Redskins place franchise tag on Orakpo

[MTK]

All that's going to matter is what the guaranteed money is. They can make the deal look pretty on paper, but again the guaranteed money is all that really matters. And there could be some sort of team void option built in after year 3, once the money really gets crazy per year.

[Fiversons]

@ MOOBY

That "FA Cap" isn't a set number though, they can always restructure contracts, cut players, etc. There isn't any reason to assume we can't maneuver within the cap to get the players we want.

Yes but committing that much money to one player worries me when we have so many holes to fill on the lines, MLB and secondary... I like Sackpo and want him in DC, but for more than 10 million a year isn't worth that IMO.... Good organizations don't overpay for talent, and replace them in house, which seems to be a real problem we have...

[mooby]

Originally Posted by Fiversons

@ MOOBY

That "FA Cap" isn't a set number though, they can always restructure contracts, cut players, etc. There isn't any reason to assume we can't maneuver within the cap to get the players we want.

Yes but committing that much money to one player worries me when we have so many holes to fill on the lines, MLB and secondary... I like Sackpo and want him in DC, but for more than 10 million a year isn't worth that IMO.... Good organizations don't overpay for talent, and replace them in house, which seems to be a real problem we have...

I don't want to pay Orakpo more than 10 mil a year either, but we're far from a good organization so that's what happens. Rak was gonna get paid regardless, the only question was a matter of who. For at least the next year, it's us. I doubt this is going to significantly hamper us in FA either.

[MTK]

Five thoughts: Washington Redskins' Brian Orakpo - ESPN

Good read from earlier today

[NC_Skins]

@RapSheet

What is next for #Redskins pass-rusher Brian Orakpo? I’m told he has no plans to sign the franchise tag as of now. May be a while.



Guess he didn't like the tag too much.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

@RapSheet

What is next for #Redskins pass-rusher Brian Orakpo? I’m told he has no plans to sign the franchise tag as of now. May be a while.



Guess he didn't like the tag too much.

Or he gets a free offseason away from football until he signs it, and doesn't get paid to be at the facility in the meantime.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

@RapSheet

What is next for #Redskins pass-rusher Brian Orakpo? I’m told he has no plans to sign the franchise tag as of now. May be a while.



Guess he didn't like the tag too much.

There's no rush

Brian Orakpo on franchise tag: I'm relieved - ESPN

[Chico23231]

He will

[GTripp0012]

So here's my issue with this whole situation (and I'm pro using the tag on Orakpo):

Prior to Mike Shanahan's dismissal, the Redskins had a real issue with evaluating their own talent. Couldn't do it. So Mike Shanahan goes.

The Redskins are now internally conflicted on how much Orakpo is worth. He're the big issue: whether he is going to cost $10 mil/year or $13 mil/year, he's ACTUALLY worth a lot more and only will be limited in earnings by the salary cap. So NO MATTER WHAT, you are getting him at a favorable price.

The "percentage of the salary cap" argument that the Redskins are having internally right now is a red herring. Here's why: not every free agent you target is going to seriously consider Washington. Some will, some won't. And all are going to consider the best offer more heavily than the town that wants them. There is no such thing as a free agent "bargain" in March.

So whether Orakpo takes up 8.7% of the cap he currently is or the 5% of the cap they would have wanted to pay for him, they still have 14% of the cap that is unused at the moment. And Orakpo isn't going to be able to get true market value in a capped system. Basically, the Redskins are really struggling to properly value a player on their own roster when it needs to be an obvious decision to all parties involved that no matter what you believe he's worth, he's going to have to sign for less than that.

Player valuation is still very much an issue here. That's going to be an issue later in the offseason when it's time to extend Orakpo.

They still have to agree to terms with him. If the franchise tag keeps him here in 2014, but he walks away in 2015, they haven't really accomplished anything. This buys them a lot more time, but if the front office doesn't get it's crap together, it's meaningless.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

So here's my issue with this whole situation (and I'm pro using the tag on Orakpo):

Prior to Mike Shanahan's dismissal, the Redskins had a real issue with evaluating their own talent. Couldn't do it. So Mike Shanahan goes.

