What's interesting is that when these franchise tags get eventually issued, the media storm that will accompany them will far exceed their true impact.
First of all, for players who get insulted by offers, usually in excess of $9MM, that are fully guaranteed the moment they sign them, are frankly insulting to me....the guy who is ultimately footing the bill. That's why I love McCourty even more, for "getting it". He understands that while this might not be exactly what HE wants, it sure doesn't suck. If he plays under that tag, he will be EXTREMELY highly paid for doing what he's supposed to be doing, which is being an elite NFL safety. It also allows him to become a FA the next year and if he stays with his current team, gives him a MINIMUM of a 20% percent raise.
Secondly, unlike most, I have no problems with the NFL's history of not guaranteeing contracts. The fact is that 99% of us are on non-guaranteed contracts. When we produce well he get paid to the market rate. When we fail to produce we are subject to potential pay reductions or dismissal. WTF should we feel bad for athletes who get paid well for doing well, and demand to keep being paid for PAST performance when the level of performance no long equals the pay they are due to get.
BOTTOM LINE: McCourty is likely to get a franchise tag and much will be made of it. However the fact is that both the player and the team want this to happen, and they will continue to work on it between now and March of next year in hopes of making it happen. That's it. That's the whole story. Nothing more to be seen here....move along.
