I wrote a story last fall about Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones. I don't envy many players that I write about, but it was hard not to be jealous of Big Walt's routine for the past three years: Stay home with his wife and kids in Alabama during training camp, sign the Seahawks' one-year franchise offer just before the season starts, get a 20 percent raise, end the year in the Pro Bowl as the best tackle in the game.

In the end, Jones decided that playing football each year for guaranteed money, with raises from $4.92 million to $5.9 to $7.1, was worth it. The Seahawks were stubborn, as well, and were content franchising him every year for that amount. In a league full of players who hate the franchise tag, Jones actually likes it.