The Seattle Seahawks announced that they have placed the team’s franchise tag on kicker Olindo Mare in anticipation of Thursday deadline to use the tag.
According to this year’s franchise tag for kickers, Mare was tendered a one-year contract worth $2.814 million, and the two sides can continue negotiating on a longer term deal.
The franchise tag dictates that Seattle pay Mare a minimum of the average salary of the top five kickers in the National Football League, or a 20 percent salary increase, whichever is greater.
Mare earned $1.5 million in the final year of a two-year deal last season.
Seattle used the franchise tag on Mare because the price tag would have been too steep to use on other unrestricted free agents like WR Nate Burleson or DL Cory Redding.
Mare was one of the few bright spots for Seattle last season, finishing the season by making a franchise-record 21 straight field goals after missing two out of six kicks in a 25-19 loss to Chicago early in the season, in which former Seahawks head coach Jim Mora called his performance unacceptable.
Mare remains free to negotiate with any other team, but Seattle can match any offer or receive two first-round draft choices if they decide not to match.
“We are excited to assure Olindo remains with the team,” team general manager John Schneider said in the team’s release. “It is important to have continuity in the kicking game.”
Mare finished 2009 24-of-26 (.923, 3rd NFL) on field goals, and is 48-of-53 on field goal attempts in his two seasons in Seattle. Mare also had 100 points (6th NFC), ranked 5th in the NFL with 22 touchbacks.
Wow! Didn’t see that coming.
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good move….I’d bet $50 TR wouldn’t have been smart enough to do this. Where’s that kicker we sat 2 seasons ago after drafting him high….?
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I like this move… you must have a good kicker to win the tight ones, Mare has shown us he can get it done.. small hiccup against Chicago last year, otherwise very solid and helps provide good field position with touchbacks.
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oceanic, I’m with you…. very surprised. Logically, it’s prob a very good move though, as we have so many postitions to look at, to create a building base for moving forward… clearly, it’s not a QB or WR salary, so a reasonable position to lock up…. As Mad says, Mare’s really shown he can get it done… and I sure agree with Eric that he was one of our few ‘bright’ spots last season…..
we need all the help we can get on special teams… Appears that’s where our new group is looking…. That’s a good early direction… I like it…
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I’m glad we’re keeping Mare, but that IDIOT Ruskell could have avoided this with a long term contract last year.
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Mosi Tatupu (Lofa’s dad) has passed. He was 54. Very sad and sudden from reports.
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Burleson isn’t worth a Franchise Tag. And Redding sure as hell isn’t worth it.
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NB isn’t worth a franchise tag, but on the other hand can we afford to lose him?
Considering the $’s & resources Timmay put into the position, we are stunningly weak at WR, & would be much worse off w/o Burleson.
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I think this is actually a good move. Keep Mare and don’t have to franchise tag someone else who would have cost a lot more to tag. Not only was Mare good in FG’s but his touchbacks were a nice change from our past kickers who for some reason couldn’t do that.
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……
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This is so stupid. There’s not a player on that team that deserves a franchise tag. So they pick their kicker???? Just to do it? It’s not like this guy is clutch. Stupid move, it didn’t have to happen. I hope the new regime isn’t just going to play the money game, just to do it.
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