Texans front office throws more fuel on the fire of players' discontent with franchise tag.

The Texans placed the franchise tag on Clowney in March, and were unable to ink a long-term deal by the deadline on Monday, which means the Texans' star will play on the tag. But it's not totally clear what that deal will look like.

The Texans labeled a "DE/LB," an ambiguous characterization. Which one is he, a linebacker or a defensive end? It's important, because a linebacker's tag carries a $1.698 million lower salary than a defensive end.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2019/07/16/houston-texans-jadeveon-clowney-texans-franchise-tag-dispute/39691153/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_ campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories

A PFT report claimed that head coach Bill O’Brien and former GM Brian Gaine disagreed on Clowney, with Gaine wanting to sign him long-term and O’Brien preferring to use the franchise tag. Gaine was shockingly fired in June, and while the Texans’ GM search has been a disaster for other reasons, they will apparently go without a GM this season, leaving O’Brien in charge of personnel stuff....

Houston tagged Clowney as a linebacker instead of as a defensive end, even though last year he played 729 snaps at DE and just 33 at LB, according to ESPN.

https://deadspin.com/the-texans-are-...ney-1836374234

Texans have experienced some success but no deep playoff runs and IMO will continue to have ongoing issues like this as long as Bill O'Brien is there.

Reworking the franchise tag provisions should be a major point of emphasis for the NFLPA in the upcoming CBA negotiations, but given that so-called union backing down in the past when issues involving $$$ are involved I expect the NFLPA to fold on that as usual