With the window opening Tuesday, what would it cost to tag Las Vegas’ biggest impending free agents?
We’ve hit the first stage of NFL free agency as the franchise tag window opened on Tuesday, Feb. 18. That means the Las Vegas Raiders have between now and Tuesday, March 8 to apply the one-year tender to Tre’von Moehrig, Malcolm Koonce, Robert Spillane or any of the team’s other impending free agents.
So, let’s examine the figures for each player this offseason, according to Over The Cap, as that could determine who gets the tag. The transition tag number for the impending free agents is also covered below.
For a few reminders, only one player can receive the franchise tag and the transition tag allows the player to negotiate with other teams, and the Raiders would have an opportunity to match any contract offer. Below is OTC’s explanation of how each figure is calculated.
Franchise and transition tenders are calculated by adding the respective tag numbers, divided by the sum of the salary caps, from the previous five seasons, and finally multipled by the current season’s salary cap. Franchise tag figures are based upon the top five salaries at each respective position, while transition tag figures are based on the top ten.
Tre’von Moehrig
Franchise tag: $19,626,000
Transition tag: $15,598,000
Either figure above would be quite the pay raise for Moehrig, who averaged just under $2 million per year on his rookie contract. The franchise tag would make him the second-highest-paid safety in dollars per year, behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and just ahead of Derwin James. For comparison, Budda Baker signed a three-year contract worth $18 million per season in December, and Xavier McKinney inked a four-year deal worth $16.75 million in free agency last year.
Malcolm Koonce
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Franchise tag: $24,727,000
Transition tag: $20,769,000
Koonce has to be salivating at the figures above after making just under $5 million over the last four years. An argument could be made that he’s the biggest candidate to get tagged in Las Vegas seeing as this past season was supposed to be his “prove it year” but a knee injury put that to a halt. So, the one-year tender would be an easy way to extend that window. The transition tag could make sense for the former third-round pick since it would save the Raiders some money and give the club an idea of how the rest of the league values him to see if another team is willing to give him a multi-season contract.
Robert Spillane
Franchise tag: $27,050,000
Transition tag: $22,523,000
Over the last five years, Spillane has made about $12.3 million, according to OTC. So, he would double his career earnings next season if the Raiders choose to tag him. While a short-term contract makes sense for the linebacker who turns 30 next season, either figure above would be an overpay. Roquan Smith is currently the highest-paid off-ball linebacker at $20 million per year. The numbers above must be skewed by “linebackers” who are really pass-rushers or edge defenders. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders bring back Spillane with a significant pay raise/contract extension, but using the tag would make him the team’s third-highest cap hit behind Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby.
Nate Hobbs
Franchise tag: $20,357,000
Transition tag: $17,198,000
Similar to linebacker, cornerback is another position that the league should consider breaking up when it comes to the franchise tag. While five corners make over $20 million, all primarily play on the outside instead of at nickelback. The highest-paid nickel is Marlon Humphrey at $19.5 million per year, but Humphrey also plays both positions with 30 percent of his snaps coming on the outside last season, per Pro Football Focus. Deommodore Lenior would be the next highest-paid slot corner, but Lenior has logged more snaps on the boundary in his career and didn’t switch positions until this past season. Long story short, don’t expect Hobbs to get tagged.
Adam Butler
Franchise tag: $23,468,000
Transition tag: $18,934,000
To be clear, Butler isn’t getting tagged. But in case anyone was wondering, those are what the figures would look like. For comparison, the franchise tag number is between Jeffery Simmons’ and DeForest Buckner’s annual salaries, and the transition tag splits Christian Barmore and Jonathan Allen.