Franchise tag may await Hutchinson

KAPOLEI, Hawaii — No matter where he goes on Oahu, Shaun Alexander draws a crowd.

He's constantly surrounded by family, well-wishers, media types and autograph seekers.

Steve Hutchinson is at the other end of the extreme. Hutchinson, like Alexander a Pro Bowl starter, keeps a low profile. His smile doesn't come quite so naturally as Alexander's, as seen on Team Photo Day during the NFC squad's practice Friday.

And it works for him.

Truth be told, Alexander's success wouldn't be possible if not for the efforts of Hutchinson and the rest of the Seahawks' offensive line. That makes the re-signing of Hutchinson as much a priority for the Seahawks in the next few weeks as getting Alexander back in the fold.

If Alexander is the NFL's best running back, Hutchinson might as well be known as the most dominant left guard in the pros. And he, like Alexander, wishes to remain a Seahawk.

"I'd like to stay in Seattle, and we've got a good thing going," Hutchinson said after the NFC's practice at the Ihilani Resort outside of Honolulu. "They drafted me. A bunch of other teams passed up on me. So they had the confidence in using their first-round pick on me. And then we've weathered the storm the first couple of years when we really couldn't put too much together, and now we've really started to see the benefits of hard work."

The Seahawks favor keeping the current team together. It probably won't happen, as at least a couple of the team's 15 potential unrestricted free agents are bound to not be re-signed or accept offers from other teams.

But Hutchinson is a must-have, some say.

"He's a great player and he's a vital part of the locker room and he's a vital part of our offense," center Robbie Tobeck said. "There's a reason he's been in three Pro Bowls — it's because he's such a great player, and I think it's key to continue our success to have guys like him in the locker room."

The designation means Hutchinson, who just finished his fifth season, would next season be paid the average of the top five salaries in the NFL for offensive linemen from 2005. That is, if he signs the one-year franchise tender.

The tender would only be an issue if Hutchinson is franchised. The team could still reach a long-term deal with Hutchinson before Feb. 23, the last day teams can designate a franchise player.

"I really haven't had the time to sit and think about it," Hutchinson said. "It's a one-year deal. It's a great honor, I guess, to be designated. In this day and age with the [uncertainty] of the sport and injury, you'd like the security of a long-term deal."

Hutchinson missed 12 games with a broken leg in 2002, but since then has started every game for the Seahawks.

When first approached about the topic in November, he said he preferred to wait until the end of the season before discussing his future. His representatives did have some preliminary talks with the Seahawks about a contract at that time.

"You always say what if," Hutchinson said when asked if he felt an extension could have been worked out long before now. "But here it is, and however you dealt with it before, put it on the back burner."

Fellow Pro Bowl pick Walter Jones knows the ins and outs of the Seattle franchise tag, having received it three times from 2002 to 2004.

What would Jones say to Hutchinson about free agency?

"Do the things that you feel are important to you and your family," Jones said. "That's the only thing I can say to Hutch. I know him. He's going to do the right thing. The only thing that you can hope for when it's all said and done is that he's happy."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com