- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 49,639
- Reaction score
- 28,363
Brees and Manning are reportedly looking for lifetime exclusion from the franchise tag. They are looking to gain something for being on the list. Mankins and Jackson, OTOH, are just seeking to right a wrong done them by their teams last season. If San Diego and New England had treated the players the way they should have, this wouldn't be any kind of issue. Instead, the teams decided to screw over their players, and we're now seeing the results of that. I hope the players get their wish, whether it be a cash increase to make up for what they lost last year, or free agency without the tags.
That is one side of the story. The Pats feel they offered Mankins a good contract. According to the Patriots, it was top 3 money. Whether the Pats did him wrong or treated him fairly is based on who you talked to.
As for making them RFAs, they shouldn't have a beef with the teams. They should have a beef with NFLPA management in 2006. The Patriots and Chargers did nothing that the players didn't give them permission the teams to do in the CBA. Why aren't Mankins and Jackson asking the NFLPA to give them extra money when they reform. They are supposed to be looking out for their best interest and in 2006, they set forth actions to treat them unfairly. In fact, Mankins and Jackson might want to sue themselves because they might have treated themselves unfairly by voting for the 2006 CBA which basically gave the Pats and Chargers permission to treat them like they did.
Let's not make it like the Patriots and Chargers did anything last year that the players didn't vote to give them permission to do. If Mankins and Jackson didn't think it was fair that they were RFAs last year, they should have been more vocal in voting down the 2006 CBA. I never heard one player be against that CBA.