RayClay

Feb. 2005 franchise for CBs was 8.8 mil, so it must be 9 or 10 mil now.

Remember, this is the same guy y'all wanted to dump up to a couple weeks ago.

Now he's worth almost 10 million per.

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unoriginal

So do they draft a CB early and wrap Randall Gay in bubble wrap for training camp?

RayClay

They need to draft 2 or 3 DBs in my opinion. And/or another affordable FA like Scott or Hawkins if Asante leaves.

They've got almost double picks all around, how many more tight ends do they need? And linebackers,(DE) please.

Gay? Who knows?

I'm for going all out to sign him as I've backed him all along, including last year when a lot of people wanted to dump him.

That doesn't mean 8-10 million even for a year, though. Plenty of fish in the sea when you have draft picks.

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BelichickFan

There's a difference between what you'd pay a guy for one year vs. what you'd lock yourself into for 5.

But I was Tag him hoping to either :

- Trade him for a mid #2 to low #3
- Retain his rights with the power tilting to the team to try to get a long term deal done.

If you just let him go as a UFA the best we'd get is a #4 pick in 2008. I am confident we could get a better pick than that in 2007 - much better. We could also control where he goes (aka out of the division).

What's the worst case ? He signs the Franchise offer and we're stuck overpaying him but just for one year.

RayClay

Just saying, if the tag is real high, there isn't really a big advantage to us.
We could trade him without franchising him just as well.

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BelichickFan

The trade deadline has passed. I don't know when it starts again but once he hits FA we can't trade him unless we've tagged him

RayClay

We could trade him at the draft, I believe and Idon't know enough to argue further.

I just don't think he's that much more attractive with a high franchise salary. Whatever happens, a team would need to offer him a new contract.

Can't really argue the particulars, just saying the franchise tag is a great tool for certain players and positions, less so for others. If we can't sign him long term, we need to restock.

You might be right, I'd have to be Miguel to really evaluate it.

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BelichickFan

I know we couldn't do that. He would have been a UFA and signed with another team by then. FA ends before the draft.

MoLewisrocks

Yup, he's effectively a FA once the 2007 season starts except all FA's can only negotiate with their former team for the first two weeks until the FA period begins in mid March. 6 weeks before the draft.

The tag figures fluctuate depending on recent signings. This year CB was down substantially to $5.9M, but it could go up - no way to know until the league releases the figures because bonuses and extensions signed before the end of December will inflate guesstimates you could make based on current salary figures.

RayClay

Thanks, Mo. I got into an argument I couldn't finish because frankly I don't keep up with the business end.

I'm in favor of using every tool and I'm definitely on record as being a big Asante fan since he's been here.

If the franchise tag is to our advantage, use it. I'd love to see them sign Asante long term, but I don't fall in love with players.

If his reason spurt of interceptions is going too make the price ridiculous, I say restock the pond.

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