The amount of Justin Madubuike’s franchise and transition tag salary with the Ravens
It’s possible that the Ravens will have to spend a lot of money to retain Madubuike.
A number of notable players from the Baltimore Ravens, including Patrick Queen and Kevin Zeitler, are set to become free agents within the next month. But none of them has played as well as defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who in his fourth season in the NFL has racked up an absurd 13 sacks.
With his previous “business is business” comment, Madubuike made it clear that he was openly hoping for the best offer and would not accept a local discount to return to Baltimore.
Using the franchise tag on him instead of leaving him unrestricted in free agency might be the Ravens’ decision since it is a less dangerous move. While keeping Madubuike in town, such a move would come at great financial cost to the Ravens.
What is the franchise tag and transition tag?
The most popular franchise tag, which is non-exclusive, offers a player a one-year contract that is based on the average of the last five years’ top five wages for their position. Although players can sign offer papers with different teams, their former squad is entitled to a matching contract. The former team will receive two first-round picks back if the player signs with another team.
The one-year contract is instead based on the top five salaries at the position for the current season, but the exclusive franchise tag prohibits negotiation with other teams.
The cap percentage average of the top 10 highest salaries at each position in the previous year is used to determine the one-year deal salary for the transition tag. Players are free to negotiate with other teams, and if they sign with someone else, their previous team won’t get paid.
2024 NFL Franchise Tag for defensive tackles
With a $20.9 million 2024 franchise tag, Madubuike would be the eighth-highest paid player in the league for his position. Only two of the seven players ranked higher than himโDa’Ron Payne of Washington and Javon Hargave of San Franciscoโhave failed to make an All-Pro squad.
With a $15.8 million transition tag, Madubuike is not adequately compensated for one of the best seasons any defensive lineman had last season, nor does it grant the Ravens any exclusivity. Baltimore promises at least one more season of superiority at the DT position if he is tagged.
Because the franchise designation prevents them from fully entering the free market, players dislike it. As difficult as it may be, assigning him this designation is the best way for the Ravens to ensure they keep their outstanding defensive tackle from the previous season.