Vince Wilfork Says...It's a "Slap in the Face" to be Franchise Tagged.....Do You Agree ?

Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said he would consider it a "slap in the face" if the New England Patriots place the franchise tag on him, which is expected if a long-term extension is not reached.

"I want a long-term deal or I want to be free. Point blank," Wilfork said during an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI.

Wilfork, who has been vocal since before the season about his desire for an extension, just finished the final season of a six-year rookie contract. He is in line for a raise and long-term deal if he hits the open market. The Patriots could prevent him from being a free agent if they place the franchise tag on him, which they could do during a two-week stretch in February.

"I didn't like that six-year deal but I did honor my six-year deal," Wilfork said on WEEI on Wednesday. "Now that the deal is up, it's time for me to move forward, with the Patriots or without the Patriots."

The 28-year-old Wilfork, a two-time Pro Bowl player, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he would be amenable to continuing his career in his native Florida -- with either the Miami Dolphins or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wilfork played collegiately at Miami.

"I love great weather. I love football. It doesn't matter where I play," Wilfork told the Sun-Sentinel in Thursday's editions. "I just want to have security for my family. I would love to stay in New England if I had the chance. I love New England because of my teammates, my family. My son, the friends and connections we've made up there, it's some great people up there. But if it doesn't work out I'll weigh my options, I tell you that."

To further his point, Wilfork said he would view getting the Patriots' franchise tag as an insult.

"[The franchise tag] is decent money for most people out there. What I do, it's OK," Wilfork told WEEI. "But I don't look at myself as an OK player. Like I said, it's just basically a slap in my face and an insult to me to basically tell me I'm an OK player."

For Wilfork, the franchise tag -- which is a one-year deal -- also means a missed opportunity to gain long-term financial security.
"There's a short window of opportunity for me to make the type of money that I want to make," Wilfork told WEEI. "I'm not selling my family short and I'm definitely not selling myself short just to stay back and to win and be part of a great organization.

"Winning is a big part of sports, but a lot of teams win. ... We'll see. I will do what's best for my family. But I definitely will not sell myself short of my ability. Not at all."

Wilfork said he and his agent have not heard from the Patriots since the end of the season and the sides have not talked about an extension since the beginning of the season.

"I'm not sitting by the phone waiting for them to call," Wilfork told WEEI. "Either they call or they don't. They have all the numbers they need. ... Whenever they call, they call."


“
[The franchise tag] is decent money for most people out there. What I do, it's OK. But I don't look at myself as an OK player. ... It's just basically a slap in my face and an insult to me to basically tell me I'm an OK player."
” <CITE>-- Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork</CITE>
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The Pats have treated Wilfork like shit. I'd be pissed too.

The Pats cheap and arrogant ways are really catching up with them (and I'm a diehard pats fan)........

He's a DT.

Once he gets that big paycheck fatty stops working.

It always happens.

Let him walk Patriots, you'll be better off.

doubledeuce22 said:

The Pats have treated Wilfork like shit. I'd be pissed too.

The Pats cheap and arrogant ways are really catching up with them (and I'm a diehard pats fan)........

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I totally agree. The locker room is losing more respect for Bill. He needs to start rewarding some of these players. Vince was a good boy and said all the right things through the year. He could have just stayed home.

By definition the franchise tag pays him the average of the top 5 salaries at his position.
He'd be getting paid as if he were the 3rd best DT in football. How is that a slap in the face?

jeckll said:

By definition the franchise tag pays him the average of the top 5 salaries at his position.
He'd be getting paid as if he were the 3rd best DT in football. How is that a slap in the face?

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It's Not the Amount that he is pissed about.

He wants something Long Term.....

For Wilfork, the franchise tag -- which is a one-year deal -- also means a missed opportunity to gain long-term financial security.
"There's a short window of opportunity for me to make the type of money that I want to make," Wilfork told WEEI. "I'm not selling my family short and I'm definitely not selling myself short just to stay back and to win and be part of a great organization

lax_gunman said:

I totally agree. The locker room is losing more respect for Bill. He needs to start rewarding some of these players. Vince was a good boy and said all the right things through the year. He could have just stayed home.

