Hardy, Dez and the Franchise Tag

[xwalker]

Consider how players don't like the Franchise Tag.

Now consider that Hardy allowed the Cowboys to basically give him the equivalent of a non-guaranteed Franchise Tag despite not being their own free agent.

That is a huge advantage to the team. The tag for DEs is 14M. Hardy signed a contract that pays a max of 13M. Most of the money is in per game bonuses that he would not get if he does not play.

I see people complaining about him not being signed long term, but his contract is a huge advantage to the team.

They can always sign him to a new contract, but if they had given him a huge contract with huge guaranteed money and something happened, the team is screwed.

Even if they had signed him long term, how much cheaper would it have been? Maybe they could have signed him to 13M per instead of 15M per, but they eliminate ALL risks for this year with the 1 year contract.

The general consensus is that it's best to give big contracts to your own free agents because there is higher failure rate when giving big contracts to free agents from other teams. If they decide to sign Hardy to a new contract at some point, it will be giving a contract to their own free agent. They will know the in and outs of his personality, work-ethic, fit in the scheme, etc..

The only downside for a team in Franchising a top player or giving a top player a 1 year deal is that it has an immediate impact on the cap and the money can't be pushed forward like it can with a long term contract. That's not really a big problem for the Cowboys because they have several options to have enough cap space in 2015 to accommodate Hardy's 1 year deal and to keep Dez on the Franchise Tag.

I think that if teams with enough cap space had the option to sign expensive free agents to 1 year contracts, that the team(s) would almost always choose the 1 year contract.

The other issue is that I think the Cowboys like the idea that they didn't give an outside free agent a huge contract because that inevitably would have an effect on simple minded Dez and his contract negotiations. It would be hard for them to tell him they have to be mindful of the cap if they had given Hardy a 75M contract.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

The problem with the deal isn't necessarily that it's one year. It's that there is a no franchise or transition tag clause.

The obvious benefit being played out now with Dez. If you want to retain a player but have yet to agree to terms you can.

Which your analysis ignores.

Also what's simple minded about an NFL player wanting to maximize his earnings in a game where careers are short and the punishment to your body severe?

 

[Kaiser]

The problem with the deal isn't necessarily that it's one year. It's that there is a no franchise or transition tag clause.

IMO its clear that both sides of the table wanted a 1 year contract for Hardy. It lets Hardy reestablish himself and get a much bigger contract once this off the field issue is past, and for Dallas they get to drive before they buy. Dallas has rarely lost inhouse FAs that they wanted to keep and they have a ton more salary cap room next year if they resign Hardy during this season or once next offseason starts.

 

[chuch]

This

The problem with the deal isn't necessarily that it's one year. It's that there is a no franchise or transition tag clause.

Which this analysis ignores.

I would assume this was a stipulation by Rosenhaus and Hardy in coming to terms on a deal where Hardy has to assume all the risk while playing for less than market value. A good clean year of production would drive his value through the roof when he becomes a free agent in 2016.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

IMO its clear that both sides of the table wanted a 1 year contract for Hardy. It lets Hardy reestablish himself and get a much bigger contract once this off the field issue is past, and for Dallas they get to drive before they buy. Dallas has rarely lost inhouse FAs that they wanted to keep and they have a ton more salary cap room next year if they resign Hardy during this season or once next offseason starts.

Well yes we rarely lose them but we use all our tools to keep them.

Look no further than the other guy besides Hardy listed in the thread title.

 

[Kaiser]

Also off topic but does anyone know how Hardy's contract is counted for offsetting the Compensation Draft Picks we have coming? From what I've read we got picks in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and three 6's, then lost two of the 6's when we signed Brinkley and Gachkar. It seems like we had one comp pick in rounds 3 - 6, does Hardy negate the 4th round pick?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

This

I would assume this was a stipulation by Rosenhaus and Hardy in coming to terms on a deal where Hardy has to assume all the risk while playing for less than market value. A good clean year of production would drive his value through the roof when he becomes a free agent in 2016.

No doubt it was insisted upon by Hardy's side.

That's what takes away from the rainbow and sunshine analysis from the op.

Not being critical but it's a huge component to the deal that makes this less of a walk off home run and more of a standing triple. There is still work to be done.

 

[Stash]

Well yes we rarely lose them but we use all our tools to keep them.

Look no further than the other guy besides Hardy listed in the thread title.

I'm not sure that's a given. It could also be that Dez and his agents are looking for 'Calvin Johnson' money and the Cowboys are rightfully refusing to pay that.

 

[speedkilz88]

In contract negotiations there is give and take. The Cowboys did not have to pay a bonus up front that could bite them on the butt and Hardy gets to revisit free agency next season. Those were the priorities of both sides. So like x says if the Cowboys feel good about Hardy and his fit next year or perhaps during the season they can always give him that big long term contract with a bonus that Hardy is looking for.

