Dan Campbell has a warped view of the franchise tag

[Roary]

Getty Images

It should be no surprise that the coach who advocates kneecap-biting (we know it’s not literal, but still) has other views that may not be entirely in the pro football mainstream.

Here’s another opinion from Lions coach Dan Campbell that misses the mark. Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Campbell characterized on Tuesday the possibility of receiver Kenny Golladay receiving the franchise tag as a good thing.

“I would love to be franchised,” Campbell said, via Birkett. “That would be nice. That’s a pretty good chunk [of change].”

It’s not an honor or a privilege or a good thing in any way, shape, or form to be franchise tagged. The device allows the player’s current team to block his chance to get an even larger “chunk of change” and the long-term security that goes along with a multi-year deal with millions in guarantees beyond the value of the franchise tag.

Teams use the franchise tag because the CBA gives them the right to do it. But make no mistake about it — it’s not good for the player. It’s good for the team, or the team wouldn’t do it. The only thing good for the player is to hit the open market, unfettered.

So either Campbell doesn’t understand this (which in theory is possible) or he’s being deliberately disingenuous in order to persuade media and fans to think that Golladay should be as happy as Campbell would be to be franchise tagged.

Golladay definitely should not be. No one should be. Although it pays well for one year, it delays if not prevents the generational wealth that a player good enough to be franchise tagged has otherwise earned. Anyone from any team who tries to characterize it as anything but that should be called out, loudly.