The annual window for application of the franchise tag closes Monday. Before it does, the Titans are expected to use theirs on tight end Jared Cook, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
It’s widely believed that Cook will take a page of the Jermichael Finley playbook and file a grievance claiming that Cook actually is a tight end.
It’s a $4.5 million question. On the surface, Cook seems to have a strong case, given that he lined up in the slot more than half the time in 2012.
The real question, however, is whether and to what extent the tight end position has changed in recent years to contemplate lining up in the slot as being part of the “tight end” position.
Surely, the franchise tender for tight ends has been determined at least in part by the inclusion of players who are “tight ends” but who spend plenty of time lined up in the slot.
With $4.5 million hanging in the balance and nothing to lose by trying, Cook should stand his ground. And hopefully the grievance will result not in a settlement but in a ruling that will give all other teams guidance in the future when it comes to determining whether a player is a tight end or a wide receiver.