The Seattle Seahawks certainly have a busy offseason ahead of them, but they will likely make their first key move soon. Monday is the first day NFL teams can apply the franchise tags to players. Free agency begins March 13, so teams will have until March 5 to determine whether they will utilize the franchise tag on one of their impending free agents.
Gregg Rosenthal at NBC Sports posted a rundown of which players are most likely to receive the franchise tag from their current team. The likely candidates among Seahawks players are Marshawn Lynch, Red Bryant or John Carlson. As far as Rosenthal is concerned, it's a no-brainer; the Seahawks will likely tag star running back Lynch.
This probably isn't that tough of a choice for the Seahawks. It should be. Running backs are replaceable and Lynch has experienced more downs than ups in his career. He was mediocre for two and a half seasons before a strong stretch run. $8 million is a lot of a money. Still, a one-year deal is much more palatable for Seattle than a long-term contract.
It seems unlikely that the Seahawks would want to part with their most marketable and consistent offensive player from 2011. If the franchise tag is how they will get him to stick around, expect an announcement shortly.
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