Getty
New York Jets running back Breece Hall trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The New York Jets just received a stern warning.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told radio host Jake Asman and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum that if Breece Hall reaches unrestricted free agency, he won’t return to the team this offseason.
The only way for the Jets to guarantee that doesn’t happen is by utilizing the franchise tag.
“To me, the next really interesting question as we get closer to free agency is what are they gonna do with Breece Hall? I think tagging is on the table. I could see them using one of the tags, either transition or franchise, on Breece Hall to try to keep him. Because I think if he gets to market, I think he will be gone,” Cimini explained on “New York GameDay.”
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told @JakeAsman & @RealTannenbaum that the #Jets placing a tag on RB Breece Hall ‘is on the table.’
‘I could see them using one of the tags, either transition or franchise on Breece Hall to try and keep him because I think if he gets to market, I think he will
A Big Date Is Looming for the Jets and Hall
ESPN’s Field Yates revealed that the window to franchise tag a player starts on Tuesday, February 17, and ends on Tuesday, March 3.
If the Jets don’t place a tag on Hall, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11 at 4 pm.
The Jets have three types of tags at their disposal to consider for Hall this offseason: non-exclusive, exclusive, and the transition.
The non-exclusive tag would allow Hall to speak with other teams in free agency. If a team signs him to an offer sheet, the Jets would have a chance to match the offer. If they match the offer, Hall remains a member of the Jets. However, if they don’t match it, they will receive two first-round draft choices as compensation.
It is incredibly unrealistic that a team would consider giving up that type of capital for a running back. The Jets are unlikely to utilize this option because it is the most expensive of the tags.
“The value of the non-exclusive tag is the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position over the last five years or 120% of his previous salary (whichever is greater),” ESPN explained.
Another option the Jets have is the exclusive tag option. In this scenario, the tag “completely binds the player to his team. His agent is prohibited from seeking an offer sheet,” ESPN explained.
The final option that the Jets have at their disposal is the transition tag. This works similarly to the non-exclusive franchise tag, with the only difference being that there is no form of compensation if you refuse to match the offer sheet.
“Once a player is tagged, the two sides have until July 15 to sign a long-term contract or, by NFL rule, the player will play on the one-year deal (or hold out),” ESPN posted.
Projected Prices for the Tag Options
The franchise tag is expected to be $14.53 million, and the transition tag is expected to be $11.72 million, per Over The Cap.
The $14.53 million annual salary would rank fourth among the highest-paid RBs in the league. While the $11.72 million annual salary would rank seventh among the highest-paid tailbacks in the NFL, per OTC.
The Latest Insider Scoop
Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed that he spoke to a “high-profile NFL agent” source about the RB market.
“He had Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker before the Super Bowl at the same APY [average per year], believing both would get around $10 million annually per year if they hit free agency,” Hughes explained on “Jets Final Drive.”
“That was fascinating to me because, from Breece Hall’s perspective, that is less than what the tags would be. That is less than the transition and less than the franchise. So if you’re the Jets, do you want to risk it? Let him go to free agency, and if that’s the value, try to sign him for something lower as opposed to tagging him and paying him more,” Hughes added.
A $10 million annual salary would rank 9th among highest paid RB in the NFL.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
More Heavy on Jets
Loading more stories