Eagles

David Akers Won’t Sign Transition Tag

By Kyle Scott

Published: Mar 2nd, 2011 · 10:54 AM EST

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Be prepared for three paragraphs of kicker news.

While it's assumed Michael Vick will sign the franchise tag today, David Akers' agent, Jerry Colton, has told Philly Sports Daily that Akers will not sign his transition tag. This means he will be allowed to negotiate with other teams, with the caveat being the Eagles will have the right to match any offer and keep Akers.

The transition tag is sometimes viewed in a negative light. Here's why (from Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt):

The transition tag is rarely used by NFL franchises. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the one-year transition offer is typically a large amount, which could provide the club with difficulties while attempting to keep the team's aggregate salaries under the salary cap. The other is that players often react badly to receiving the tag, because it limits their ability to negotiate with other teams and therefore hinders their chances of receiving the largest possible contract.

 

Hence why Akers and his agent are not happy with the tag. High maintenance kicker, yo.