Rocky McIntosh not pleased with RFA tender

The realities of the uncapped season is starting to hit home for players like Redskins linebacker Rocky McIntosh.

Jason Reid of the Washington Post reports that McIntosh was given the second-round tender as a restricted free agent.  That should be worth $1.759 million. As a former player rep and four-year veteran, McIntosh understands his bad timing. 

"Guys don't know how much longer they can play at this level," McIntosh said.  "They just want to be paid for what they're worth, and that's not going to happen this year, so it's just hard for a lot of guys."

McIntosh was hoping for a contract extension.

"I'm totally shocked that they didn't put forth a little bit of an effort," McIntosh said.  "But I'm just stuck in a bind with this free agency thing."

McIntosh is also suddenly stuck in a 3-4 defense that may not suit his skills.  That partly explains Washington's hesitance to give him a longer deal. 

"If you don't want me . . . you don't want to give me anything that's close to fair, just let me go," McIntosh told Reid.  "Let me start over somewhere else."

The Redskins may have done just that in a normal offseason. Under the current rules, they'd be crazy to just let a quality player walk away. 

McIntosh is hardly the only young player stuck in a bind.

McIntosh finished fourth on the team with 64 unassisted tackles. He also finished second on the team with two interceptions. Last season, McIntosh had a base salary of $535,000 and received a $100,000 workout bonus.

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(profootballtalk.com)