Projo Pats Blog

In news first reported by ESPN's John Clayton, the Patriots have not used the franchise tag on receiver Randy Moss; the deadline for teams to designate a franchise player was 4 p.m.

The feeling is that Moss and the Patriots are close to signing a long-term deal with the receiver and he likely will not hit the free agent market.

When New England acquired Moss in a draft-day deal last April, he signed a one-year contract with incentives that marked a significant pay cut for he veteran wideout compared to what he was due to make with his previous club, Oakland.

Moss came to the Patriots and returned to his previous impressive form, with 98 catches for 1,493 yards and a league-record 23 touchdowns. He also was praised as a great teammate, and did not cause any ripples save for the restraining order a Florida woman filed against him during the playoffs.

Tom Brady has made no secret of his fondness for Moss as a teammate, and said at the Super Bowl earlier this month that he figures he has at least 10 more seasons left in him and would like to have Moss with him for as many of those as possible. Brady was not happy when the Pats traded Deion Branch to Seattle, and expressed as much publicly; clearly, it is in New England's best interests to keep the best quarterback in the game happy.

Had New England franchised Moss, he would have gotten a one-year contract for a guaranteed $7.85 million. When teams designate a franchise player, they have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal with him. Otherwise the player signs the tender and the sides can't meet again until after the season concludes.

Eleven teams used the franchise tag this season.

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