What Should Be Done with Dunta Robinson in the Offseason? [F-Tagged on 2/19!]

[Keith]

I think this is showing up elsewhere, but Rick Smith's side is coming out today:

Smith's response amounted to what you'd expect: The Texans didn't want to and didn't plan to, but things change.

"We had a conversation very early in the negotiation process where I indicated I didn't want to use a franchise tag on Dunta and was clear about that because of the negative feelings around the tag. ...

But things change in a negotiation and we had a value that we had placed on him and there are some deals that got done at the end of the season and even as recently as this week and we felt like he fit in that area. That was our initial position for him with respect to valuing his contract and we changed on that, we offered him a deal that exceeded that, we changed a lot of different positions as the thing went, ...

So when they elected to exercise their right of declining our offer that was going to make him one of the highest paid corners I football, we exercised or option to tag him. It's just part of the deal. Now he's upset about it, I understand that. ..."

Those talks won't restart for a while. Smith said he'd let things cool down as the team deals with things that have to be addressed sooner. ...

Smith also disputed the report about Robinson learning of the tag from the media. ...which is a slap to the AP writer that covers the Texans, Kristie Rieken.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcsouth/...-s-charge.html