NFL Network reported that they use the exclusive rights tag on Freeney, so it'll be a higher dollar figure. I guess that's not a big surprise, conceivably someone could have offered two #1's for him.
That is being confirmed on the official Colts site. I think it has less to do with concern over being offered the two firsts than that he might get an offer the Colts simply cannot match, or will hear of offers that potentially outstrip what Polian hopes to get him signed for. When you cannot fathom losing the player, it's the only safe way to go. And given what he was saying last fall about intending to become the highest paid player in the game...
Here is what Polian had to say about franchising and/or signing Freeney and signing his remaining FA's on the Colts site:
"We made that pretty clear, I think, that he wasn’t going to go anywhere,” Polian said Monday at a press conference at the Colts’ complex to discuss the NFL Scouting Combine, which will be held at the RCA Dome beginning Wednesday.
“I’ve had a good talk with his agent today. We’ll continue to talk. We’ll continue to talk with the idea of putting together a long-term deal for him. He’s an integral part of this team and we want to see to it that that gets done if at all possible.”
The deadline to designate a player as a franchise player is Thursday, February 22.
Polian said the Colts made Freeney an “exclusive rights” franchise player, meaning he cannot negotiate with other teams.
Several other Colts players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 2, a list that includes running back Dominic Rhodes and linebacker Cato June.
“The key thing is what the market will bear,” Polian said. “There’s a price for everybody we feel we can afford and that we can actually live with under the cap. . . .
“There’s a number beyond which we can’t go for any player. We’ll see what the market bears. Obviously, in all cases – and Cato’s one of the prime examples – we’d like everybody back, but we don’t know what the market’s going to bring.”
Polian said that’s the approach he always takes in free agency, and it’s the one the Colts will take this off-season.
“I’ve always had the same approach that (Colts Head Coach) Tony (Dungy) has, that in a perfect world I’d like everybody back and let them go compete, and we’ll see who the best 53 is at the end of (training) camp,” Polian said. “That’s not the way the system works.
“There are pros and cons to every system. For traditionalists like Tony and I, you’d like it to be the other way, but I’m smart enough to realize if we didn’t have the salary-cap system we wouldn’t be looking forward to getting our World Championship rings, going to the White House and doing all of the things that happen to Super Bowl winners. Because we wouldn’t have the chance to win the Super Bowl in a market this small with a stadium this small.
“There is good and bad in it, but in the end, you find a way to work with it, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Colts fans seem happy for the most part that Freeney was tagged, although they don't yet realize (or typically don't want to know) it will be at a substantially higher cost than the anticipated $8.6M due to the exclusive rights tag being used and the little matter of apparent remaining amortization to absorb. I have a feeling if they can't get a deal done and Colt fans realize his cap number will be around $11.5M they won't be quite so happy.
Later in the article Polian informs them they have been unable thus far to schedule an appointment for a medical exam for Corey Simon. Colts fans assume if Bill stamps his feet firmly enough Simon will disappear and leave all the money behind him. Somehow I don't think it will work out quite that smoothly.
