Seahawks not using franchise tag was smart move
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks decided once again to not use the franchise tag in 2021. This was the smart move but might mean losing Chris Carson and Shaquill Griffin. Griffin was the player most likely not to be tagged as the cornerback position is a lot more expensive than the running back position group is. Carson’s tag might have been about $8.7 million.
But Seattle not tagging Carson is the smart move too. Running back is a position that is less-valued now than at probably any time in the history of the NFL. Carson is good but with his injury history and his relative lack of use in 2020, is he worth nearly $9 million? Probably not.
I do think Carson is a fantastic back and is a great fit in what Shane Waldron’s system is likely to be and I hope that Seattle finds a way to re-sign him. But very few running backs nowadays, especially with a reduced salary cap in 2021, are worth almost $10 million next year.
Still, Carson is probably going to be signed elsewhere as I do not think Seattle is going to spend much on a running back. Carson will be a beast next year for some team and 12s will probably watch him play and think, “Geez, I wish we still had Chris Carson.” But Seattle needs to save money for other positions and running back isn’t going to be a priority. That said, maybe Carson re-signs in Seattle for $4-5 million.
Seahawks do not franchise Chris Carson or Shaquill Griffin
There was absolutely no way the Seahawks were going to franchise tag Griffin. Cornerbacks will likely have a franchise tag of around $15 million and that was too much for Seattle to spend or Griffin to be paid. He has been good in his career but not $15 million good. He will likely be in another uniform next year.
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The question becomes, obviously, is if the Seahawks don’t re-sign Griffin or Carson are they better off with whichever players take their place. That won’t be answered until Seattle has played several games next year. If the answer is, Seattle should have tagged Carson and/or Griffin, then that means Seattle is playing in a lost year in 2021.