The first pre-tagging rumblings from Shavers a couple of weeks ago included snippets about how they wouldn't look at the tag as a bad thing, as long as it was not being used as a stalling tactic. I'm not sure but I think he means, don't make him play under the tag and we can talk, but if you use it as anything other than a way to buy time until we get to a favorable agreement, we hate you and you're mean.
As for the possibility of not signing the tender? Okay, if you don't want to play in the NFL for a year, and then shop your services around, missing the thin market at corner (low supply, demand is constant, can you say ch-ching?), and incidentally, people will have forgotten your wonderful one-year outburst.
Don't get me wrong. I love the guy, except for the tattoo and the early grumblings from Shavers. I also don't know whether BB&Co. look at him as just another decent corner, or a budding superstar who is worth a big long-term deal. The money up front is a concern to me, in terms of risk-loading against the Pats, but not in absolute "can't afford it" terms. I do think his numbers show a steady progression to this point. There is no reason to believe he's not entering his prime and trending toward league elite. But what is that worth on the Pats' value-o-meter?
Well, we knew the tag was coming (at least we believed it...) and it looks like it's on. Hopefully the interesting period of time during which we track this deal vicariously will be a relatively short period of time.
PFnV