Redskins place franchise tag on Orakpo

[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.