Well, what we all thought would happen has finally happened. Vince Wilfork was franchised by the New England Patriots today. Wilfork has said that he will not be a happy camper if this was to happen. There is a little crack in the door though, as this is a non-exclusive franchise tag meaning he can negotiate with other clubs, but the Patriots retain matching rights and any club signing him (if New England were to decline to match) would have to give up 2 first round picks.
This will be an ongoing story throughout the offseason, and probably into the start of the season. Wilfork is set to make $7.003MM, but would have made a lot more in the open market. I don't fault the Patriots, since I think his demands are most likely crazy. The last four times the Patriots have used the tag, the sides have failed to reach a long-term deal.
Obviously, we'll have more on this story as it develops.
***UPDATE***
Wilfork has responded to he Patriots franchising him...
"In regards to the many calls and emails i am receiving in response to the franchise tag we figured this would be the easiest way to (address this). The franchise tag has been applied. After six years of dedicated service i do understand this is a business. With that being said it is my hope that the tag is applied for its true purpose. For the purpose of allotting more time for us to continue our talks and be able to reach a long term agreement. Only time will tell what the final result will be."
The Patriots have also come out and commented on this story...
"A long-term agreement with Vince Wilfork has been the team's top contractual priority for some time," the Patriots announced in a statement confirming Wilfork was tagged. "Unfortunately, despite numerous conversations and proposals, the goal has not yet been realized. Vince is a tremendous player for our team and remains a significant part of our future plans. It is because of Vince's importance to this organization that we have assigned the franchise designation as we continue to work toward a long-term agreement. We are hopeful that Vince will remain a Patriot for many years to come."
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