NFL Franchise Tag and Transition Tag Numbers: How Much Will It Cost the Jets to Use the Tag?

The NFL has released the salary numbers for players who receive the franchise tag and transition tag from their teams.

They are both for one year contracts teams can give to one player. Tagging a player effectively makes him a restricted free agent. A player who is tagged can negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. The original team is allowed to match that offer sheet to retain a player. If the original team chooses not to match the offer sheet of a player who has been franchised, the player's new team has to surrender two first round picks to the original team. There is no compensation if the original team chooses to not match the offer sheet of a player who used the transition tag.

With that in mind, you can probably see why the franchise tag is used much more frequently than the transition tag. You can also see why players who receive the franchise tag are widely viewed as off the market. Few teams would be willing to give up two first round picks AND a big contract for a new player.

Teams can use EITHER the franchise tag or the transition tag. They can't use both so don't have dreams of the Jets using the franchise tag on Muhammad Wilkerson and the transition tag on Damon Harrison.

The figures are out. The franchise tag for defensive ends is $15.7 million. the most likely scenario remains the Jets using the franchise tag on Wilkerson before Tuesday's deadline. In case you were wondering, there would not be much savings by tagging Harrison instead. The tag number for defensive tackles is $13.6 million. Below are the totals at every position.