Click to expand...

the players never got enough credit during the pats run, which i am afraid is over

My 2 cents -- Bob Kraft - get out the checkbook.

Vince Wilfork is a valuable asset and The Pats know it. Most likely they will try to make a 3 to 4 year deal with and option year on the end with Vince but they can't come up with a cheap offer or he will refuse it. That will mean a franchise tag for Wilfork (Feb 11th deadline).

I don't know for sure but most likely Wilfork is looking for a $50 to $60M four year deal with incentives like games started, Pro Bowls made, and number of playoff games participated in. In other words if he stays healthy and the team does well by making the playoffs he will earn incentive cash which could be substantial. Incentives checks are one check most team don't mind paying as it usually means they got their moneys worth from the player in question.

The big question is with Ty Warren signed thru 2011 is how valuable is Wilfork to the Pats who MUST draft defensive help at the edge positions with their top choices. With both Warren and Wilfork the Pats are 2 thirds of the way home in putting together a top notch front-line to their 3-4 defensive front. Without Wilfork they face some serious question marks.

Personally I think they should make a serious effort to sign Wilfork for 4 years with a nice signing bonus which will (barring injuries) give them two excellent and stout defensive linemen (Jarvis Green has another year or two as a solid back-up that all teams need as part of the defensive line) and allow them to go after edge or outside defensive players for their D line and Linebacker corps.

Wilfork may well hold out but if he does so it is at his own peril because right now he is at his peak as a player both on the field and in the free agent market after the 2010 season. A year sitting out now will cost him somewhere between $15 and $18M not to mention incentives and signing bonus.

Complicating the entire issue is a possible lockout in 2011. No sense speculating on that at this point however.

Bottom line is The Pats being stubborn with long term contracts have cost them their once feared defense over the last four or five years.

First it was All Pro CB in the middle of the decade Ty Law, then two years ago All Pro CB Assante Samuel, then last year team leader and inspirational veteran LB Mike Vrabel and finally mid season this year All Pro DL Richard Seymour.

All of these once key Patriot defenders are now playing elsewhere. Sure Law is about done but he wasn't when he walked back in 2005. Law went to The Jets because The Pats wouldn't spring for his $12M option year salary and cut him instead getting nothing in return.

Samuels' spot is still unfilled and turned into a real Patriot blunder when they franchised him in 2007. He quickly moved to The Eagles where he tied for the lead in the NFL in picks this year and is on his 3rd straight Pro Bowl squad. He also made the 2009 NFL All Pro 2nd team behind Darrel Revis and Charles Woodsen, who are the first team corners. Replacing Samuels has so far been impossible for New England. Veteran Leigh Bodden had a decent year but is a long way from being an Assante Samuels.

Vrable's loss was probably the least damaging loss on the field of the group but The Pats definitely missed his leadership. Vrable is a member of the Pats 50th Anniversary team and a member of the Sports Illustrated all decade team (2000-2009). The jury is still out on the trade that saw Vrable traded along with Matt Cassel to The Chiefs for the 34th pick in this years draft. Hopefully for Pats fans the pick will produce a starter somewhere and justify the loss of Vrable (Cassel played himself out of town thanks to the Brady injury in 2008 - good for him as no team could afford both Brady and Cassel on the same roster)..

Most likely nothing will change and Wilfork will get tagged as the 2010 franchise player in New England. No telling if he will play or hold out but the money will be hard to turn down so look for an unhappy Wifork to play one more year in Foxboro before going to the highest bidder in 2011.

The big question is will he play his best football despite being unhappy, only time will tell.

I hope I am wrong and Bob Kraft puts a stop to the bleeding and signs Wilfork for the rest of his career. Long shot but we can hope right?


wil..

it is gonna be interesting to see about some of these free agents cause of the pending hold out that maybe coming.

Why didn't he let Gene Upshaw know this five years ago, rather than wait until this week to share his thoughts with a radio host?

If Wilfork is given a franchise tag, the union deserves the blame for insulting him, not the Patriots

Let him flip bugers and support the family....Pro athletes are overpaid and we all know it...not against them trying to get all they can, but these salaries are getting out of control...