Pats set to play some tag
Hightower, Bennett leading candidates
The franchise tag window opens today, and with it comes a whole host of possibilities for the Patriots.
In the next two weeks, the Pats will choose whether to place a franchise tag on anyone. The last time they did it was in 2015, tagging kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
As it stands now, the two candidates they’d likely consider using it on are linebacker Dont’a Hightower and tight end Martellus Bennett. Both are set to hit free agency after serving important roles on the Pats’ Super Bowl LI championship team.
Teams can use several options for the tag. They can apply an exclusive rights tag, meaning the player must be offered a one-year deal at no less than the average of the top five salaries of his position in the current year or 120 percent of the his previous salary, whichever is greater. The other type is a transition tag, meaning the player can negotiate with other teams, but his original team owns the right to match any offer.
The salaries used in these one-year deals are guaranteed.
It would be hard to find a more difficult player on the defense to replace than Hightower, who not only serves as one of the team’s most indispensable players but is a captain and one of the core leaders in the locker room.
However, the tag for Hightower will not come cheap. The current projected number for a linebacker is about $15 million. Last week, NFL. com reported that Hightower had turned down a contract offer from the Pats before the season worth $10 million per year.
If that is the case, there’s a pretty significant gap between what the projected tag number will be and what the Patriots are looking to give Hightower.
It is also worth noting Hightower could seek a contract that rivals former teammate and linebacker Jamie Collins, who pulled down a four-year, $50 million deal with $26 million guaranteed from the Browns in January.
But to risk losing Hightower in free agency, which begins March 9 at 4 p.m., is a chance the Pats most likely don’t want to take. Even though Hightower has battled through injuries in his time in Foxboro, he is unquestionably the strongest cog in a group that includes Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy, Shea McClellin, Jonathan Freeny and Barkevious Mingo.
As for Bennett, his importance shot up exponentially when fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery and missed the second half of the season. With Gronkowski out, the only two active tight ends to end the season were Bennett and Matt Lengel, who is primarily used as a blocker.
Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and a careerhigh seven touchdowns this season. He also drew a pass interference penalty at the goal line to set up the Pats’ winning touchdown in overtime of Super Bowl LI.
So with Gronkowski’s status up in the air, Bennett’s value increases. The price for him would be considerably cheaper than Hightower, as the tag number for tight ends projects around $10 million.
Another player worth keeping an eye on is cornerback Logan Ryan. After a particularly strong second half of the season, Ryan established himself as a solid No. 2 corner alongside Malcolm Butler. If he goes to free agency, he might seek top corner money, but the franchise tag should be around $14 million.
Whether the Patriots and Ryan’s camp can come to an agreement on something in that neighborhood remains to be seen.