Today is July 16. it seems like any other normal Monday during the NFL offseason, but it is actually a very important day. Today is the last day where a player that had the franchise tag put on him by his team can sign a long-term extension. The franchise tag is used so players don’t leave their teams and travel to bigger markets. It is like what the NBA has with their restricted free agents; if you sign an offer sheet for another team, your previous team has the right to match that deal. Both are meant to keep players in smaller markets to even out the playing field, so there aren’t these super teams formed all over sports like you see with the NBA champion Miami Heat.
The franchise tag has been put on some star players this offseason like the Saints Drew Brees and the Bears Matt Forte, but they have both reached new deals with their teams. Then there are others like Wes Welker in New England and Ray Rice of Baltimore who have up until 4pm to get a deal done or they are stuck with the franchise tag for the season.
With more and more tags now being use, the question is should players be able to hold out if they want. Personally I think players should have a right to hold out if they want because they are free agents and they have the right to go explore their other options. I think the players should be able to hold out because for some of these players they have been in the league for many years and they are veterans of the NFL, it is not like the NBA where they are restricted free agents and it is their first contract after their rookie deal, some of these players have been in the league for 10 or more years.
I feel that the NFL needs to have a rule change with the franchise tag. You shouldn’t be able to franchise tag any player, that player has to be a restricted free agent where he coming off his rookie contract and teams can place a franchise tag on him just this one time and he has to accept it, with no hold out. It is kind of like what NBA has, but they allow their players to go sign an offer sheet and they have the chance to match it. This will give the veteran players an opportunity to go where they want and they don’t have to be in contract disputes all the time. It also allows teams to keep their young superstars and it gives them a chance to sign that player to a long term deal.