Foster transitioned! (wow!)

Yeah, I'm sure, but magnus is correct that you still have the option of cutting the player. The same holds true for a franchised player. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that's going to happen, so either we pay a mediocre RB $5 million for one year or this is the prelude to an overpriced long-term deal.


Sidenote:
Unless I'm mistaken, you're only allowed one transition tag between 1994 and the end of the CBA, which is another reason why most teams haven't used theirs in previous years, and why a number of teams are using them this season.

 

What's the limit on the franchise designation?

 

I think it's one per team per year.

 

Good to know.

 

the ridiculous cap hit makes it prohibitive

 

Yes it can. Or more to the point, the player can be cut. It only is guaranteed at the start of the regular season. Even if he signs it, they can cut him at any time before the start of the regular season and not owe him a penny. Its not like the franchise tag.

Teams get 2 transition tags, ever. It was supposed to be a transition into the FA system in the early 90s, but teams didnt use them as expected.

 

Yeah, I said he could be cut (just like a franchise player can be), but that's not the same as having the tag removed. Ultimately they meet at the same end, but they're different entities both from a contractual and tag perspective. And to get perfectly specific, teams had 2 transition tags in the first season of that CBA in 1993, 1 in 1994, and then 1 between 1994 and the end of the CBA.

 

Foster is worth a decent contract when he is healthy. He has some issues with how he runs but I was impressed with him down the stretch and in the playoffs this past season. His game against the Giants was very complete. He finished his runs off well and hit the holes hard. He was patient and followed his blocking. Granted the Giants run D was suspect but still he ran well. My biggest problem is his durability. I hate to sink starter money into a guy who has never finished a season. It is similar to the issue with Morgan. If this is a prelude to getting him signed to a cap friendly deal then it may not be so bad. Once he sees Alexander and James get much less than anticipated he may re-sign here cheaper. He is a guy who needs a solid back up though and hopefully we still draft a back to split carries with him or something.

 

Close, you are correct about those you mentioned plus one additional element.

Article XX, Section 3(a)"In addition, in each League Year during the term of this Agreement, each Club shall be permitted to designate one Unrestricted Free Agent or Restricted Free Agent as a Transition Player in lieu of designating a Franchise Player, if such Franchise Player designation is available to such Club..."

As long as they don't have a Frachise player a team can apply this designation each year. Why not apply it every year? Pisses player off, still no guarantee you'll keep the guy (unless you match), might be worth even more the next year, paying average of top 10 is expensive, etc.

There REALLY is no downside to this besides not being able to tag Witherspoon. Oh wait, we can; this is the last year of the CBA thus we have two. So like I said, there is no downside as Foster will:
1) Test the marketplace (coming off a broken ankle), find out his market value and realize he isn't in that much demand, comes home and signs a more reasonable long term contract that we can live with, or
2) Get a stupid high contract from someone else which we don't match. (Edit, we do NOT get two first rounders out of the deal), or
3) Get canned prior to the start of the season

Truth is, there is no downside to this move.

 

We don't match = we get nothing

Section 5. Right of First Refusal for Transition Players: Any player designated as a Transition Player shall, at the expiration of his prior year Player Contract, be permitted to negotiate a Player Contract with any Club. When the Transition Player negotiates such an offer with a New Club, which the player desires to accept, he shall give to the Prior Club a completed Offer Sheet, signed by the player and the New Club, which shall contain the Principal Terms (as defined in Article XIX (Veteran Free Agency)) of the New Club’s offer. The Prior Club, within seven days from the date it receives the Offer Sheet, may exercise or not exercise its Right of First Refusal, which shall have the legal consequences set forth in Sections 3(b)‑(h), 4 and 6 of Article XIX (Veteran Free Agency) above, except that no Draft Choice Compensation shall be made with respect to such player, and, for the purposes of those provisions, the player and each Club shall otherwise have the same rights and obligations as for a Restricted Free Agent set forth in those provisions, notwithstanding the number of his Accrued Seasons.