Kamerion Wimbley was designated the Raiders franchise player. In typical Al Davis form, the tag was of the exclusive variety.
This means Wimbley will be paid the average of the top five paid linebackers this season, instead of the average of the same group last season. That figure is estimated to be $11.2 million.
The usage of the exclusive tag is a move that helps build a case against Al Davis. Why does he use the exclusive tender when the guaranteed salary and large compensation basically prohibits any team from offering Wimbley a contract?
Wimbley isn't Peyton Manning, no one is going to offer two first-round draft picks for him when they could have had him a year ago for a third-round selection.
There isn't a valid reason to spend the extra cash.
The best anyone might be able to come up with is that a new CBA could lower compensation for signing another team's franchise player, but the chance of the CBA changing the franchise structure is extremely remote.
It just doesn't make much sense from a business perspective or a football perspective to make the tag exclusive. Fans that believe Al Davis has lost touch can point to this as an example or how he is no longer fit to run a professional sports franchise.
Wimbley is a good player who deserves to be locked up long-term. The franchise tender made sense given the Raiders do not want to lose Wimbley in free agency, but the usage of the exclusive franchise tender just doesn't make any sense.
-
jay
-
dinor8er
-
Michael