This team never learns. Ever.
New faces, same ridiculous behavior.
How often do other teams make offers to a player on a non-exclusive rights tag?
Looking at a history of tagged players since 2015, I found 1 that was traded and 3 that signed long-term deals w/ their original team. This doesn't count Davante Adams who told the Packers he wasn't playing under the tag - period. Most played the year out on the tag.
There is little evidence to suggest that the tag is a positive thing for a team.
So, to answer your question, I would have had them let him walk. Bad business? Maybe. But this team has enough distractions as it is. We don't need a guy with Payne's attitude about getting paid hanging around on the tag.
Now, if we manage to trade him for value in this year's draft above the compensatory level we would get for letting him, great. But do you really see this front office being that savvy?
I’m not crazy about using the tag on Payne either unless they are confident someone is going to trade for him. I just don’t think we need to rent him for a year at that cost. I don’t see him staying beyond this season so not sure I get it.
Great points, ST and CH.
CH - to be fair to the team, I'm guessing they felt they looked at his previous pedestrian production and felt they could let him go so drafted Mathis, only to see Payne turn in a monster year chasing dollar signs. Now they think they have a real player on their hands and maybe wish they had gone a different direction in last year's draft. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Lol. Let the snark begin!
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