Franchising kicker Shayne Graham was an “okay move by the Bengals” according to 30% of voters in stripehype.com’s completely unscientific internet poll. Another 13% said they loved the move, bringing the percentage of those at least not upset by this unconventional use of the tag to 43%.
Against this were 19% of respondents who called it the worst use of the tag ever, and another 11% who dubbed it simply a dumb move.
Twenty percent would have tagged either T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Cedric Benson instead of Graham. Six percent said they would have preferred to tag no one.
Overall, that’s a 43% in favor, 57% opposed, though that 57% is split on what it would do instead.
As it turned out, I think the 43% minority ended up being right (and note, I wasn’t part of it). In the wake of T.J’s departure for Seattle, it’s become clear that Cincinnati had no chance to keep Housh short of the tag, and he made it quite clear that he would go into disgruntled mode if they did. The tag turned out not to be needed in Benson’s case, as the Bengals re-upped him for two years and $7 million. And tagging Graham kept him off the market for the NFL equivalent of peanuts and gives the team time to come to a long-term agreement.
In short, what looked like a crazy move a week ago looks a lot better now. Whoda thunk it, eh?
New poll in the works.
Brennen Warner
Dawg Pound Daily
Ebony Bird
NFL Mocks
Nice Pick, Cowher
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