Per Rob Demovsky the Packers have been negotiating with Mason Crosby's agent and MM expects the team to resign him without using the franchise tag.
It's no surprise that he doesn't expect the Packers to use the franchise tag because it ain't gonna happen.
The tag amount for kickers was $4.1 million last season, and the projections I've seen take it to $4.5 mil for 2016.
With tag amounts having gone into the stratosphere, the only sane application of it is to tag an elite player to keep him out free agency with an expectation on both sides that it will be ditched for a multi-year deal before the season starts.
Mason Crosby ranks 25th among active FG kickers at 79.7%.
The last 3 years are the longest stretch of his career without an off year, and represent 3 of his 4 seasons at 80% or better. In skimming the cream, over those 3 years he hit on 85.7% which, if it were a career number, would rank him 5th. among active kickers. Excluding Crosby, there are 10 active kickers at 84.7% for their career, the difference being a statistically insignificant 1 additional missed FG over about 3 seasons, and we have not skimmed any cream for those guys.
He's become a very good, consistent kicker, but he must take a discount for the risk of relapse. Paying him meaningfully more than a 10th. rank kicker is out of line. $3 mil per year is fair, right with Nick Folk and Matt Prater . Nick Folk is an apt comparison (up until his quad injury): inconsistent throughout his career until the last 3 seasons at 80% plus.
