The New England Patriots will not use the franchise tag on free agent linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
This confirms what ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Tuesday morning, and is seconded by Adam Schefter, also of ESPN. Hightower is a dynamic linebacker who has proven he can excel in multiple facets of the game. It would be a pretty significant loss for the Patriots, although they always seem to adapt pretty well.
The Patriots' defense ranked 11th in the league by opponent-adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points per play this season.
Source: Rotoworld.com