Seahawks use franchise tag on kicker Josh Brown

As expected, the Seahawks placed their franchise tag on kicker Josh Brown today, keeping him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The team beat the 1 p.m. deadline. Brown, who won four games with late field goals in 2006, is all but certain to be a Seahawk in 2007 unless he chooses not to sign the one-year tender worth at least $2.078 million that comes with the designation. The Seahawks can also work out a long-term deal with Brown.

"We are excited that Josh will remain a Seahawk," Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said, according to the team's Web site. "We will continue to talk with his representative in hopes of securing a long-term deal, which is our goal."

The Seahawks have said they hope to get a deal done with Brown before the free agency deadline. Seattle didn't use its franchise tag last year, instead giving guard Steve Hutchinson the less restrictive transition tag. Teams can use one or the other. The Seahawks lost Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings.

Each team is allowed one franchise tag or transition tag. Brown is the seventh player to receive a franchise tag in the NFL. Only three NFL players received franchise tags in 2006.

In 2005, the Seahawks franchised running back Shaun Alexander. From 2002 to 2004, the team tagged left tackle Walter Jones. Brown, a four-year veteran, will make at least $2.078 million in 2007, which is the average salary of the top five punters and kickers from last season.

The Seahawks did not use the exclusive-rights franchise tag on Brown, which would have prevented the player from negotiating with any other team. The Seahawks' chose the franchise-tag option that restricts his free agency and guarantees him a one-year contract offer worth at least the average of the top five salaries at his position the previous year. That would be $2.078 for kickers and punters, the only position whose franchise-tag value declined from 2006.

Brown will be able to negotiate with other teams, but the Seahawks have the right to match any offer he receives or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation from the team that signs him if they chose not to match. That prohibitively high price of draft picks generally freezes movement.

Seattle Times staff reporter Danny O'Neil contributed to this report.