Dolphins were right to not use franchise tag

By Adam Sweeney  |   Thursday, February 19, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins are one of the few teams that won't be using their franchise tag on the key free agents they have in 2009. This comes as a complete surprise when you consider that safety Yeremiah Bell and right tackle Vernon Carey will definitely be getting their cell phones blown up from other teams looking for difference-makers.

Bell was arguably the second-best defender on the Dolphins last season, and Carey provides depth to an offensive line that is inexperienced and was hit by injuries in 2008.

The main reason the Dolphins didn't apply the tag is surely because they aren't keen on the demands of Bell and Carey. As important as both players are, Bell and Carey both have issues that they need to come to terms with.

Bell, for instance, has consistently been an injury concern. The Dolphins don't want to sign him to a long-term contract knowing that he may go down sooner than later. They are also aware that Bell wants to stay in Miami, so they may be playing a low-profile game of chicken.

Carey is unquestionably versatile, but he isn't franchise tag-caliber player. The fact is, Carey is overpricing himself; he's not worth the contract of a top five player at his position, so why pay him that much?

Bell and Carey need to seriously think about what they want in their future. Yes, money matters. What matters more to the truly great players, though, is where their legacy will be determined. Both of these players helped elevate the 2008 Dolphins to a higher level. Now, the question is whether they are willing to see that through to the next step.

The Dolphins are willing to work with both players, but the team also has a realistic sense of what they are worth. It's questionable whether the players, particularly Carey, do.
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About Adam Sweeney

Adam Sweeney spent 4 years as an opinions and arts & entertainment columnist with the Lone Star Lutheran, also working with Sports Illustrated.com. Along with his work on Realfootball 365 he currently is a contributor for Film School Rejects, SLAM Online, Talkhoops.net, and C-Heads ...
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