New England Patriots Should Use Franchise Tag on Devin McCourty
Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots starting safety Devin McCourty is set to hit the market when NFL free agency opens up on Mar. 2. If New England intends to keep McCourty around, it seems logical to do so by utilizing the franchise tag. They’ll be eligible to make that designation as early as Feb 16.
McCourty, 27, has proved to be a vitally important piece of the New England secondary since making his debut in 2010. He successfully made the transition for cornerback to safety when the need came about in 2013. He plays the run and pass as well as anyone in the league. He finished 2014 with 68 tackles and two picks.
This past season, McCourty and Darrelle Revis teamed up to become one of the best cover tandems. They stabilized the defense while helping to capture a Super Bowl. Needless to say, the Patriots want to retain his services.
One way the team could prevent McCourty from reaching free agency is by tagging him with the franchise tag. With that said, there are three types of tags that the Patriots can choose to use on McCourty. The transition tag, exclusive tag and non-exclusive tag are all in play.
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The transition tag comes with some risk, but it’s also the most economically friendly of the three. If the Patriots were to go this route, McCourty would receive a one-year contract worth an average salary of the top 10 cap hits at his position. McCourty would also be allowed to negotiate with other teams though, with the Patriots allowed an opportunity to counter any offers that may be put forth.
The exclusive tag is the safest of the tags as it forbids the player from negotiating with other teams, but it is costly. McCourty would receive a one-year deal worth the average salary of the top five cap hits at position or 120% of what he was paid in 2014.
Finally, the last and most-used option is the non-exclusive tag. McCourty would be paid the average salary of the top five cap hits at his position over the previous five years. It would allow McCourty to negotiate with other teams, but it would force those teams to give the Patriots a pair of first-round picks as compensation if they were to sign him away.
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McCourty seems to be a prime candidate to be hit with the non-exclusive tag. Teams would be hesitant to give up a pair of first-rounders in order to sign him. Also, in the event McCourty was to sign with another team, the Patriots would receive valued compensation in return for the loss.
Given McCourty’s smarts, team mentality and athletic ability; it would be wise of the Patriots to lock him up sooner rather than later. The tag offers a way to do that. It’s known that several teams are interested in him. Keeping him around will be key to having another successful defensive unit in 2015.