How Much Does a Franchise Tag Really Hurt an NFL Player?

The New Orleans Saints have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late.

Ironically enough, the two reasons—a "bounty system" employed by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and their use of the franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees—are two of the most opposite things in all of football.

Some say the bounties are nothing new, but talking about them is. The franchise tag, meanwhile, is something relatively new and constantly talked about.

The controversy surrounding the franchise tag has been centered around two things: disrespect and injuries.

In terms of a business decision, the franchise tag is a solid move. It prevents a player from leaving a particular team without the team receiving just compensation, but it also pays the player a top five salary at the position.

The player and team have nearly four extra months to work on a long-term contract with the franchise tag in place, and it should be used in the good faith of working towards exactly that.

Unfortunately, that isn't always the case, and teams basically use the tag to keep a player hostage.

Important and productive players like Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins have literally held out into the regular season to get their point across.

Twenty-one tags were handed before the Monday deadline, but Brees is without question the most controversial of them all.

"

The 21 franchise tags given out surpass the 15 given out last season. Because franchise tag prices were lower, more teams used them.

— John Clayton (@ClaytonESPN) March 5, 2012"

Reports indicate that the quarterback has no intention of signing the franchise tender and that he is "livid" about not working out a long-term deal with the Saints.

Why, though? How much are players genuinely hurt by a franchise-tagged season? 

After all, they are getting paid like a top five player at their respective position with guaranteed money.

Other than a player's ego, the only thing that can be damaged by the franchise tag is a player's health or value (which would either mean poor play or under-utilization, which isn't likely if a team is willing to pay, say, $13.7 million to a wide receiver for one year).

But injuries are a legitimate concern. Let's say, for instance, that Matt Forte or Ray Rice, two players recently franchised, don't work out a long-term deal with their respective teams before the July 15th deadline. If either player is hurt in the line of duty this year, their best chance at a mega-contract will have gone out the window because of the tag.

Teams will be more cautious than ever, especially at the running back position, to sign either of them the following year. A running back one year older and coming off an injury will hardly be in line for a long-term, big-money contract.

It is the reason Chris Johnson, who knew last summer was the best chance he had at making the most money in his NFL career, threatened to hold out into the regular season.

Brees has a legitimate concern because once already in his career has he been on the receiving end of minimal interest due to injury. Even the Saints, who ultimately signed him, had their reservations because of his shoulder injury in 2005.

The franchise tag takes away an opportunity of a player landing a long-term, big-money contract with any team but the one they currently play for.

Some teams use it in good faith and take the added time to make a deal happen. Others teams, however, abuse it for the wrong reasons.

When used correctly and in good faith, the franchise tag is just a means to an end. Worst-case scenario, a team pays top dollar for a top player and rewards him the following year anyway.

Unfortunately, that isn't always the case, and there are some players who have a legitimate gripe with their respective teams.

It is all a matter of perspective, though. We say it too often, but we do have to remember that the NFL is, first and foremost, a business.

Each and every organization has the right to franchise a player for one year, but whether that player likes it or not is another matter entirely.