calculating the 2010 franchise tenders

[Dpantherman]

Posted by Mike Florio on February 20, 2010 10:26 PM ET

Nine days into the two-week period for applying the franchise tag, no team has officially used it.

Yet.

So where, you ask, do the franchise numbers come from? OK, so maybe you didn't ask. But we're gonna tell you anyway.

The franchise tender is based on the average value of the five highest-paid players at the same position from the prior year.

For each position, here are the numbers and the five salaries that gave rise to them for 2010.

At cornerback, the franchise tender is $9.566 million, based on the average 2009 pay of Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey ($13.188 million), Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson ($9.957 million), Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel ($9.9 million), Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis ($7.425 million), and Giants cornerback Corey Webster ($7.357 million).

At defensive end, the franchise tender has climbed to $12.398 million, based on the average 2009 pay of Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers ($16.683 million), Vikings defensive end Jared Allen ($14.533 million), Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney ($11.22 million), 49ers defensive end Justin Smith ($10.283 million), and Saints defensive end Will Smith ($9.271 million).

At defensive tackle, the franchise value of $7 million arises from the 2009 average pay received by Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris ($8.59 million), Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth ($7 million), Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux ($6.5 million), Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers ($6.473 million), and Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton ($6.452 million).

At linebacker, the average 2009 pay of Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware ($11.435 million), Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby ($9.678 million), Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher ($9.175 million), Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck ($9.109 million), and Jets linebacker Bart Scott ($9 million) equates to $9.68 million.

For offensive linemen, the $10.731 million average comes from the 2009 money paid to 49ers tackle Joey Staley ($10.731 million), Eagles tackle Jason Peters ($12.7 million), Seahawks tackle Walter Jones ($9.8 million), Dolphins tackle Jake Long ($9.6 million), and Packers tackle Chad Clifton ($8.034 million).

At quarterback, the average of $16.4 million comes from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning ($21.199 million), Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb ($16.704 million), Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel ($15.2 million), Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ($14.62 million), and Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer ($14.3 million).

At running back, the top five of Saints running back Reggie Bush ($10.585 million), Eagles running back Brian Westbrook ($8.633 million), Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson ($7.541 million), Rams running back Steven Jackson ($7.399 million) and Chargers running back Darren Sproles ($6.621 million) translates to an average of $8.156 million.

At receiver, the average pay of $9.521 million comes from Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald ($10.893 million), Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant ($9.884 million), Patriots receiver Randy Moss ($9.65 million), Panthers receiver Steve Smith ($8.997 million), and Lions receiver Calvin Johnson ($8.18 million).

For tight ends, Dallas Clark of the Colts ($6.77 million), Daniel Graham of the Broncos ($6.45 million), Todd Heap of the Ravens ($6.367 million), Kellen Winslow of the Buccaneers ($5.17 million), and Vernon Davis of the 49ers ($4.78 million) created an average of $5.908 million.

At safety, the average of $6.455 million arises from the average salaries paid to Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson ($7.039 million), Steelers safety Troy Polamalu ($6.495 million), Ravens safety Ed Reed ($6.4 million), Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe ($6.342 million), and Titans safety Chris Hope ($6 million).

Last, and definitely least, the franchise figure for kickers/punters of $2.814 million comes from Raiders punter Shane Lechler ($3.1 million), Bears kicker Robbie Gould ($2.9 million), 49ers kicker Joe Nedney ($2.862 million), Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri ($2.695 million), and Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski ($2.51 million).

So there you have it, more than you ever wanted to know about the origin of the franchise numbers.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/20/calculating-the-2010-franchise-tenders/

[KBRed]

Thanks for something different/new.

[Wither]

Those are some pretty big contracts for those kickers/punters.

[Mr ocho nueve]

Yea kickers do get pretty good contracts, only because they know they can't mess up. They score the most points on the team (usually)

[jramsey4]

You know what that basically said Manning (McNabb was just slightly more) was the only player in the entire NFL to make more then Pep last year in base salary. Crap absolute crap should have let him walk last year.