The Bears passed up the chance to restrict two players in the free-agent market that will open Friday. The deadline for designating one “franchise” and one “transition” player or two transition players was Tuesday night.
The NFL delayed release of all the designated players until Wednesday. Unlike last season, when every team named at least one player in the first year of free agency, many NFL teams are expected to skip the process this time because of the high cost.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made tight end Eric Green the only franchise player named Tuesday. Other transition players named included Falcons cornerback Deion Sanders and wide receiver Michael Haynes, Dolphins safety Louis Oliver, Cowboys offensive tackle Erik Williams, Packers safety LeRoy Butler, Steelers placekicker Gary Anderson, Saints offensive tackle Willie Roaf, Redskins cornerback Tom Carter, Jets tight end Johnny Mitchell and Colts offensive tackle Will Wolford.
Some will not be free agents on Friday. Roaf and Carter are rookies, but the restrictions apply for the length of their contracts.
Franchise players are prevented from testing the open market, but their teams must pay them the average of the top five players at their position. Transition players can test the market, but their teams have the right of first refusal or can take draft choices as compensation if they allow those players to sign elsewhere. The Bears named defensive backs Donnell Woolford and Mark Carrier transition players last year and can put the designation into effect when they become free agents.
The Steelers now are obliged to pay Green an average of the top five tight ends. That price is $1.418 million a year, the lowest among all positions except kicker, so the Steelers view it as a relative bargain.
Designating a quarterback a franchise player would mean a team is obligated to pay him $5.309 million a year, according to this year’s prices.
If the Bears had named defensive end Richard Dent a franchise player, they would have had to sign him for at least $3.873 million for next year, more than triple the $1.2 million he made last season. Had they made Dent a transition player, they would have to pay him $2.919 million. They obviously believe they can sign him for less.
The new salary cap, limiting teams to payrolls of $33.9 million for 1994, discourages the use of the franchise and transition designations. Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams are allowed one more franchise or transition designation before the 1995 season, none thereafter.
