Bengals Franchise Shayne Graham

The Cincinnati Bengals have franchised kicker Shayne Graham.

The move guarantees Graham a $2.48 million salary in 2009, absent a long-term deal. It also eliminates any possiblity that the team will tag T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Cedric Benson.

Tagging Graham was pretty much the default option this offseason.

Update: Reax from around Bengalsdom…

Kirk sees the tag as a signal that long-term talks between Graham and the team had stalled. Probably true, given that they’ve reportedly been having discussions since last fall with no deal emerging, but you have to wonder what the holdup is. Clearly, they are willing to pay Shayne top dollar. Did he just want to test the market? Does he want out? Is there disagreement on how much leg, and thus time in the league, he has left? In short, if a long-term contract hasn’t been worked out by now, I have to suspect there are some irreconcilable differences. We’ll see.

WDR is appalled. Of course, there’s no shortage of fans — like Jeff at The Blitz — who didn’t think T.J. was worth it, either. To each their own, I suppose.

C. Trent likes the call and has Graham’s statement on being tagged:

The Bengals have tendered me as the franchise player for the upcoming 2009 season. I appreciate the Bengals recognition of my value to the team. I would have preferred to enter a long-term market value contract, either with the Bengals or through free agency.

I will be committed to helping the Bengals win football games in the 2009 season. I truly appreciate the support of my teammates and the great fans of Cincinnati.

Well, I suppose that answers my previous question about what the holdup was: the Bengals weren’t offering a “long-term market value contract,” at least in Graham’s view. It wouldn’t be the first time the team has been accused of lowballing a free agent.

The Chickster points out the obvious: tagging Graham means the end of T.J.’s career in Cincinnati. More than half, 54%, of Stripe Hype readers predicted this would happen in our online poll, so props to the readership, they’re smarter that me, the guy who thought he’d be tagged. Now, tell me what you think of this move in our new Shayne Graham poll.

John Thornton says I told you so.