La Canfora is now saying that we will use the franchise tag on Long or Smith

[Phins89]

If they pay a banged up LT, who's play has been declining $15,000,000 dollars...I'm done and Long (or whoever gets it) can go **** themselves. Let all of em walk cept Hartline and Clemons

 

[finfan54]

Well, we heard Ireland say they were working on Long. He has been rehabbing, working out at the facilities. i think they are talking but he has to rededicate himself. his injuries clearly had an effect on him, but you can work yourself out of the funk.

I havent heard jack about sean smith anywhere that they are talking. CB is clearly a draft position and i think we are looking at mccann and patterson and draft pick(s).

As mentioned, franchising Long gives you another year without long term commitment and you have a guy that is a leader and we have to spend 90% of the cap by rule. I dont see us going crazy in free agency. Ireland clearly stated the desire to build with youth.

alot of questions regarding Long but i think they would like him for one more year while they deal with all the other holes.

i watched SF game today and Martin is not ready for LT yet.

 

[Mudder1310]

Anyone who says "there's no reason not to use a franchise tag" is just not thinking clearly. The reason is value. If the players we're talking about are not worth the money, and $15mm is a lot of money for Long right now, then you don't use it. It's not a free pass to spend.

 

[Krush]

When was non tackling and can't catch a cold Sean Smith was a top tier cornerback? I tag long because injuries has hurt him not his over play, but Smith just can't cover because of the ability, now he wants to be rewarded? for what? My grandma can shake sean smith and she passed 30 years ago.

 

[Bigjbizzle2]

we should tag Long for one reason. Its that we have so much cap space and we can be very up front with him. In the sense they can tell him this is your last chance stay healthy and perform get the long term deal. Gets hurt or is no longer elite at all, then you can offer market value or let him walk and open up 14 million in cap space for next year. Im just saying we aren't starved for cap room and his past is worth one more look. But if they let him walk they have to sign a good right tackle because im sorry the guys we have now are not good enough(martin aside but you have to figure he would move to LT).
Smith makes no sense I'm sorry he is not worth 4million a year. He personally lost the colts game. He was statistically the worst corner in the league. He is Stanford Routt 2.0 except not as fast as Routt, who robbed Oakland and K.C. last year. Smith has done nothing to earn that tag.

 

[fishbanger]

I think we tag long or offer him a 2 year contract for about 20M with most guaranteed. Dont see phins letting him walk for nothing.
Smith should be replaced with a 1st or 2nd round draft pick.

 

[dlockz]

I think we tag long or offer him a 2 year contract for about 20M with most guaranteed. Dont see phins letting him walk for nothing.
Smith should be replaced with a 1st or 2nd round draft pick.

Long isnt taking a 20 million 2 year contract when he will get 15 million just for being franchised. Now if the offers from other teams are lower than he expects then he may revisit that number. Personally no way I feel he is worth 10 million a year. He has been overpaid the last two years already

 

[MBoogieman]

Hoping it's Jake and not overpaying for Smith.

 

[jason_taylor]

I think we should use it on Jake. He is good for one more year, then we draft a OT and groom him this year then we can choose between the new guy and Martin. Plus Jake will have a lot riding on this season. If he fails for us again no one will pay him anywhere near 10 mil./ year. I would rather pay Long top 5 money than Smith. Smith has proven nothing yet.

imo this has nothing to do with ,that we HAVE GOT TO SIGN ONE OF THEM , OR DOSE IT SAY THAT WE HAVE GOT TO NOMATTER WHAT . i say Noway we give long 15 mil,,,,, NOWAY ,, WE DONT HAVE TO SIGN EITHER ONE OF THOSE GUYS , i would put what i think long was worth on the table ,,same with Smith , long nomore than 8mil a year with clause in the contract that if he cant peform we pull the contract , same with smith , nomore than 6-7 mil a year (if that much) and if they didnt take it , bye bye baby .

 

[utahphinsfan]

As much as it pains me to bad mouth a U of Utah player, its time to kick Smith to the curb. Simply put, there has not been a good ROI (return on investment).

Long has declined & there are health issues. Jake IMO has performed better during his tenure than Smith has.

I am a believer in a really strong pass rush & decent secondary. I hate to use the steelers as precedence but its true.

As long as Tommy boy is the man in Foxboro, wouldn't it be wise to copy the Giants philosophy?

Therefore, Let Smith go and with that $ get depth at LB. Then, draft Mingo, Jordan, or Montgomery in the 1st, Woods in the 2nd, and Poyer in the 3rd

 

[dolphanz]

i really hope both comes back w/o the tag

 

[retarmyfinfan]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/21702059/franchise-guys-if-anybody-is-worth-a-tag-its-joe-flacco

Ugh this sounds like complete speculation and I'm really starting to lose respect for La Canfora, figured I'd post it anwyay...

Whether the tag is put on cornerback Sean Smith or left tackle Jake Long, it would be ridiculous for the Dolphins not to use it at all. They're already looking at losing free agent running back Reggie Bush and impactful defensive lineman Randy Starks. Would they really risk losing all four of these players for nothing but compensatory picks?
Long's slumping play and injury woes give pause, but to have a top corner and tackle in their mid-20s both hit the market in the same year is unheard of in the salary-cap era. Says here someone gets tagged.

Who is the top CB you are talking about?

 

[ChrisEAS]

Long is declining, i would not use the tag on him. Make him well aware that he needs to take a paycut or hes out. I DOUBT anyone signs Long for 10 million a year after his performance this year.

 

[NRA]

both of these two are LIABILITIES at this point and need to GO AWAY!!

long is injured and it wont get better with age. if we keep him at all i would tell him its right tackle or nothing as he is a pass game now.

smith? he is just plain awful. rated the WORST starting corner in the nfl last year. fact is, he hasnt been good in ANY year.

and this is why i have NO hope for this year because ireland makes these kind of moves. yes, maybe lacanfora is talking out his bung, but, maybe not. this is just like ireland to do this. botjh were his players [yeah, i know, parcells wanted long, but, i have never seen ANYTHING, ANYWHERE that said ireland wasnt on board with long over ryan. my point being that ireland does not like to admit failure on draft pics and jettisoning both players would be another HUGE hit on his already [deserved] bad rep as a talent evaluator and over all gm.

so, if we are using a franchise tag i hope to the football gods that LONG is the choice as sean smith is a BIG TIME LIABILITY, a game changer for the other team who will ALWAYS give up the big play. and when a player is a liability, you dont keep them around, for ANY amount of money as you need to upgrade the position. paying him cheaper money to allow wr's to constantly waltz into the endzone or fly by him for double digit chunks of turf is NOT the answer.

i hope lacanfora is just creating something to rattle about, but, this is not unlike ireland to do this.

 

[claytonduper]

Tag neither of these guys. Their respective positions demand too much money for the return we get with either of these guys. If Ireland is bent on using the Franchise tag, do so on Carpenter. At least there he using no more than 2-2.5 million. If we let Long and Smith go, replace at least one in free agency and the other with a high draft choice. Resign Hartline, Fasano, and Starks. Consider Bush if he comes to our price. Otherwise replace him in free agency or lower draft pick and give our Miller and/or Thigpen a chance.