It's not at all surprising that the Raiders would slap the franchise tag on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. He would've been one of the most sought after free agents had Oakland let him go, and his imposing physical skills coupled with his ability to play man-coverage make this move a no-brainer. What is peculiar, however, is that the Raiders used the "exclusive" franchise designation, which means that Asomugha can't negotiate with other teams.From the Oakland Tribune's Jerry McDonald:
The Raiders raised more than a few eyebrows with their designation of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha as an "exclusive" franchise free agent.You'd have to think Oakland would at least consider the possibility of letting Asomugha walk in exchange for two first-round picks, but then again, maybe they knew Fabian Washington had been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and the need for a big-play corner became even more important.
The general feeling is there is no chance Asomugha would have drawn two No. 1 draft picks or brought back an offer sheet. If Asante Samuel were to land a huge deal with a roster bonus instead of a signing bonus, Asomugha's deal could exceed $10 million this year.
None of this matters, of course, if the plan is to re-sign Asomugha to a long-term deal sometime this off-season. And even if that doesn't happen -- and you question the wisdom of using the exclusive franchise tag -- it's still makes infinitely more sense than this.
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