Current Rule: 14.8 – Teams may only retain a combined two players through the Franchise Tag and Tender Offer options.
Proposed Rule: Teams may only retain a combined three players through the Franchise Tag and Tender Offer options. Teams can only franchise 1 person per season.
Explanation: I would like the option of keeping more of my players for longer. So, I would like to add one additional player to this rule, allowing teams to franchise 1 player and use 2 tenders, or 3 tenders per season. I think rosters turn over too much in this league compared to real life. And in real life, if two teams are offering the same amount of money, I generally think NFL players stay where they are.
Somewhere I read that the average annual roster turnover for NFL teams is roughly 25%. While Google couldn't provide me with that reference, I did find that on average a player's tenure with a team is 2.263 seasons and the average career lasts 3.3 years. I'll ignore the tenure and career numbers (though they are instructive) but point out that the 25% roster turnover rate itself makes the argument that NFL rosters by nature are volatile and that every four years you have virtually a brand new team. We already have mechanisms in place for keeping good players (contracts, the franchise and tender rules). What we don't have is the kind of competitive parity that is defines the NFL. I want to encourage a move towards that parity so I would oppose any more player protections.
I like the idea because I can keep an extra player, but I don't get him at a discount. I have to tender him at the round he would go in, or the round before. I just like the idea of having a bit more continuity with teams.
