Another team used the franchise tag Wednesday as the Raiders announced they were going to keep DE Richard Seymour. But unlike most NFL players, Seymour wasn’t upset by being tagged. Some thoughts on why that’s true and why the Raiders decided to spend $12.4 million on Seymour in 2010 are below; we’ll compare Seymour to other franchise and transition players in a post soon.
The Raiders paid handsomely – a 2011 first-round pick – to acquire Seymour from the Patriots on the eve of the 2009 opener, so it makes sense for them to protect that investment by paying a premium to keep Seymour in 2010. The $12.4 million franchise tag for defensive ends is steep, especially for an end who had just four sacks last season, but Seymour is a quality leader who can help the Raiders’ dysfunctional locker room as well as their pass rush. For his part, Seymour doesn’t seem to mind the franchise tag, which makes sense because it’s no guarantee that a 30-year-old defensive end like him will get much more than $12 million in guaranteed money with a 2011 lockout looming. So look for Seymour to lock in that money while the Raiders seek a long-term deal (or perhaps even trade Seymour once 2010 is officially an uncapped year).
Football Relativity 