Free NFL Analytics Platform — A Directory of Our Hubs
StickToTheModel is a free NFL analytics platform organized around a few core hubs. Each hub is the home for a specific category of NFL coverage — pick the one that matches what you're looking for. No signup required.
Our Hubs
Mock Draft Simulator — The simulator hub. 7-round NFL mock drafts with trades, AI opponents, and instant grades.
NFL GM Simulator — The GM mode hub. Manage salary cap, cuts, trades, franchise tags, and the draft for any team.
2026 Draft Prospect Hub — Big board, scouting reports, combine measurables, and team visit tracker.
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Our platform offers data-driven NFL analysis with tools for draft preparation, fantasy football, and player research. All core features are free with daily updates during the NFL season.
The platform serves fantasy football players, NFL Draft enthusiasts, dynasty league managers, sports bettors, content creators, and casual fans exploring NFL statistics.
Franchise Tag: NFL Definition
The franchise tag is a designation that allows a team to retain an impending free agent for one year at a salary based on the average of the top 5 salaries at the player's position or 120% of their prior salary, whichever is greater.
Full Explanation
The franchise tag is one of the NFL's most powerful and controversial player retention tools. Each team can apply the franchise tag to one pending unrestricted free agent per year, preventing the player from reaching the open market. The tagged player receives a one-year guaranteed salary set at the greater of two figures: the average of the top 5 salaries at their position (calculated using the top 5 cap hits from the prior season's April 15 franchise tag deadline) or 120% of the player's prior-year salary. The tag can be applied between the end of the regular season and mid-March.
There are two types of franchise tags: the non-exclusive franchise tag (most common) and the exclusive franchise tag. Under the non-exclusive tag, the player can negotiate with other teams, but the tagging team has the right to match any offer. If the tagging team declines to match, they receive two first-round draft picks as compensation from the signing team. The exclusive tag prevents the player from negotiating with other teams entirely. Because of the steep compensation cost, few teams have ever signed a non-exclusively tagged player away.
The franchise tag has been a flashpoint in labor relations. Players generally view it as a restriction on their earning potential, since it prevents them from testing the open market where bidding wars could drive their salary higher. Lamar Jackson played the 2023 season on the franchise tag after failing to reach a long-term deal with the Ravens, earning approximately $32.4 million for that year. Kirk Cousins famously played under the franchise tag twice with Washington before finally reaching free agency. Teams can tag a player in consecutive years, but the salary increases dramatically: the second tag costs 120% of the first tag's value, and a third tag costs 144% of the second. This escalation makes it prohibitively expensive to tag a player more than twice.
Category: Free Agency & Tags. Part of the StickToTheModel NFL Encyclopedia.