The Redskins are now internally conflicted on how much Orakpo is worth.

The "percentage of the salary cap" argument that the Redskins are having internally right now is a red herring.

This buys them a lot more time, but if the front office doesn't get it's crap together, it's meaningless.

Coaches don't give a shit about the salary cap. They'll blow it all right now and fuck the future if it means winning now. (which they have to do) You don't think Haz is trying to save his ass by wanting Orakpo back? He knows his ass is on the line and he doesn't care about the cap ramifications for the future.

Also, maybe they didn't have a problem evaluating talent, but a problem with coaches listening to evaluators? That seems to be the common thing here. Vinny didn't listen. Mike didn't listen. Apparently this coaching staff isn't listening.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Coaches don't give a shit about the salary cap. They'll blow it all right now and fuck the future if it means winning now. (which they have to do) You don't think Haz is trying to save his ass by wanting Orakpo back? He knows his ass is on the line and he doesn't care about the cap ramifications for the future.

Also, maybe they didn't have a problem evaluating talent, but a problem with coaches listening to evaluators? That seems to be the common thing here. Vinny didn't listen. Mike didn't listen. Apparently this coaching staff isn't listening.

I mean, what's the most harmful contract they can give Orakpo? Something like 5 years/$75 million, $35 mil guaranteed. That's maybe more than his agent can get on the market, but it's not exactly a backbreaker. It's just a little over what the market would pay.

And I think that contract is less troublesome in the long run than not tagging him and letting him sign elsewhere.

There's a problem if they are arguing if his true value is $10 mil a year or $12. The market determines the players value. Letting a $10 mil player walk for $12 is pretty awful decision making. The reason to let Orakpo walk is if you didn't think he was a contributor to the team's pass rush, run defense, or pass coverage. If he's just a guy out there, you let him test the market.

But they seem to all agree he's one of the better defenders (if not the best) on the roster. And bickering over market value vs your idea of what he should be worth in an ideal world is pointless.

I'm sure some in the front office think they can do better than Orakpo, and that's a legit football evaluation, but even they have to admit that any alternative for Orakpo is going to be incredibly costly. To trade up and get Dee Ford, you're probably trading next year's first and this year's second. And you aren't even getting a consensus elite pass rusher.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Coaches don't give a shit about the salary cap. They'll blow it all right now and fuck the future if it means winning now. (which they have to do) You don't think Haz is trying to save his ass by wanting Orakpo back? He knows his ass is on the line and he doesn't care about the cap ramifications for the future.

Also, maybe they didn't have a problem evaluating talent, but a problem with coaches listening to evaluators? That seems to be the common thing here. Vinny didn't listen. Mike didn't listen. Apparently this coaching staff isn't listening.

Switch to decaf or something...

Sure Haslett has input on who he'd like to sign but he's not the one calling the shots on contracts.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

Switch to decaf or something...

Sure Haslett has input on who he'd like to sign but he's not the one calling the shots on contracts.

Can you imagine what NC Skins is like on gameday?

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Can you imagine what NC Skins is like on gameday?

I can. Once when the Giants came back to score three TD's aginst us in the 4th quarter to beat us by one point, my wife stopped me just as I was about to throw our TV out of our third floor apartment window! I had the window open and was holding the TV over my head when she stopped me. I've also been known to break furniture during Redskins games, on occaision.

But that was years ago. I'm able to control my temper better now, except for occasional outbursts of vehement cursing.

[GTripp0012]

After they make their key cuts, the Redskins will be in the ballpark of $25 million in cap space.

If Bruce Allen sticks tightly to his desire to not overpay anyone, it's not even going to be possible to spend to the salary cap this year. The only way he can spend $25 million in cap space is to overpay guys. The free agent class of 2006 (Archuleta, Randle El, Lloyd (traded, but extended), and Carter) cost just a bit over $12 million on the cap that year. And that was the definition of careless spending.

The idea that the franchise tag on Orakpo does anything at all to the Redskins offseason plans is a stretch. You check a position off the list. That's easy.