 

[Direwolf63]

Also off topic but does anyone know how Hardy's contract is counted for offsetting the Compensation Draft Picks we have coming? From what I've read we got picks in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and three 6's, then lost two of the 6's when we signed Brinkley and Gachkar. It seems like we had one comp pick in rounds 3 - 6, does Hardy negate the 4th round pick?

I don't believe signing Hardy counts for anything. Hardy was released by Carolina. He did not play out his contract and become a FA.

 

[xwalker]

The problem with the deal isn't necessarily that it's one year. It's that there is a no franchise or transition tag clause.

The obvious benefit being played out now with Dez. If you want to retain a player but have yet to agree to terms you can.

Which your analysis ignores.

Also what's simple minded about an NFL player wanting to maximize his earnings in a game where careers are short and the punishment to your body severe?

The Cowboys might use the franchise tag on Dez again next year anyway.

In regards to Hardy, the Cowboys got the top available player at their top position of need on a Zero risk contract but somehow it's a big problem that they can't franchise him next year...

Bottom Line the options were:

1. Hardy on a Zero risk contact.

2. Not signing Hardy at all.

Option 1 is drastically better than option 2.

 

[DBOY3141]

Don't know if it's true, but Pat Kirwan said that if the Cowboys had put the franchise tag part in Hardy's contract and used it on him, they would of had to add 120% increase because Hardy had already been tagged once in his career.

I always thought a player could be tagged twice by his team, but it looks like they can only be tagged twice in their career.

 

[Kaiser]

I don't believe signing Hardy counts for anything. Hardy was released by Carolina. He did not play out his contract and become a FA.

I don't think that is right. He shows up in the transaction listings as "Declared Free Agent" and I don't find anything that he was waived.

 

[Kaiser]

Don't know if it's true, but Pat Kirwan said that if the Cowboys had put the franchise tag part in Hardy's contract and used it on him, they would of had to add 120% increase because Hardy had already been tagged once in his career.

I always thought a player could be tagged twice by his team, but it looks like they can only be tagged twice in their career.

Also BKnight said the second tag would be for 15 Million. The Cowboys may have not considered that a good option and given it up in negotiations because they didn't intend to use it anyway.

 

[speedkilz88]

Hardy was franchised tagged last year by Carolina. That contract ended, he was not released.

 

[xwalker]

Don't know if it's true, but Pat Kirwan said that if the Cowboys had put the franchise tag part in Hardy's contract and used it on him, they would of had to add 120% increase because Hardy had already been tagged once in his career.

I always thought a player could be tagged twice by his team, but it looks like they can only be tagged twice in their career.

I think he might be wrong on that.

I'm fairly certain that a player can be franchised 3 times. The issue is that he must be paid 120% of his previous year's salary. That ends up with the 3rd year being 144% of the 1st year if franchised 3 consecutive years.

 

[CyberB0b]

I love his deal. Worst case scenario (financially) he plays out of his mind and makes about what Anthony Spencer got to ride the pine on IR a couple of years ago. If he doesn't pan out and sucks, they aren't on the hook for some huge contract. If he plays great this season, we still have a chance to lock him up before the season ends.

 

[NEODOG]

I think he might be wrong on that.

I'm fairly certain that a player can be franchised 3 times. The issue is that he must be paid 120% of his previous year's salary. That ends up with the 3rd year being 144% of the 1st year if franchised 3 consecutive years.

Dez can be franchised 3x's, just the cost escalating to almost $25mil in the 3rd year. Sorta like Suh, but his was due to multiple restructuring

 

[Toruk_Makto]

I'm not sure that's a given. It could also be that Dez and his agents are looking for 'Calvin Johnson' money and the Cowboys are rightfully refusing to pay that.

Yet if we weren't able to Franchise him someone would have offered him a contract in that range. I guarantee it. There were no talks if letting Dez test the open market like we did with Murray.

What would Oakland or Jacksonville or Indy or Cleveland or Buffalo or the Jets or Seattle (to name a few off hand) be willing to pay for a young talent like Dez?

Without the franchise tag we'd have been forced to match or watch him walk to a competitor.

Which is my point. And it's why NFL players generally hate the tag. Without it Dez has 40m dollars right now sitting in his bank account and many more millions in the way.

 

[CyberB0b]

Yet if we weren't able to Franchise him someone would have offered him a contract in that range. I guarantee it. There were no talks if letting Dez test the open market like we did with Murray.

What would Oakland or Jacksonville or Indy or Cleveland or Buffalo or the Jets or Seattle (to name a few off hand) be willing to pay for a young talent like Dez?

Without the franchise tag we'd have been forced to match or watch him walk to a competitor.

Which is my point. And it's why NFL players generally hate the tag. Without it Dez has 40m dollars right now sitting in his bank account and many more millions in the way.

No one is giving him Calvin Johnson money. You are kidding yourself.