The Seattle Seahawks have placed the franchise tag on kicker Olindo Mare.
Mare, 36, has converted 48 of his 53 field goal attempts since signing a two-year deal with the Seahawks on March 27, 2008. Mare has also been successful on all 58 of his extra point attempts, while proving to be a valuable weapon in the field position battle with 44 touchbacks over the last two seasons.
Mare earned $1.5 million dollars last season, and if a multi-year deal can't be reached, would earn $2.814 million dollars guaranteed in 2010.
During his 13-year career, which began when the Miami Dolphins signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in 1997, Mare is 303-for-373 (81.2%) on field goal attempts, with a career long of 54 yards.
Mare was named first-team All-Pro and earned Pro Bowl honors following the 1999 season.
Mare spent 10 seasons with the Dolphins before he was traded to the New Orleans Saints for a sixth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Mare injured his leg late in the '07 campaign, and was placed on injured reserve. He signed with the Seahawks the following off-season, beating out Brandon Coutu, who the Seahawks chose in the 7th round of that year's draft, for the kicking duties during a training camp battle.
Like punter Jon Ryan, who signed a six-year, $9.1 million dollar contract after the regular season, Mare was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2009.
