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Search for Mo money Jets' Lewis one of many hurt by franchise player tag
Posted: Friday February 18, 2000 09:07 PM
I heard a guy on talk radio complain that linebacker Mo Lewis had no right to beef about being tagged the Jets' franchise player. On the surface it's hard to sympathize with a guy making $4.2 million for a half a year of work. But let me explain Mo's point of view. The franchise salary is not guaranteed. If he's released before the start of the season, he's got nothing. If he were released later in the free agency period, teams spending big money on free agents right now could be out of money or cap space. The Jets had a franchise tag on tight end Kyle Brady last year and promptly lifted it as soon as they signed Eric Green. Brady did nicely on a contract with Jacksonville, but that is not always the case. Lewis has seen the Bears give defensive end Phillip Daniels an $8 million signing bonus and cornerback Thomas Smith a $6.5 million bonus. That's guaranteed money in their hands now. There's no chance the Bears are cutting either one this year so both players should see about twice as much money as Lewis in their first year. And finally if Lewis plays for the "tag" in 2000 and gets hurt, his career is over without the security of a large signing bonus. Every player with a franchise tag complains about it and some have even refused to play. Remember defensive lineman Sean Gilbert a few years ago in Washington and Dan Williams in Kansas City? I understand Mo's frustration when he sees a Jessie Tuggle, who has been in the league 13 years, get a $4 million signing bonus. Mo and the other franchise players may become difficult to deal with. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer.
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