Seahawks sign Matt Hasselbeck, franchise Shaun Alexander

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, February 22, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
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BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Matt Hasselbeck apparently has made the Seattle Seahawks' decision a lot easier.

According to a report in the Seattle Times, Hasselbeck agreed to a multi-year contract late Monday night, enabling the Seahawks to use their franchise tag on star running back Shaun Alexander.

The move was made hours before the 1 pm ET deadline Tuesday by which teams must use their franchise tags.

Tackle Orlando Pace is among the players that already have been tagged as franchise players.

Players that are named as franchise players automatically get tendered the average salary of the top five players at their position or 20 percent above their previous salary, whichever is greater.

Hasselbeck and Alexander were two of 15 unrestricted free agents on the Seahawks, who have yet to replace fired team president Bob Whitsitt or vice president Ted Thompson, who left to become general manager of the Green Bay Packers.

Mike Reinfeldt, who was hired as a consultant just before the Super Bowl, is handling negotiations for the team and locked up Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones to a seven-year deal worth more than $50 million Thursday. Jones had been designated as the team's franchise player for the previous three seasons.

Reinfeldt then cleared up the team's sticky situation by signing the 29-year-old Hasselbeck. A starter the last four seasons, Hasselbeck was believed to be seeking a deal similar to the seven-year, $64 million deal that New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington got just prior to the 2004 season.

Hasselbeck threw for 3,382 yards and 22 touchdowns with 15 interceptions in 2004.

Alexander rushed for a career-high and franchise-record 1,696 yards - one yard shy of rushing champion Curtis Martin. If tendered, Alexander can expect to be paid roughly $6.32 million in 2005.

The tag entitles the Seahawks the right of first refusal and two first-round picks as compensation. However, the player that does not receive the designation is free to sign with any team with the Seahawks not receiving any compensation.

The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots are expected to slap the franchise tag on kicker Adam Vinatieri, who converted 31-of-33 field goals and led the NFL with 141 points last season.

Known as the NFL's clutchest kicker, Vinatieri made slightly more than $2 million in 2004 and will earn 20 percent above that with the tag.

Vinatieri kicked a 48-yarder as time expired in the Patriots' 20-17 victory over St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI and a 41-yarder with four seconds left in a 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Vinatieri's last one was not quite as dramatic, but his 22-yard field goal with 8:40 left turned out to be the difference in a 24-21 win over Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to use their franchise tag on Edgerrin James, who rushed for 1,548 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. In December, the Colts re-signed Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison to a multi-year contract, paving the way for them to place the tag on James.

The Oakland Raiders may again use their franchise tag on four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson, receiver Jerry Porter.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have used their franchise designation on safety Donovin Darius for the last two years and could again slap the tag on him.

Pace received the franchise designation from the St. Louis Rams for the third straight year. He earned $12.75 million over the last two seasons and will make $8.4 million in 2005.

The San Francisco 49ers tagged linebacker Julian Peterson for the second straight year and the Philadelphia Eagles designated defensive tackle Corey Simon.
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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