emerging in the free market who can strengthen or make up for a leak in their own team?
Every decision may affect preparations for the new season. Before officially entering the first round of the new season, the collection and accumulation of information is undoubtedly crucial. Thirty-two teams have opened their own information networks. All over the North American continent and even overseas rugby markets, preparations are in full swing.
Among them, Lu Ke’s contract renewal news is undoubtedly the most eye-catching.
Everyone knows that Lu Ke will win a big contract, and San Francisco is definitely not willing to let go of Lu Ke, but the question is, how big is this contract? More importantly, if San Francisco cannot match the contract Lu Ke is looking forward to, will things take an unexpected turn? Maybe even shock the entire league again?
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter first broke the news on Twitter, "San Francisco, haven't you decided on your idea yet?" The subtext is that Lu Ke has made an offer, but San Francisco is still there Under consideration, this is good news for the other thirty-one teams.
According to Lu Ke's rookie contract, he will be a player of the San Francisco 49ers until August 1, 2013. Before the deadline, San Francisco still holds the initiative, and Lu Ke cannot become a free agent.
According to regulations, before Lu Ke becomes a free agent, San Francisco can choose to renew his contract, use the franchise tag, and match offers from other teams. Only after San Francisco gives up all relevant rights can Lu Ke be free to join other teams. .
Rookie contracts are so overbearing, and rookies basically don't have much initiative.
The privilege label is a very interesting thing.
In the NFL, the franchise tag refers to a power that a team can use to impose special provisions on a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. If the conditions are met, the tag will last for one year between the player and the team, ensuring that the player will continue to remain in the team; however, each team only has one franchise tag quota and one transition tag quota per year, so, Each team can only select one player per year as a franchise tag player.
The franchise tag means that the player is owned by the team and is not allowed to negotiate with other teams; the transition tag means that the player is still owned by the team, but negotiations with other teams are allowed. Different labels will have different remuneration, terms, restrictions, rewards, etc. stipulated in the contract.
Usually, the franchise tag is reserved for players who have top quality and are very important to the team, but there is no way to negotiate a contract extension.
The franchise tag allows team managers to strategically retain those very important free agents, and at the same time, while avoiding exceeding the hard salary cap, find outstanding players through the draft or the free market to complete offseason preparations. Occasionally, under special circumstances, a team can make a player a franchise tag player on a contract of two years or more.
Players selected for the franchise tag will receive a guaranteed salary for one year if they agree to play for the team and do not negotiate contracts with other players.
But if they refuse to sign the franchise tag, the player will not be able to move. Even if the players go on strike, teams that have used the franchise tag must pay part of the compensation according to the contract provisions - however, in the case of the franchise tag, the player's salary will be significantly reduced due to relevant provisions, or even no salary. Of course, the team can also revoke the franchise tag they provided, and the player will revert to being an unrestricted free agent.
Franchise tag players can also be subdivided into two types: exclusive franchise players and non-exclusive franchise players.
For an exclusive franchise player, the team must provide the player with a one-year contract whose salary is no less than the average salary of the five highest-paid players in the league at the same position in the same year, based on the contract number when the tag took effect in April of that year. to measure; or 120% of the player's salary in the previous year, whichever is higher.
Exclusive franchise players are not allowed to make transfer contacts with other teams.
For a non-exclusive franchise player, the team must provide the player with a one-year contract whose salary is no less than the average of the five highest-paid players at the same position in the previous five seasons, or 120% of the player's previous year's salary. , both companies calculated on the higher figure.
Non-exclusive franchise players are allowed contact with other players. However, after the player reaches a transfer agreement with other teams, the original team can still choose to match the contract and keep the player; or if the original player does not match the contract and loses the player, then they can still get two first-round draft picks. right as compensation.
It is worth noting that the salary of exclusive franchise players is calculated based on the "same year", while the salary of non-exclusive franchise players is calculated based on the "previous five years". According to the law of the league's hard salary cap increasing every year, The difference in wages is also significant.
But whether it is an exclusive franchise or a non-exclusive franchise, because it is an average number, the final number of the contract will definitely not be higher than the players' psychological expectations. The team is the one with the upper hand.
What exactly is the so-called privilege label?
Simply take Lu Ke as an example.
For example, Lech has proposed a super-high contract of $100 million over five years. The San Francisco 49ers do not want to agree, or they cannot agree because of the hard salary cap, or because besides Lu Ke, there are several other important players. The contract renewal work is waiting, and it is very likely that they will be limited by the hard salary cap and lose sight of the other, but at the same time they are not willing to miss Lu Ke, so they can choose to use the franchise tag at this time.
After attaching the franchise tag, Lu Ke was temporarily kept in the team and waited to complete the contract renewal next year. By then, the number and positions of players who need to renew their contracts will be different, and the pressure on the hard salary cap will also be relieved, which will also give the team more room for negotiation.
Of course, rare situations occasionally arise. In the first year, the franchise tag is used; in the second year, the players still refuse to compromise and demand too high a contract, or the team still faces a hard salary cap dilemma, so the franchise tag is used again, and then the salary overlay must be the same as the previous year. An increase of 144% from the basic level.
This was the case for Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell in 2018. The franchise tag was used for two consecutive years, which aroused LeVeon's strong dissatisfaction, and then LeVeon went on strike. The result of fighting against the team is that both sides suffer losses, but overall, the team still has the upper hand.
As an aside, if you want to know which positions have the most value that year or in recent years, the franchise tag is a very good indicator.
According to ESPN statistics, since 1993, there have been a total of 30 offensive linemen with franchise performance, 27 defensive linemen, 26 linebackers, and even four punters. . In other words, the management always believes that players on the two front lines are more cost-effective.
Why?
Because being continuously labeled as a franchise player means that players face consecutive contract years. If they are not careful, their performance declines, or they even suffer from injuries, the salary of the next long-term contract will be reduced a lot. After all, in many positions, football players have short career longevity. Not to mention being used the franchise tag for two consecutive years, this pressure will increase exponentially.
This is also what team managers value most when choosing franchise tags - they must maximize the team's interests.
Outside of the offensive line, among other players on the team, the quarterback has only been franchise-tagged ten times, while the tight ends and running backs have both been tagged eleven times.
The focus is again on Lu Ke. Now, Lu Ke is still a player of the San Francisco 49ers, and San Francisco still has the initiative to renew the contract. They still have many possibilities that they can slowly think about - of course, they have not used the privilege yet. label, which also means that they are still looking to renew the contract with Lu Ke.
Everyone in the San Francisco 49ers management knows clearly that renewing Lu Ke's contract is crucial to the team's confidence, fans' enthusiasm and preparations for the new season. They would never use the privilege tag unless absolutely necessary. Instead, they needed to keep Lu Ke in an upright and encouraging manner.
Reason is reason, business is business, San Francisco management is also in a tug of war now, but at least they still maintain a proactive attitude, which is good news.
According to league regulations, Lu Ke cannot have contact with other teams before he becomes a free agent; but the rules are that the dead are alive. San Francisco has not yet used the franchise tag for Lu Ke, so in private A series of contacts, temptations and inquiries are inevitable.
In other words, other teams directly called San Francisco team manager Trent Baalke directly and straight to the point, "Can Lu Ke be open to trade?" This is also allowed by the rules. If news of the team's tentative inquiry leaks out, it will also make media reporters even more excited.
Naturally, then, San Francisco has yet to make a decision, and rumors within the industry have begun to swirl. Almost everyone began to look around eagerly for information.
ESPN opened Pandora's box, and then all kinds of transfer news gradually began to emerge.
