[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by SKINSnCANES

what are teh details that go along with a transition tag?

http://nflpa.org/Members/main.asp?su...Complete#art20

Section 3. Transition Player Designations:
(a) Each Club shall be permitted to designate one Unrestricted Free Agent as a Transition Player between February 1 and February 15 in the Final League Year, with the period ending at 4:00 p.m. New York time. 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, in addition to the Transition Player designation permitted by the immediately preceding sentence, during the same designation period as the Franchise Player designation period.

* The period for Clubs to designate Transition Players will begin on the twenty-second day preceding the first day of the new League Year and will end at 4:00 p.m. New York time on the eighth day preceding the first day of the new League Year.

* Side Letter 1/22/01
(b) Any Club that designates a Transition Player shall receive the Rights of First Refusal specified in this Article notwithstanding the number of his Accrued Seasons. Any Transition Player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club during the period from the first day of the League Year following the expiration of his last player contract to July 22, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs of any kind, subject only to the Prior Club's Right of First Refusal described in this Article.

* Extension Agreement 1/8/02

Section 4. Required Tender for Transition Players:

(a) Any Club that designates a Transition Player shall be deemed on the first day of the League Year following the expiration of the player’s last contract to have automatically tendered the player a one year NFL Player Contract for the average of the ten largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position at which he played the most games during the prior League Year, or 120% of his Prior Year Salary, whichever is greater. The tender may be withdrawn at any time, but if such tender is withdrawn, the player immediately becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent and thereafter is completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

** See Page 70 - Article XX, Section 2(g) for Side Letter 6/23/93, Sec. 5 re: Calculation of Minimum Tender to Franchise and Transition Players.

Page 72

(b) For the 1993 League Year, any Club that designated a Transition Player who has not signed a Player Contract by 4:00 p.m. New York time on June 14, and which has not withdrawn its required tender, shall tender such player a one year NFL Player Contract for (i) the average of the ten largest Salaries in Player Contracts signed for the 1993 League Year as of May 6, 1993 for players at the position at which he played the most games during the prior League Year, or (ii) the amount of the required tender pursuant to subsection (a) above, whichever is greater. This tender may be withdrawn at any time, but if such tender is withdrawn, the player immediately becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent and thereafter is completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any such player, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

(c) The calculation of any ten largest Salaries pursuant to this Article shall not include: (i) any Player Contract amount resulting from an acceptance of a tender pursuant to subsection (b)(i) above, without any increase in Salary above the tender; or (ii) any Player Contract amount resulting from a renegotiation of an existing Player Contract between the time of the designation and any applicable later date; provided, however, that Player Contract amounts in existence prior to such renegotiations shall be used if otherwise appropriate.

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.

Basically, using the transition tag on Smoot would guarantee him a one-year salary equal to the average of the top ten salaries at cornerback, and the Skins would get right of first refusal, but no draft choice compensation.

I'm not sure, but I'm thinking the transition tag salary wouldn't be that much lower than the franchise tag salary, so there's really not much reason for the Skins to use it, considering they'd receive no draft pick compensation anyway.