Franchise tag now in effect for 2011; will Pats tag Mankins?

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Pats Will "Likely" Slap Franchise Tag On Mankins

I don't know how to make this clearer.... Assuming the NFL is allowed to use the tags with the CURRENT state of the CURRENT CBA, Mankins will be franchised under the CURRENT CBA, meaning he'll be receiving the average of the top 5 O-linemen from the 2010 season. The rules for applying the franchise tag mean that the Patriots either have to agree to those terms or to let Mankins go, because the final day to apply the tag will be before the expiration of the current CBA.

And I don't know how to make this clearer. The rules of a new CBA or the rules the owners choose to impose in the case of a declared impasse or decertification will take effect sometime after March 4th. Between now and then the rules of the expiring CBA are in effect only until it expires (save for the holding of a 2011 draft which is stipulated in the expiring CBA). Players are being tagged in order to establish the right to retain them once a new CBA or other agreement is in place. Until such new CBA or other agreement is in place, those players will be in limbo unable to sign with any NFL team anyway... Even the unions own representative said tonight that the union isn't necessarily opposed to the use of the tags (because they have made no effort to negotiate them out of any deal going forward). They are just pissed that they weren't consulted because frankly the announcement sound like just more proof that ultimately owners will prevail or there won't be any paychecks for anyone...Mawae can blather about talent all he wants, but without the league which is the owners the talent can't do squat. And talent is readily replaced and easily forgot...just ask the talent who actually built this league back in the day how quickly they were forgotten, including by those they paved the way for. While the league grew steadily and eventually exponentially because owners and their commissioners were driven to grow it, on the other side of the aisle the mantra remained straight cash homey... Players didn't even want to invest in their own futures, let alone secure them for those who preceded them.

People like yourself contended that he'd be losing money by not signing, and also losing money by sitting out while the Patriots reduced the tender. Assuming he is franchised, he'll have made up the "lost" money regarding the tender, plus a bit more, and he'll have saved about half a season of wear-and-tear on his body in the process. He'll also have himself in position to go into free agency coming off of that franchise tag, at just 29 years old. He's lost nothing, and improved his standing with an All-Pro nod.

Mankins will turn 30 in March 2012. He may play another 5-6 seasons. He may also find that the final years of any deal that extends well into his 30's are tenuous at best. What he wanted is the same money NO paid Evans. In the first year of that deal Evans saw $19M. It's already in his bank account whether there is a 2011 season or not or a new CBA or not or he gets injured or cut before he earns another nickle. In the first year after not agreeing to a deal that reportedly offered him upwards of $25M guaranteed, Mankins has seen $720K. If he is franchised this month he may see $10.5M next fall/winter or he may see less if a new CBA changes the way the tag is calculated for guards or he may see nothing if a lockout kills a season or he may end up again restricted from FA along with 500 of his peers if a work stoppage drags into the summer...as owners have already proposed such a plan that would increase the salary of those players by a percentage based on their 2010 salary to avoid the chaos of 500 FA hitting the market late under a more restrictive cap (something the union would likely not quibble with because they can't afford to have a flooded FA market under a new cap to limit contracts on which future FA will be gauged as part of a deal they just agreed to... If that happens Logan Mankins will be looking to make up double digit millions on the wrong side of 30.

$25M guaranteed vs. $90K per game 2010 rental...$25M guaranteed...vs. $10.5M or perhaps a lot less in 2011... $25M guaranteed...vs. ??? going forward. You tell me who screwed up...and who has the leverage going forward.