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On Monday, nose tackle Vince Wilfork was slapped with the franchise tag by the New England Patriots. Later in the day, he responded to the nation of eager fans. Or, more accurately, his wife tweeted his thoughts. Welcome to 2010, everyone.
"In regards to the many calls and emails i am receiving in response to the franchise tag we figured this would be the easiest way to (address this) ...
"The franchise tag has been applied. After six years of dedicated service i do understand this is a business ...
"With that being said it is my hope that the tag is applied for its true purpose ...
"For the purpose of allotting more time for us to continue our talks and be able to reach a long term agreement. ..."
"Only time will tell what the final result will be."
The Wilforks are concerned the Patriots franchised him without plans of signing him to a long-term deal later, and instead are hoping to just get another year without having to agree to anything past that.
Vince WIlfork, one of the top nose tackles in the NFL, has been slapped with the franchise tag by the Patriots. New England designated the 6-2, 325-pound lineman as its franchise player in an effort to continue negotiations on a long-term contract.
"A long-term agreement with Vince Wilfork has been the team's top contractual priority for some time," the team said in a statement. "Unfortunately, despite numerous conversations and proposals, the goal has not yet been realized. Vince is a tremendous player for our team and remains a significant part of our future plans. It is because of Vince's importance to this organization that we have assigned the franchise designation as we continue to work toward a long-term agreement. We are hopeful that Vince will remain a Patriot for many years to come."
The team has failed to reach a long-term deal with the last four players they have designated with the franchise tag, according to the Boston Globe.
The non-exclusive tag allows Wilfork to negotiate with other clubs. But the Patriots have the opportunity to match any offer given to Wilfork. If the Pats don't match the offer, the club that signs Wilfork will have to send them two first-round picks.
Wilfork, who previously said the franchise tag would be "a slap in the face," just completed the final year of his rookie contracted and will make a little over $7 million this season.
The two-time Pro-Bowler is an important pawn in the Pats' 3-4 defense. Losing Wilfork would be a crushing blow for New England's defense, especially given the fact that the team dealt talented lineman Richard Seymour to the Raiders last season.
Kraft: 'I Think We're Close' To A Deal With Wilfork
Speaking to Tom E. Curran of Comcast Sports Net New England, Patriots owner Robert Kraft opened up regarding the ongoing discussions with Vince Wilfork.
The Wilfork situation has been intriguing because unlike most teams with nose tackles, the Patriots have options. They drafted two potential Wilfork replacements last season in Ron Brace and Myron Pryor.
Despite that, Kraft reiterated that the Patriots want Wilfork beyond 2010.
Unfortunately for Wilfork, the Patriots hold most of the leverage here. If he doesn’t sign the franchise tag, then his only option is to not play. In addition to that, it’d be a shock if a team gave up the two first round picks it would take to get him with the franchise tag.
There’s not a rush for either side to get this deal done (Well, Wilfork wants to be paid sooner rather than later) but Kraft’s words indicate something may be on the horizon.
Feb 24 7:54p by Joel Thorman - 0 comments