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No one is talking about Jackson refusing to sign the tag. He will just sign in early July. If the patriots are willing to have the $17M of cap money unavailable until then, that's fine.
You keep saying that, but history says otherwise. Thuney signed his immediately (he played out the year on the franchise tag and left the following year). So did Cassel (traded). Wilfork signed a new deal with the Pats after being franchised on March 5, 2010. Wes Welker signed franchise tender in May hoping he would be traded in the draft and wasn't. Logan Mankins held until November. Tebucky Jones was traded to the Saints on April 15. In 2002, Vinatieri signed a new contract on March 15 after being franchised. I cannot find when Vinatieri signed his tender in 2005, but I think it was early.
The only Patriot who has ever been franchised who did remotely close to what you suggest was Asante Samuel who held out until late August trying to get the Pats to either give him a long term deal or trade him. He signed his tender like a week before the start of the season.
You make is seem like it is so obvious that Jackson will wait until July when history says otherwise. The only franchised Patriots players who did not sign their tenders, were traded, or got long term deals that year by July were two players who had to go beyond July and play chicken with the Pats to force a new deal.
Now I don't see that Jackson will do what either Samuel or Mankins did and threaten to sit out the season if they didn't get what they wanted. In fact, Jackson already said he would play on the franchise tag if the Pats tagged him and they couldn't reach a deal. So there is no upside to wait until July.
Welker didn't sign his tender before the draft, but he had little trade value because back then a slot receiver was not valued by anyone other than the Pats and maybe a few other teams.












