Tag Window Open - Bates Tagged

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-24-2022, 11:55 AM)Au165 Wrote: The flippant nature of your response of "playing awful" definitely gave that tone, but I'll concede you didn't say it directly.

Sure, a group of safeties who are either worse, older, or just as expensive. Thinking we are coming out of this with a comparable player for a major savings is penny wise and a pound foolish. Saving a million or two is not worth what it'll cost us in production/continuity.

It does hurt the team because you look at net improvement. The secondary is already going to add another outside corner most likely, so having a new moving piece behind that starter is not going to yield great results early. Continuity within units is a highly underrated part of success. The cap is there to fix the line, the issue will be more so how we structure deals and our refusal to give out heavy guarantees (Most likely Bates issue) which is why I think people who are expecting the top of the barrel FA OL are going to be disappointed no matter what because they probably will reject us for more guarantees elsewhere. 

As for a franchise and trade scenario, yes the tender must be signed first which then gives Bates the ability to refuse to sign it to control where he goes like Jadaveon Clowney did. In that scenario, he can refuse to sign it long past the draft preventing any sort of near term compensation for moving him and even tank the value by limiting where he will agree to be traded to. You don't want to go down this path anyways as it's simply a bad look for a team trying to build a winning culture. Teams that end up in franchise tag stand offs rarely are teams that go on to have success for years after the disputes.

All depends on which Bates you think you're getting.

2019 Bates was bad in coverage and bad in tackling.
2020 Bates was great in coverage and bad in tackling.
2021 Bates was bad in coverage and okay in tackling.

Then of course there was 2021 Playoff Bates who was making plays everywhere.. but which Bates are you getting in 2022? I have absolutely no idea and if everyone were being honest, they don't either, because the only thing he's been consistent in is his inconsistency. 

If you get 2019 Bates or 2021 regular season Bates, then yes, you could have easily gotten a comparable player for major savings.

Just seems strange to spend top money on a guy who you can't even be sure if he'll be good or not.

I'm going to need a source on that claim, lol. The Patriots seemed to always be franchise tagging guys, and they've had those guys hold out during the preseason and they've traded guys on the tag. They tagged and Asante Samuel held out during preseason, went to the SB that year. They tagged and traded Cassell another year and kept on being the Patriots. The Seahawks tagged and traded Frank Clark in 2019 and won 11 games and a playoff game. The Chiefs tagged and traded Dee Ford in 2019 and won the Super Bowl.