No Franchise Tag for Moss
ESPN is reporting that the Patriots did not exercise their right to place the franchise tag on Randy Moss by today's 4 PM deadline. Had they tagged the 2007-08 season's top wideout, he would have been brought back on a one year deal equivalent to the average of the league's top 5 wide receivers' salaries.
The Pats must be confident they can work out a multi-year deal with Moss, or else they likely would have used the franchise tag on him. Still, Pats fans should remain a little nervous as fellow wide receivers Donte Stallworth (whose option bonus of $6 million will not be picked up on February 25th, likely signaling the end of his stay in New England) Jabar Gaffney (who is an unrestricted free agent), and Kelley Washington ($4 million option bonus not exercised) are currently off the roster. While I'm positive the Pats will do whatever they can to get Moss aboard for the next 3 to 5 years, it would have been nice to see the tag used on him this year as the Pats would have been somewhat protected by receiving two first round picks if a team was able to match or surpass the one year salary and pry him away from the Pats. Of course, this won't be an issue should Randy decide to stick with New England.
Either way, it is imperative for the Pats to get a deal done within the seven days (free agency begins February 29th), or Moss will hit the free agent market where he'll be able to command in excess of $9 or $10 million per year. The Pats certainly have other areas to consider through free agency, but Moss should be numero uno on the Pats' offseason checklist. It's been my belief for some time that Randy will remain a Patriot; he's never played with a QB as good as Number 12, or for a coach as good as BB, or with a team that is a perennial Super Bowl favorite... in summation, he's not going anywhere. Maybe 3 years and between $18 and $24 million could get it done?
The Pats must be confident they can work out a multi-year deal with Moss, or else they likely would have used the franchise tag on him. Still, Pats fans should remain a little nervous as fellow wide receivers Donte Stallworth (whose option bonus of $6 million will not be picked up on February 25th, likely signaling the end of his stay in New England) Jabar Gaffney (who is an unrestricted free agent), and Kelley Washington ($4 million option bonus not exercised) are currently off the roster. While I'm positive the Pats will do whatever they can to get Moss aboard for the next 3 to 5 years, it would have been nice to see the tag used on him this year as the Pats would have been somewhat protected by receiving two first round picks if a team was able to match or surpass the one year salary and pry him away from the Pats. Of course, this won't be an issue should Randy decide to stick with New England.
Either way, it is imperative for the Pats to get a deal done within the seven days (free agency begins February 29th), or Moss will hit the free agent market where he'll be able to command in excess of $9 or $10 million per year. The Pats certainly have other areas to consider through free agency, but Moss should be numero uno on the Pats' offseason checklist. It's been my belief for some time that Randy will remain a Patriot; he's never played with a QB as good as Number 12, or for a coach as good as BB, or with a team that is a perennial Super Bowl favorite... in summation, he's not going anywhere. Maybe 3 years and between $18 and $24 million could get it done?
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